Rahul Dravid's interview : for all those who have criticised him!

[feverpitch]

This post is a classic example of what Dravid was referring to when he talked of living room critics. Some random numbers without any knowledge of the actual situation. Not that I have that knowledge' date=' but you've got to trust an experienced player like Dravid to weigh this number crunching versus the reality.[/quote'] That was the stupidest comment RD has made in the tour so far. great players seldom make great analysts/theorizers/critics of the game. what RD has done is show his contempt at the intelligence of the viewing masses.

[karina]

For those who defend him, think about this - If the situation had been 1-1, would RD have enforced the follow on and try to win the series? Of course not! He would have done the exact same thing so that India does not RISK losing 2-1.... Or lets say it was 1-0 to England...Why then RD would have acted the same way again, so that we don't lose 2-0 instead of 1-0.... I love dravid, I think he is (or was) a great batsman and a good human being overall...but he is not captain material the way Ganguly is.

[Chandan]

For those who defend him, think about this - If the situation had been 1-1, would RD have enforced the follow on and try to win the series? Of course not! He would have done the exact same thing so that India does not RISK losing 2-1.... Or lets say it was 1-0 to England...Why then RD would have acted the same way again, so that we don't lose 2-0 instead of 1-0.... I love dravid, I think he is (or was) a great batsman and a good human being overall...but he is not captain material the way Ganguly is.

Karina, I've no doubt in my mind that Rahul would have gone all out for kill, had his bowlers been well. There are many things which we do not know, and I trust Dravid completely for whatever decision he took. As for comparing him with Saurav Ganguly, did you watch the Sydney test, Jan 2-6, 2004? It was also Steve Waugh's final match. Can you remind me what happened then, and at what stage the series was before that match started?

[The Outsider]

Dravid has achieved better results as a captain with a far worse team than Ganguly. But Ganguly is the better captain. Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with that logic.

[Gambit]

Dravid has achieved better results as a captain with a far worse team than Ganguly. But Ganguly is the better captain. Yeah' date=' I don't see anything wrong with that logic.[/quote'] C'mon Shwetabh, you are being extremely unfair to Gangs. Gangs took Indian cricket out of the doldrums, the depressing mire of matchfixing that threatened to ruin Indian cricket forever, to absolutely dizzying heights. From the jewel in his crown victory over OZ in 2001 to the WC finals, from the terrific 1-1 draw in OZ to the unforgettable twin innings win in Pak, Gangs brought us great success. We were an awesome unit under him. Granted that by end 2004, he had run out of fuel and was past his peak as far as achievements as captains go. But that shouldn't blind us to his innumerable successes. It can be said that Dravid's achievements today(whatever they maybe) are because of the solid groundwork done by Gangs

[The Outsider]

It can be said that Dravid's achievements today(whatever they maybe) are because of the solid groundwork done by Gangs

I have no qualms in admitting that Ganguly was just the kind of captain India needed at the time and very good one who built a platform for Dravid. My post was in response to "Ganguly would have done this and that" kind of posts. Ganguly provided a good base and Dravid is doing a good job of building upon it. A test match win in South Africa, a series win in WI, and now a series win in England are three improved performances outside the subcontinent with a weaker side than Ganguly had at his disposal and Dravid does deserve more than brickbats for it.

unforgettable twin innings win in Pak

First one was under Dravid.:D

[karina]

Karina, I've no doubt in my mind that Rahul would have gone all out for kill, had his bowlers been well. There are many things which we do not know, and I trust Dravid completely for whatever decision he took. As for comparing him with Saurav Ganguly, did you watch the Sydney test, Jan 2-6, 2004? It was also Steve Waugh's final match. Can you remind me what happened then, and at what stage the series was before that match started?

his bowlers were all well. zak said he was fine, didn't he? I agree with you Chandan that ganguly made a similar fiasco in Aus. But tell me, how many series had India won overseas then? if anyone can lay claim to nervousness its him and not dravid, who should be used to winning by now....and he made it worse by dragging his own innings of 12 in 96. unforgivable! oh well, water under the bridge but i do feel gangs would have done it bettr - he wouldnt' have enforced the follow on eitrher, but he would have made the brits bat for another 15 overs or so, and that would have increased the pressure on them surely.

[Chandan]

Sorry Karina, But do you remember how many overs we had given the Aussies to bat in the final innings? Sydney 2004 So India gave them just 94 overs then to their bowlers to dismiss the Aussie team. Dravid gave 110 overs. You tell me which was better??? PS: I trusted Ganguly for his decision then and I trust Dravid for his decision here. Obviously they know much more about cricket, players, their ability and fitness and such things than we do!

