The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Dravid touches on umpiring issue

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Sunday, Sep 09, 2007
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Dravid touches on umpiring issue

Special Correspondent

London: Rahul Dravid said the captain’s report would include his observations on umpiring during the seventh NatWest ODI. On Sachin Tendulkar being wrongly given out caught behind, he replied, “It obviously was a huge decision. He is an in-form batsman and one good partnership would have taken us to 250.”

In the same breath, he agreed that he had got a faint nick to an Flintoff delivery. “Sometimes, when it comes to very faint edges, you don’t feel it. I saw the replay in the dressing room and realised I was out.” The Indian captain was of the view that technology, at present, was not good enough to be used for all decisions. He admitted that England was the better team in the series and played better cricket on Saturday. On India missing a third seamer here, he replied that if the batsmen had made enough runs, the spinners would have had the runs to bowl with.

Dravid said there were many positives for India from the tour. “We played with intensity during the 80-odd days, the youngsters performed well and winning the Test series was a big achievement. We also realise that there are areas to improve in ODIs — like bowling at the ‘death’, our batting after losing the early wickets, and our fielding. Our fielding gradually improved.” He said the team for the Twenty20 World Cup had youth and vibrancy. “Veeru (Sehwag) and Bhajji (Harbhajan) will also add to the side,” he said.

England captain said the key to England’s ODI series triumph was the manner in which Anderson and Broad combined as a new-ball pair, and then, Flintoff coming in as first change. Collingwood also complimented Player of the Series Bell and the Man of the Match at Lord’s, Pietersen.

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