Rahul Dravid : The Wall

[VinodKumar's]

Former
India coach Greg Chappell has ignited a fresh controversy in his newly-released
book on Rahul Dravid, saying had the retired batting great received the same
support that he gave other captains, he would have been the country's most
successful skipper. Chappell wrote that despite Dravid
guiding the Indian team to a number of victories, his success was not enjoyed
by some of the members of the side.
"Sadly
the success of the team was not universally enjoyed within the team. Some
individuals felt threatened by the new world order and appeared to work against
Rahul," Chappell has written in his book Rahul Dravid -Timeless Steel,
which was launched in Mumbai on Wednesday.
"Had
he been given the same wholehearted support in the role that he had given
others, I think the recent history of Indian cricket may have been very
different and he could have gone on to become the most successful Indian
captain ever," he added.
The
former Australian skipper recalled how Dravid led India to nine ODI wins in a
row by inserting the opposition after winning the toss, regardless of the
conditions, and then went on to pilot the team to a world record of 17
consecutive wins batting second.
"To
learn how to get better at chasing a target, Rahul kept asking the opposition
to bat first, no matter the conditions. Under his leadership, India won nine
ODIs in a row against Pakistan and England, and went on to complete a world
record of 17 consecutive wins batting second."
Stating
that the same approach had helped India win Test matches abroad as well,
Chappell wrote, "A similar approach to Test cricket brought about India's
first overseas victory in the West Indies for 35 years and a first-ever Test
victory in South Africa, which could have been turned into a series win if the
team had batted better in the second innings in the final Test in Cape
Town."
Chappell's
reference is to India's Test series victory (1-0 in the four-match series) in
the Caribbean in 2006 followed by its maiden win in Johannesburg's opening Test
of the 2006-07 series, before Dravid's team lost the next two games and the
rubber to the Proteas.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cricket/CricketNews/Dravid-s-success-wasn-t-enjoyed-by-all-in-the-team-Greg-Chappell/Article1-883749.aspx

[VinodKumar's]

England's Pietersen dilemma


Dravid wants 'give-and-take' between IPL and Tests

Rahul Dravid, the former India batsman(Still I cannot believe this ), has said that creating a window for the Indian Premier League would not only let the world's best players participate in the lucrative domestic Twenty20 tournament but, importantly, also allow them to play Test cricket, thereby enlivening the longer format.

"The reality is the IPL is an important tournament and people do want to play it," Dravid said on BBC's Test Match Special at Lord's during the third Test between England and South Africa. "And we are probably coming to a stage where maybe a time will come [when] there will need to be give-and-take - whether it is finding a window, or, whether making the tournament a little shorter."

Dravid was asked by the TMS host Jonathan Agnew whether the IPL, a tournament that lasts for close to two months, had played a big role in Kevin Pietersen falling out with the ECB and losing support from his teammates, which led to him missing the Lord's Test. Dravid, who is in London to attend the MCC cricket committee meetings, was not sure if the IPL was the reason for the Pietersen debacle. He said a solution was necessary considering the IPL would continue to clash with the start of the England cricketing summer and Test cricket could not afford losing big names such as Pietersen and Chris Gayle.


Pietersen had stirred a controversy in April when he said England were jealous of the IPL. A month later, he retired from limited-overs cricket, saying he wanted to focus only on Tests. That decision came on the heels of exhaustive discussions with the ECB, where Pietersen said he wanted to play only Test and Twenty20 cricket. But the ECB central contracts state that any player who makes himself unavailable for either format of limited-overs cricket is automatically ruled out of selection for both ODIs and T20s.
"There are some positives with the IPL and you have to understand that if the top players in the world want to play it and people want to watch then there is got to be some thing good about it is as well," Dravid said. "It does effect the England season particularly, and, especially since traditionally the English season has been the same for many, many years. So it is challenging that a little bit.
"In time we are getting to that stage where all of us want the best players playing [Test cricket]. We all want Chris Gayle playing for West Indies whenever West Indies play a Test match. None of us want to see a situation today where a great player like Kevin misses out today for whatever reasons and I don't want to get into that. But it is disappointing. The game is a loser when the top players don't play Test cricket."
Dravid, who led Rajasthan Royals in the previous IPL, felt that for Test cricket to continue attracting fans and remain marketable, it was important that the best players were always available for selection. Leaving out the likes of Gayle and Pietersen, Dravid felt, would only drive the fans away.
"I am not sure what the solution to it is exactly but I would love to be in a situation where the best players can play the IPL as well as represent their country in Test cricket. People like Chris Gayle and Kevin Pietersen are fantastic for Test cricket as they are for IPL and T20 cricket. And they have a short window in which to show us their talent. At the end of the day this is the game for the fans. The best players should represent their country - it is not only about the people who come to the ground. It is also for the young boys and girls who passionately follow their country in Test cricket. It is hard and disappointing when the best players don't turn up to play for their country."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/...tml?CMP=chrome

