fineleg Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/sports/2007/December/sports_December651.xml§ion=sports&col= As Beetle aka Rads had said the quintessential team man "agrees" So, we are sacrificing Dravid now. NEW DELHI — India's top middle order batsman Rahul Dravid has agreed to open the innings in the Test series against Australia, it has now been confirmed. A top board official confirmed the news stating that Wasim Jaffer and Dravid would walk out to open the innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for the first Test, starting on 26th of this month. Viewed as technically the best batsman in the Indian line-up, Dravid has usually been a reluctant Test opener for India and with good reasons. The stylish Karnataka batsman has opened in seven Tests for India and scored only 339 runs at an average of 33.09. But he has been asked to bail the team out of a piquant situation and Dravid, ever the team-man, has acceded to the request. The request has been made to accommodate Yuvraj Singh in the playing eleven, the powerful left-hander from Punjab who hit a breathtaking 169 in the recent Test in Bangalore against Pakistan. The middle order is packed with top batsmen such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman and Yuvraj can only come in if Dravid vacates his position for the aggressive southpaw. Initially, it was believed that Dravid would be reluctant to take up the opener's role since his position in the middle order is secure. He was also cut up with the selectors for having him removed from the one-day unit but now asking for a favour in Tests. Dravid also didn't get swayed by his awesome record in Australia in the last series between the two countries when he scored over 600 runs from four Tests including a classy double century in Adelaide. It is believed that initially Dravid had ruled out the possibility of opening in Australia but a little persuasion from captain Anil Kumble, his team-mate from Bangalore, made him change his minds. Kumble spoke to Dravid at length after the Bangalore Test and made him see the catch-22 situation his side faced vis-à -vis inclusion of Yuvraj Singh in the playing eleven. Dravid's nod to opener's role would mean that Virender Sehwag and Dinesh Karthik, two other openers in the side, would not be considered to open the innings, at least in the first two Tests of the series. Sehwag, in any case, it is learnt would bat only in middle order even if he is picked in the playing eleven at any stage of the tour. Indians are aware that a good start is absolutely paramount in Australia and Dravid has the technique to completely blunt the fearsome Australian pace attack. As of now, home captain Ricky Ponting is veering towards having fearsome Brett Lee and Shaun Tait take the new ball. Link to comment
fineleg Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/sports/2007/December/sports_December651.xml§ion=sports&col= Dravid's nod to opener's role would mean that Virender Sehwag and Dinesh Karthik, two other openers in the side, would not be considered to open the innings, at least in the first two Tests of the series. Sehwag, in any case, it is learnt would bat only in middle order even if he is picked in the playing eleven at any stage of the tour. In which case WHY ARE WE NOT TAKING BADRI for middle order instead of Sehwag!? Link to comment
Ram Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Sorry to interfere, but Dravid wont open. Link to comment
fineleg Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 Sorry to interfere' date=' but Dravid [b']wont open. If you say so. Who knows? I am only going by latest "reports"... http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayA...ion=sports&col= Beyond that only Kumble will know for sure, and maybe Hari Sampath can find out and inform us nervous fans. Link to comment
zubinpepsi Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 which fukin times is this?? Khaleejjjjj???? its a shame tht u posted this article.. which is absolute bull crap.. Shewag will not be played anywhere other than opening.. He was taken exclusively for openers slot.. which makes sense.. the whole report doesnt make any sense at all.. Link to comment
Ram Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 I can tell you with assurance that Dravid wont open, atleast in the first test. Link to comment
zubinpepsi Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 If you say so. Who knows? I am only going by latest "reports"... http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayA...ion=sports&col= Beyond that only Kumble will know for sure, and maybe Hari Sampath can find out and inform me , a nervous fan. Correction. :D Link to comment
fineleg Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 This is a UAE paper Zubin. As I said, this is the latest report available. Just posting a report from a newspaper (whether it is Indian or UAE or Australian media). Believe it or not - each of us can choose. However, the truth will only be known to Anil Kumble. Link to comment
zubinpepsi Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 wat do u mean by the latest report?? the report is dated 15th dec... today i believe is 19th Dec... Link to comment
fineleg Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 wat do u mean by the latest report?? the report is dated 15th dec... today i believe is 19th Dec... based on the date i read it :D Link to comment
zubinpepsi Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 so u were lagging 4 days??? :haha:.. and i dont want u u to come out with who will open in the 1st test thread on the 4th day of the 1st test.... sso pls finish of those 4 days by today... update urself fast finey.. timing is running out.. Link to comment
Chandan Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 No such report anywhere else in last 6 hours. This must be a specially manufactured news by this site, what no one else is willing to buy, except Fineleg. Don't you think it'd have been on cricinfo by now, if kumble persuaded Dravid before 15th December?? Link to comment
Ram Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Firstly, the article is ridiculously poorly written and seems like someone cooked it up over an afternoon tea. Contrast it with a credible cricinfo report and you will know why its fake. You will never find terms like " Viewed as technically the best batsman in the Indian line-up," , "and Dravid, ever the team-man, has acceded to the request.", "Yuvraj can only come in if Dravid vacates his position for the aggressive southpaw," "Dravid had ruled out the possibility of opening in Australia but a little persuasion from captain Anil Kumble" in a proper, credible report. Its like a the author is trying to weave out a story out of what is essentially a fact - Dravid opening or not opening. Seems like he is intent on justifying the "news" in his article itself. Another damning proof how amateur this guy can be seen from this - "As of now, home captain Ricky Ponting is veering towards having fearsome Brett Lee and Shaun Tait take the new ball.". NOBODY knows whether Tait will play or not, yet, it seems somehow the author has some inside infromation from the Aussie dressing room. Final nail in the coffin ? This - " Sehwag, in any case, it is learnt would bat only in middle order even if he is picked in the playing eleven at any stage of the tour. " Even a 10 year old will tell you Sehwag has gone there to open. God knows why they write such rubbish. Link to comment
fineleg Posted December 19, 2007 Author Share Posted December 19, 2007 ok, what u say is reasonable. Accepted that this may be an inaccurate report then. however, dravid opening is not a far fetched situation (different thread talks abt it anyway, so we need not debate that here). Link to comment
talksport Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Sehwag got picked b'cos Gambhir the opener is asked to be injured Link to comment
Chandan Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Sehwag got picked b'cos Gambhir the opener is asked to be injured Gambhir IS injured and has not participated in this round's Ranji match, despite being named the skipper of Delhi, too as the wound had not healed completely for him to play. Link to comment
bharat297 Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 Oh my god ... Sehwag declined the opening spot? Damn Link to comment
coffee_rules Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 This article makes TOI look like WSJ/NYT.. Link to comment
The Outsider Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 This article makes TOI look like WSJ/NYT.. Yes indeed.:haha: Link to comment
DesiChap Posted December 19, 2007 Share Posted December 19, 2007 This article makes TOI look like WSJ/NYT.. :hysterical::hysterical: Link to comment
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