The Dilemna of Dravid : The Journey from Melbourne to Nagpur

[bunny]

Ravi & Hari, Ok, i am sticking my neck out, as i have been for the past 2 days, I dont want Dravid to retire for the next 2 years at least. he shud play in the nagpur test, if he fails can be rested/dropped, shud go back to Ranji, reclaim confidence and form, shud be gven an opportunity ahaed of newcomers,straightaway, if he scores big in domestic matches. if he contributes well, then he plays the england series like a champ!

Agree wholeheartedly. Whether a player should retire or not is entirely his own decision. On the other hand, D ravid should be dropped if he doesn't play really well in Nagpur, and from now onwards he shouldn't receive preferential treatment because of his past performances (if he has to stay in the squad he has to average 45+ from now onwards). In fact, this is the reason why I am so annoyed by Ganguly's decision to retire. Since his comeback, he was the best Indian batsman of 2007. He was the best against SA in 2008. He had a below-par series against SL because of Murali and Mendis, and a below par against Aus because of Hogg. But, he was doing really well otherwise. He shouldn't have been dropped from the Irani squad and he shouldn't have retired.

[Fontaine]

Well you have to be honest. 1. Is they player that is going to be dropped given enough chances to come back into form? 2. Is there a player in the squad or elsewhere that can come in and do a better job? For me, both answers are YES so I don't see what the problem is in dropping Dravid. I'm not asking him to retire because that's very much a personal decision but if you think he has two years left in him then that's plenty of time to go back to domestic cricket and rebound back to his best.

[Guest HariSampath]

I agree that no one can *ask* Rahul Dravid to retire, but it is a well known fact that all the seniors publicly keep parroting the theme " seniors know when to go on their own", and if that is to be accepted, then certainly the question will be asked " do seniors know what is the minimum level of performance for them to continue to be in team". If the seniors basically are saying " yes, we will continue to play till WE decide to go, and no one can ask us questions of performance, and only when WE finally had enough and go, can we be dropped, an until then we play irrespective of performance"...I am terribly sorry to say its NOT the way things work. It is the SELECTORS who decide what the team needs are and who gets to play in each test match and what is the criterion for selecting 11 players , NOT players themselves. If players themselves get to choose themselves, then why are there a panel of 5 wise men appointed by BCCI. Now, who decides what is a long enough stretch of failure, what is current form, how to guess when anyone will come back to form, who should be replaced, when etc. It is the selectors, and players DONT get a vote in selection. It is a simple enough equation.

[Rajan]

Hari ...Now, who decides what is a long enough stretch of failure, what is current form, how to guess when anyone will come back to form, who should be replaced, when etc. It is the selectors, and players DONT get a vote in selection. It is a simple enough equation. so, some one misjudges Ganguly's form, ability to bounce back and drops him for the Irani Trophy team, which is an indication of things to come. who's loss is that? by the way, was not saurav wronged by the unfair decision/judgment of selectors? then a new selection committee comes around, tells him,"ok, v r not like that bunch, u can go with dignity provided u accept a VRS". Is that fair? IMHO saurav was frustrated and accepted the forced deal rather than a retirement of his own decision.

[Guest HariSampath]

Oh No...the alternative for Sourav would have been, NOT to play in any more tests, and go out after having failed in SL, and not even selected for Irani team. Thats why he had a serious discussion with Cheeka, who provided him with a honorable solution, which in fact Sourav was very happy with. The fact is that BCCI and Srikkanth had already decided that the seniors would be phased out, and Srikkanth just ensured that Ganguly gets the same fair treatment that Rahul Dravid and Kumble were getting.

[fineleg]

does someone have SG's century moment video (from this series). Cheeka was happy for SG and clapping/waving to him, and i think SG was happy too. Can u post that clipping? (just so i'm not imagining things :D)

[Guest HariSampath]

Finey dude....at this moment...for Ganguly...Cheeka is GOD...he has made the biggest difference between being dropped in disgrace to going out in style. Of course Cheeka has had his issues with Ganguly before ( 2003 world cup, when Cheeka told on commentary that Ganguly should be batting at # 14 )...but Cheeka has done for Ganguly what no selection committee chairman has done before.Thats why SG said " I wish this committee was there 3 years earlier"....but then I am happy for Sourav he has got a 100 and proved a point, I am also happy he is going.

[Rajan]

Oh No...the alternative for Sourav would have been, NOT to play in any more tests, and go out after having failed in SL, and not even selected for Irani team. Thats why he had a serious discussion with Cheeka, who provided him with a honorable solution, which in fact Sourav was very happy with. The fact is that BCCI and Srikkanth had already decided that the seniors would be phased out, and Srikkanth just ensured that Ganguly gets the same fair treatment that Rahul Dravid and Kumble were getting.

thats a wrong option. if the previous selection committee unfairly dumps a batsman for failing in one series, despite performing very well in the 5 previous series, the new committee should have resurrected his career rather than offering VRS.That is justice. two wrongs dont make a right. why pick on Ganguly for compulsory retirement?why not Sachin? both scored almost less than 100.after all he failed against SA too! thats my point. whether it is this committee or any old committee, they are biased.i hope they dont extend the VRS to Laxman too.