[beetle]

>>>>his bowlers were all well. zak said he was fine, didn't he? But is it true.... Vengsarkar in an interview in today's paper has said that he a strain and will need three weeks of rest . Also check out the article that chandan has provided a link to. http://newspostindia.com/report-11468 Zaheer's Fitness Subject Of Much Speculation Wednesday 15th of August 2007 Contradictory signals have emanated about Zaheer Khan's fitness. The medium pacer has been omitted from next month's Twenty20 World Championship squad due to his bruised heel, Indian selection committee chairman Dilip Vengsarkar explained. At the same time, Zaheer was retained for the seven one-dayers against England starting next week. Indian skipper Rahul Dravid ascribed the physical condition of his bowlers as one of the reasons for him not enforcing a follow on in the recently concluded third Test against England. Khan, however, maintained he wasn't tired. The fact is, Khan, having surpassed himself in the second Test at Trent Bridge, was not so sharp in the third encounter and certainly bowled below his best in the second innings - this, despite the rest in between the England innings. The issue is not whether he felt breathless on the fourth morning, when Dravid made his cautious move, but the cumulative fatigue of fairly incessant cricket over the past nine months. Besides, the strapping around his thigh was surely not a fashion statement and S. Sreesanth also had a sore ankle. Had either or both broken down in course of three days' continuous bowling and part-time bowlers been pummelled by the brilliance of Kevin Pietersen, Dravid's worst fears may have come true. England could have got 500 in the second venture and set India a tricky task of scoring 180 runs in even time. The Indians would have been savaged by all and sundry if they did not attempt this. Yet, in so doing, they might have collapsed. Even after the breakthrough in 1971, India capitulated for 42 at Lord's in 1974. Indeed, 11 for three in Nottingham was a hint of the spectre that's haunted Indian cricket. The stamina of India's current quick bowlers, who are forced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to partake in an excess of one-day cricket, which requires them to bowl a maximum of 10 overs, and relatively fewer Test matches, which demands sending down around 20 overs in a day, - with five-Test series consigned to history - is a matter for conjecture. However, had India's specialist bowlers withstood the strain of bowling uninterruptedly for nine sessions, it is unlikely that England would either have got sufficient runs or forced the pace to the extent of cornering India. Should Dravid have gambled for a 2-0 margin when the windfall of a series win was in the bag? Armchair criticism is easy. The Damocles' sword hangs only over a captain's head! India's victory is remarkable because an unfancied attack delivered the goods. The exceptional movement of the ball in the air - even by English standards - generated by the after effects of a notably wet summer converted the left-armers Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh into twice the bowlers they are. Of course, their incisiveness from around the wicket was due entirely to their credit and rather took the Englishmen by surprise. The success was also founded on the Indian batsmen skilfully negotiating from the second Test onwards the swing exhibited by Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson, for this duo, too, were twice as lethal than otherwise. Terminating England's six-year unbeaten run in Test series at home was no mean feat. The 'poor travellers' tag is, therefore, beginning to peel off. In the past 13 months, India has won a Test series in the Caribbean after 35 years and now in England after 21 years. In between, India secured a maiden Test victory in South Africa. In 2004, India triumphed in Pakistan for the first time ever. Dravid now has the distinction of leading India to two away series wins against major cricketing sides - an honour only enjoyed by Ajit Wadekar previously.

[beetle]

Dravid can ofcourse come out in the open and tell the world that Zaheer may not have been tired but wasn't fit enough.....but we all know he will let this go...afterall, he is too much of a gentleman.Isn't it???

[Gambit]

Love the fact how radhika is blasting Indian media and accusing them of fabrication just because the son of god Rahul Dravid is involved in this little episode but only a few months ago, she lapped up everything in the Indian media about the alleged mafia and dons in the Indian Cricket Team. Ab gussa mat hona radhika :D :D

[beetle]

People like you will never be happy FP.I am sure you are happier when the team isn't doing well as that give you more opportunity to bash Dravid. Are you a journalist by any chance?

[beetle]

I made your day there Gambo???:regular_smile:

[Chandan]

Dravid can ofcourse come out in the open and tell the world that Zaheer may not have been tired but wasn't fit enough.....but we all know he will let this go...afterall' date=' he is too much of a gentleman.Isn't it???[/quote'] It has nothing to do with being a gentleman. He will not weaken his ODI authority by saying that his main bowler is injured! I'd like the Indians to be a bit more forthright but media acts as a beast everytime. Hence these hiding of the facts!

[beetle]

It has nothing to do with being a gentleman. He will not weaken his ODI authority by saying that his main bowler is injured! I'd like the Indians to be a bit more forthright but media acts as a beast everytime. Hence these hiding of the facts!

yeah that too... But I doubt Dravid would have come out in the open even if the ODIs were at stake. He did mention once that no one will ever know what he thinks about his team mates...I don't see him come out with a sensational ...all revealing book in the future.

[beetle]

Dravid has achieved better results as a captain with a far worse team than Ganguly. But Ganguly is the better captain. Yeah' date=' I don't see anything wrong with that logic.[/quote'] Agree.....Ganguly was a better captain . We are lucky to have seen these two as captains. Ganguly was great ....except in the end. We should just hope that Dravid doesn't end the way ganguly did.

[Chandan]

yeah that too... But I doubt Dravid would have come out in the open even if the ODIs were at stake. He did mention once that no one will ever know what he thinks about his team mates...I don't see him come out with a sensational ...all revealing book in the future.

No need for a sensational book. If our media will stop treating cricket as a masala instead of pure sports, captains can get forthright. But there is no chance of that as of now. Hence I don't blame Dravid at all for all those predictable answers and quotes!

[Chandan]

Agree.....Ganguly was a better captain . We are lucky to have seen these two as captains. Ganguly was great ....except in the end. We should just hope that under Dravid doesn't end the way ganguly did.

Radhika, In my opinion, Ganguly was a fairly average captain tactically and Dravid is not better.

[beetle]

But have they not been the best we have had.....?In recent times ...?

[Ram]

This thread is full of Radhika... Living true to her Avtar i suppose.. :D