[VinodKumar's]

Hashim Amla: Dravid's true successor

I first spoke to Hashim Amla nearly eight years ago, a few days before his Test debut at Eden Gardens. At the time, no one was sure that he would play - South Africa had more than held their own in the drawn game in Kanpur - and there was a raised eyebrow from Gerald de Kock, the media manager, when I asked for some time. "Hashim?" he asked. "Not the usual suspects?"

To be honest, the idea wasn't mine. Greg Struthers, who cleaned up my copy most weeks for The Sunday Times, reckoned it would make a fascinating story. "If he does play, he'll be the first Asian to represent South Africa," he wrote to me. Then, there was that beard, quite unlike anything cricket had seen since the days of Dr. WG Grace.

The young man I met, though, was hardly in the good doctor's league when it came to self-regard. He was soft-spoken, articulate and incredibly earnest. The face may have been different, but there were times when I could have closed my eyes and imagined Rahul Dravid saying the same things. On a whim, before I'd even watched him bat properly, I decided that Amla was the real deal, that he merited a lengthy feature rather than a snippet.

He made just 26 in that Test, and added a mere 36 in two games against Michael Vaughan's rampant side in South Africa before the selectors decided that some time away would best help his cause. At that stage, he looked skittish and uncertain, a very good first-class player who had suddenly discovered just how much harder Test cricket could be.

There were flaws in the technique, especially against Steve Harmison's pace and bounce, and the headline for our feature - Asian Hope - looked increasingly speculative as he faded from view. The conviction with which he had answered questions, however, meant that I still believed. There are many who parrot the right words. With a select few, you just know that they mean them.

The half an hour spent with him was also more than enough to convince one that despite the special treatment - the Castle Lager logo had been removed from his shirt out of respect for his religious beliefs - he was still one of the boys. The room was as messy as any other, with clothes and kit strewn everywhere, save for the prayer mat, carefully folded away in a corner.

The beard question was answered with a smile. "I started growing it after school," he said. "All the prophets have worn one." And unlike Tim Tebow, devout Christian quarterback picked on by sections of the media for overt displays of faith, Amla insisted back then that jibes on the field never extended to that aspect of his life. "When I've been sledged, it's been on the basis of my ability as a cricketer," he said. "Not once has anyone picked on the fact that I'm a Muslim."

That was before Dean Jones and his infamous off-air comment, but the grace with which Amla handled that episode won him as many admirers as his revamped batting style. He still plays with an elegance and poise that eludes most, but the second coming has been marked most by a ruthlessness and endurance that few have shown in the game's long history.

On the tour of India in 2010, he batted on and on and on, bringing to mind Lord Relator's Calypso about Sunil Gavaskar. With a little more support at Eden Gardens, his defiant second-innings epic would have realised a draw and a series win. As it was, he finished the two-match series with 490 runs for one dismissal.

The triple-century at The Oval had many similarities to Dravid's 233 at Adelaide in 2003. After the early exchanges, it never once seemed that Amla would get out. Powers of concentration that would be considered freakish in others seem almost commonplace where Amla is concerned. For him, the long innings - he batted 499 minutes while trying to save the Kolkata Test - is just one more barrier to surmount.

After 60 Tests, Dravid had scored 4733 runs at 51.44, with 10 centuries and 26 fifties. Amla, from the same number of matches, has 42 more runs at a marginally lower average (50.26). His conversion rate though is far better, with 15 hundreds and 23 half-centuries. More importantly, Amla has the same unflappable presence, one that drives bowlers to despair.