[bunny]

thats a wrong option. if the previous selection committee unfairly dumps a batsman for failing in one series, despite performing very well in the 5 previous series, the new committee should have resurrected his career rather than offering VRS.That is justice. two wrongs dont make a right. why pick on Ganguly for compulsory retirement?why not Sachin? both scored almost less than 100.after all he failed against SA too! thats my point. whether it is this committee or any old committee, they are biased.i hope they dont extend the VRS to Laxman too.

Well said. Btw, how come all of you claim to know about the inside details, like VRS; SG being happy with Srikkanth; the new selection committee having already decided about the future of SG, AK and RD, etc? How do you know all of this? Is this just a speculation or is this confirmed?

[Guest HariSampath]

Cricinfo has carried my post as well...on Dileep Premachandran's article on Dravid :D

Posted by Hari_Sam on November 06 2008, 14:19 PM GMT Dravid has been one of the finest batsmen in Indian and world cricket, but his performances over the last 2 years have been deplorably substandard. He has produced just 6 50s in the last 6 test series, that is averaging one 50 per series. We cannot count the "20s or 30s" and give the excuse "he has been getting starts", No, for a player of Dravid's caliber we have too see how many match impacting innings he has played and that is just one solitary 90 in Perth in the last 20 tests, he has averaged less than 28 over 25 tests, and has been occupying a crucial spot in the lineup purely courtesy Kumble the captain, from Melbourne till now, keeping out much more deserving and in form youngsters. High time he is dropped, should have been dropped after SL tour itself and that would have been ideal. He should immediately announce his retirement and at least leave with some dignity, on a cricket field rather than read about his axing in the papers.

[Predator_05]

Cricinfo has carried my post as well...on Dileep Premachandran's article on Dravid :D

CONGRATULATIONS HARI !!!!!!!! MAN, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU...YOU'RE MY HERO :yay::yay::yay::yay: WHEN I GROW UP, I WANNA BE JUST LIKE HARISAMPAHT

[Mr. Wicket]

Cricinfo has carried my post as well...on Dileep Premachandran's article on Dravid :D

Great work Hari, are you going to open a bottle of champagne to celebrate? I'm guessing this achievement will go above 'keyboard warrior' in your resume?

[Guest HariSampath]

^...No...this is in light of the fact there had been plenty of issues between Cricinfo and myself for several years....they used to block out anything remotely resembling me ( there is a bit of history to this, as I was involved with Badri Seshadri at the time when he established Cricinfo in the mid 1990s, but I didnt involve myself later after he gave it over to Wisden...so it amused me that thay didnt block me out knowing fully well who I am ( I had earlier copied my comments to other sub eds, along with my Dravid article :D ) No, this wouldnt go as an achievement at all, and if at all any of my "key board" crusade will go under, it will be under " reclaiming Indian cricket from a 5 man mafia" :D

[Guest HariSampath]

CONGRATULATIONS HARI !!!!!!!! MAN, I'M SO PROUD OF YOU...YOU'RE MY HERO :yay::yay::yay::yay: WHEN I GROW UP, I WANNA BE JUST LIKE HARISAMPAHT

For now, just eat your cereals and do your homework and dont watch too many cartoons on TV :hysterical:

[King Tendulkar]

Cricinfo has carried my post as well...on Dileep Premachandran's article on Dravid :D

Well done:two_thumbs_up:

[SachDan]

Cricinfo has carried my post as well...on Dileep Premachandran's article on Dravid :D

:hatsoff:

[Rajiv]

Gambhir will play, it is extremely unlikely that any hearing by Justice Sachs can be completed in 48 hours, so GG will play.. If at all he doesnt play...there are just 2 options. Dravid will be TOLD to open and Badri will play at #6, making his test debut. If at all a new opener is brought in, Kohli will open, as he has opened in ODIs, enjoys Dhoni's confidence and has just got a 100 against this Aussie attack. Akash Chopra and Dhawan are not even remotely in the picture. But IF at all GG doesn't play, the first option is what will happen most probably. But I know for a fact that the Selection committee hasn't called up any other player, and so GG is expected to play.

how much gambhir score

[Rajiv]

Cricinfo has carried my post as well...on Dileep Premachandran's article on Dravid :D

its a post in an article, I thought he posted your article check this out, if u missed it apna salil http://content-www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/255576.html

[Guest HariSampath]

^ Thats right Rajeev....I too only said it was MY post on HIS article. I never submitted my "article" to them...in fact my write up is not even an article on our ICF , being honest about Dravid apparently doesnt get "article status" here :D

[Guest HariSampath]

Gambhir will play, it is extremely unlikely that any hearing by Justice Sachs can be completed in 48 hours, so GG will play.. If at all he doesnt play...there are just 2 options. Dravid will be TOLD to open and Badri will play at #6, making his test debut. If at all a new opener is brought in, Kohli will open, as he has opened in ODIs, enjoys Dhoni's confidence and has just got a 100 against this Aussie attack. Akash Chopra and Dhawan are not even remotely in the picture. But IF at all GG doesn't play, the first option is what will happen most probably. But I know for a fact that the Selection committee hasn't called up any other player, and so GG is expected to play.

Of course at the time I posted this, Vijay was not called up, he was called up just 36 hours before test start. Even the selectors were very confident that GG's ban wont be upheld without a hearing, and the appeal would have to be postponed, untill justice Sachs did a surprise decision by turning down the appeal without a hearing. Even BCCI were confident that GG would play, till afternoon of November 4th