Vic Marks compares Dravid and Hayden

[DomainK]

Two great batsmen of this generation are clinging on after glittering careers. For one of them all but the 11 opposition players are willing him to return to form and to remind us once more of his *special talent. For the other it may only be the other 10 players in his own team who are urging him on. The two in question? Rahul Dravid and Matthew Hayden. And you already know which one is which. The uncertainty about their careers is the only thing that this pair has in *common. Dravid must be teak tough – how else could he have scored more than 10,000 Test runs? – yet he is also unfailingly courteous, generous to his opponents and a gentle ambassador for the game. And Hayden? Well, he appears to be none of those things. It is tempting to stereotype Hayden. But how do you marry the born-again Christianity with the ruthless sledging of Graeme Smith in the South African's first Test? He has the swagger of a bully. Hayden has been one of the most intimidating batsmen of his era, but also one of the least endearing. So when his powers are on the wane there is a dearth of sympathy outside of Australia. Now this pair face the hardest decision. They have to assess whether their loss of form has been a blip or if it is the end and objectivity is hard to find when assessing your own game. Almost by definition a top-class batsman will think he can keep going. The instinct that has kept both Dravid and Hayden at the pinnacle demands they believe they can still do it. That's how great players operate. Hence both Dravid and Hayden will need sound advice from those they trust. A string of failures does not help much to gather evidence. A long innings can be more informative. Recall Mike Gatting's last Test century in Adelaide in 1995. It was pugnacious, yet horrible to behold. He scratched around, willing himself to survive on Australia's most batsman-friendly wicket. Here was a shadow of the old Gatting, or the young Gatting. He barely timed a ball and in attempting to reach his hundred he was almost run out by five yards; it was Henry VIII with pads on. His judgment of a run, never impeccable, had deteriorated partly because he had forgotten to factor in that he could not run as fast as he used to. Hayden has had more than his share of run-outs recently for similar reasons. So it is often when a batsman plays a long innings rather than experience a string of failures that he can recognise his powers are declining. At the end of that tour Gatting retired from Test cricket without hesitation. At 37 he knew the game was up. Dravid will be 36 next month and has just played a long innings. He became more fluent as that innings progressed. This suggests he could play on if he wishes. Moreover, after 131 Tests he has earnt the right to have a dignified exit. This should be the pattern for the truly great player: to at least appear to be going on your own terms. That was the way of Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Steve Waugh and Ian Healy and, more recently in India, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble. There may be a few delicate discussions along the lines of: "You can retire in a blaze of glory... or run the risk of being dropped." Now that their tour of Pakistan has been cancelled the only Test cricket scheduled for India before Dravid's *contract with his board runs out in *September next year is in New Zealand. Does he really want to bow out in April at the Basin Reserve in Wellington? Maybe he is sufficiently self-effacing to settle for such a low-key departure. Or perhaps this Mohali innings persuades him to soldier on for another 18 months? Yesterday Dravid expressed relief at his century, acknowledging that the innings was "quite significant". He added: "The barren patch made me realise how supportive so many people have been, former players and even those in the media. It was almost as if they were on the journey with me." The assumption in Mohali was that Dravid will continue as a Test *cricketer but perhaps we should keep a close eye on him during this match just in case he does a "Kumble". Hayden's situation is trickier. Australia has an alluring fixture list. After this series they travel to South Africa for three more Tests and then there is the stage that no self-respecting Aussie can resist: a final Ashes series. The decision will have to be made after the Sydney Test against South Africa in the first week in January. These matches against South Africa are important to the Australians, but they will want everything in place for the Ashes series. Nothing can be left to chance against England. Any new opening pair needs to be tested beforehand – in South Africa – before England and that Ashes series. Phil Jaques is the likeliest man to join up with Simon *Katich should Hayden retire. Australia's coach, Tim Nielsen, confirmed that *situation after Hayden's latest failure (he was unlucky to be caught off his boot in the second innings in Perth – no, titter ye not). "At the end of the series we will sit down and see where he is," said Nielsen. "It will make it difficult if his scores are not as consistent as he would like them but at the moment we just have to patient." Hmmm... not a ringing *endorsement. Hayden has a max*imum of four knocks to impress and, following the Gatting example, any long innings could decide matters. One thing is certain: if Hayden opts to call it a day after the Sydney Test against South Africa, he will be regarded with greater affection beyond Australia. Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/20/hayden-dravid-blog

[Rajan]

thanks. a good read. was looking for his blog on the last day's play of chennai test.

[Kartikey]

Hayden has a max*imum of four knocks to impress and, following the Gatting example, any long innings could decide matters. One thing is certain: if Hayden opts to call it a day after the Sydney Test against South Africa, he will be regarded with greater affection beyond Australia. Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/dec/20/hayden-dravid-blog

I doubt that will happen in India. I will always think of him as a big fat obnoxious weed.

[DomainK]

I doubt that will happen in India. I will always think of him as a big fat obnoxious weed.

And you wont find yourself alone in thinking that.