All those years ago, before he'd marked his guard for the first time, I asked him what he thought he could learn from India's line-up. His answer said much about the kind of player he'd gone on to be. "The line-up has huge quality," he said. "But I'd love to talk to Dravid when there's time." Not Tendulkar, not Laxman, not Sehwag. Dravid.

There have been occasions for chats since, and while India struggle to replace a man who might well be irreplaceable, South Africa need not worry about the No.3 slot for years to come.

http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/blogs...true-successor

Paiyanuku aayul varai support panna mudivu seithagi vittathu .

[Senareb]

http://sports.dinamalar.com/NewsDeta...14113&value3=I

டிராவிட், காம்பிருக்கு "பத்ம' விருது * பி.சி.சி.ஐ., பரிந்துரை

[VinodKumar's]

Award doesn't deserve him.

[VinodKumar's]

HAppy bday Rahul. Miss u badly. WAiting for IPL.

[VinodKumar's]

10th fifty in T20

[VinodKumar's]

Well done RD .. keep going.

[VinodKumar's]

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Playing Against Rahul Dravid

8:45 am: I get a call from my teammates saying, “Come fast, Rahul Dravid is here. He is playing”.


Since this game was close to where I coach, I had told the boys that I will finish a coaching stint and get to the match ground by 9 and be ready for the 9:30 start.
As I drove to the ground, I could feel my heart beat faster. After all, it is not every day that you get to play against someone with 13000 Test runs. It is not every day that you get to play against someone you have adored and idolised since the first time you saw him. It is not every day that you play against Rahul Dravid!


When I reached the ground, Rahul was already in his whites and was returning to the pavilion after having a talk with his team. I walked up and said “Good morning Rahul”. He replied, “Good morning Arjun, you are playing for them? That’s nice”. That relaxed me a little. Seeing him at my coaching camp every other weekend has sure helped me come to terms with his presence.


Now some snippets from the match:

The Ground


We played at the HAL ground which is mostly made up of rough mud and stones and has a matting wicket. The toilets are dirty. He still played. The only benefit he got was his car was allowed inside the gate, there is no parking inside for anyone else.


The Match


It was a KSCA 2^nd Division League game between BUCC and FUCC, two of the oldest clubs in Bangalore. The top two teams in the league get promoted. BUCC are second right now but with a club close behind. That is why Rahul played, to ensure his team does well, to ensure they are promoted. It’s a 2 day game, points system more or less like the Ranji Trophy.


Shining the Ball


BUCC fielded first. Rahul was as usual at slip. By over No.10 a part of his pant was red. After every delivery, he shined the ball rigorously as if a Zaheer Khan was looking to exploit some reverse swing. It didn’t matter to him that it was just a local bowler bowling against some local batsmen. He gave his bowler every opportunity to swing the ball.

Fielding and Encouraging


Most senior players in these leagues, most former and current Ranji players do not necessarily field for the entire innings. They make the most of the services of the 12^th man and often come out for a ‘break’. But not Rahul Dravid. He fielded for the entire 82 overs that we batted, he did not miss a single over. And he did not just field and feel like an immortal surrounded by mere mortals. He encouraged his bowlers, kept giving them tips. He asked his bowlers if they wanted water. He spoke to them in English, in Kannada and in Hindi.


He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not


I went into bat at around 200 for 5 with my team in a spot of bother as we had lost a couple of quick wickets after a good partnership. I edged the 3^rd ball off a left arm spinner to slip. I was dropped by none other than the man himself. It was a tough chance, dipped on him, probably didn’t carry also but I was given a life. He dived front trying to reach it and falling on the mud in HAL is not as nice as diving in Lords. He felt the pinch a bit as he rubbed off the mud from his elbows. And then I batted on, had this interesting duel with their fast bowler. Copped a bouncer on the grill of my helmet. Then played one straight back to him which he threw back at me, quite dangerously. While he was going to throw, Rahul was shouting from the back “Easy easy, no”. The bowler later apologised to me. And then, the same left arm spinner got me edging again. This time Rahul Dravid took the catch, quite similar to the first one. I probably have never been happier getting out, after all it took a guy with 200 Test catches to catch me.

His Batting


We got the third wicket off the penultimate delivery of the day. At No. 5, to play one ball, walked out Rahul Dravid. We had a spinner bowling and with one delivery to go, thought he will just defend it away and so we had a couple of slips, a short leg and I came in really close at catching cover. It was pitched up, he stretched his leg out and drove it. It went like a bullet. We knew we were in for a long fielding day on Sunday and he did not disappoint. He scored a 100. When his partner who also scored a 100 was cramping a little, Dravid got down and stretched him. He had a go at the umpires a couple of times as they were missing out on no-balls. Yes, Rahul Dravid had a go at the umpire in a club game because they missed out on no-balls. And you thought club cricket might not be important to him. I told him inbetween overs that in our innings as well they missed a few and he was really angry and made a gesture with his hands suggesting that they are missing huge no balls.


When another boundary was scored and the ball went into the bushes again and our fielders were looking for it, he came up to me (I was at covers, he was non-striker) and said “What if there are snakes there?” We chatted for a minute and then he said “Want to take my bat and look for it?”

He ran his singles hard. Pushed our fielders by running the first one hard and converting any kind of a fumble into two. They were chasing 298. He lost his partner who was retired hurt and the rest of the batsmen weren’t the best. We put pressure on him by trying to keep him off strike and build the dot balls. We would like to feel that he did feel a bit of pressure as he saw a couple of wickets fall but he went on.


Dropped off My Bowling


I came on to bowl my part time offies with Dravid on strike. That there, was already a mini-dream but what happened off the first ball was as close as I will ever get to dismiss a batsman with over 23000 International runs. He punched a short ball straight to cover. It went low but the fielder caught it and in the process of rolling over dropped it somewhere. No one saw the ball going down as he was over it. Not me, not the umpire not Rahul himself. But the fielder said he put it down and well with Dravid wearing the MCC Spirit of Cricket cap and T-shirt, it was kind of fitting. He took a single off the next ball and I said to him, “Now that would have been a real dream come true.” He laughed. In my next over, he mis-hit one and it went just over deep midwicket’s head for six. Another, fell just short off short midwicket. I surely had this guy in some spot of bother. As he took another single and I smiled at him, he said “that is some old fashioned loopy off spinners you are bowling”. I will take that as a compliment although he probably ‘struggled’ cause he hasn’t faced slow crap like that since his school days. Eventually, he launched my extra flighted full toss (had to try something to get him out) out of the ground and that was the last I bowled in the game.

Disappointed at Getting out


He had got a 100, he had got his team to within 10 runs from taking the lead and the all-important 3 points when he edged behind and was caught by the keeper. He walked out to a standing applause but he was unhappy and was cursing himself and hitting the bat on the ground (not Kohli level upset, he was gentlemanly even in anger). He was upset at not having finished off the chase which the tail eventually did.


After getting out, he sat with his sons and wife and was seen explaining something to the boys.


The Crowd


There is usually a dog and a cow maybe watching us play league cricket. But there was a constant traffic of people coming in for this match. There was no security. They did not let him change, did not let him eat and kept hounding him for pictures and autographs. I don’t think a single person went home unhappy. He posed for everyone and never got angry despite them not giving him a moment of privacy. The only time he showed a semblance of anger was when someone gave him a 50 rupee note to sign on. He supposedly said something on the lines of, “What is wrong with you? I don’t sign on money!”

Thank you


He gave a few of his teammates bats. He gave the guy who scored a century for us, a pair of gloves. He ate with the team, drank water and was like just another cricketer plying his trade on the club circuit.


At the end of the match, he walked out to shake hands and said to me “Well played, Thank you Arjun”.



Well, thank you Rahul Dravid for giving us the opportunity to play against you and a weekend that we will never forget. Thank you for giving us another lesson in humility. Thank you for being an inspiration. And thank you for showing us that some dreams do come true.

http://crickettalket.blogspot.in/201...ul-dravid.html

[VinodKumar's]

What if these kind of players born as born as bowlers in India. I would like to see Dravid/Sachin/Laxman/Kumble develop some good bowlers using their experience.

Batting lam nammalungaluku thaanavea vanthuruthu .