dravid hyperbole...

dravid contrary to perception is one of the most aggressive... most ruthless player one would come across...

only his method is different...

when players like sehwag will smash you to submission... dravid will kill you step by step to the point that you will stop seeing light... you will yearn for the mercy... he will sap your last ounce of energy... he will kill all the hope that gave you the reason to keep coming back... and then he will kill that reason too... slowly but surely...

dravid is the kind of torture tale that one reads... that how late one kept his victim alive while torturing him by taking one limb at a time...

but of late he looked like the victim of the walls that he built around himself... he would often get the start but then the torture was as equal on him as on his fans... he showed some sparks in between but those were too far too few...

the questions were being asked and rightly so... so in that regard... he could not have timed his two centuries more perfectly... for his sagging career...

suddenly you can see pundits are falling over one other to get the dravid pie... the wall that seen as crumbling has suddenly taken a new lease of life... like tendulkar he too seems to have got the 'second wind'... not many thought was possible given his struggles in doing things that was his second nature...

but on the back of two successive centuries... now everybody is hailing him as the ultimate crisis man...some even went on to proclaim that he is the lone crisis man in the team...

as if all this while when dravid wasn't performing... team india didn't face any crisis at all...

all this while team virtually carried him on the hope that dravid will show his class... and when he has started to show it... is it necessary to praise his contribution at the cost of ones that helped him stay in the team for as long as he did... at the cost of those who gave all the space he needed to perform the way he is performing now...?

why it is necessary to belittle the contribution of one to show the greatness of other...?

ps: just saw the tweet that dravid is recalled to the one day team... well well... india, it seems, has already started preparation for next world cup...

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when dady bat... kids watch...

as you grow up... your body slows you down... what you used to do in a flash even in a subconscious state... increasingly requires a conscious effort... your reflexes that stayed by you like a true lover... start to part with you in search of a young companion...

you start to look more and more ugly doing your job and youngsters around you only enhance the effect... of effort... the predicament... in the watchful, glaring eyes of camera... fans...

in that light one has to see rahul dravid's latest 100...

it is not a coincidence that of all the batsmen struggling to score on this pitch... there is just only one centurion... rahul dravid...

the problem with class not being uprooted with youth of today in team india is that even when class is not at the top of its game... its giving you a hundred in most precarious situation... and who knows... win you match too that is played over five days of intense scrutiny...

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new poster boys... vvs laxman... ishant sharma...

first there was spell from ishant and then vvs laxman decided to cast his own spell on aussies...

so move over vvs-dravid... vvs-ishant is the new classic poster...

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who is test specialist...?

there are many players who get labeled as 'test specialists'... coz it is perceived their game... their temperament suits more to the longer format of the game rather than the shorter format...

from past... players like rahul dravid faced consistent scrutiny through out their LOI career despite scoring ten thousand runs... to the present one murali vijay who is denied opportunities for the same perception... though both have and are playing some scintillating t20 innings... the shortest format... without much altering their game... but for the prejudice...

on the other hand there are players like our own jatman, virender sehwag, who despite their tailor made game for shorter (or shortest version) are more successful in the longer format of the game...

just coz their strike rate is higher in short format and when stars align perfectly in sky they play some match winning knocks too... they get away with most of the things... despite leaving their team high and dry coz of their 'natural' game more often than not...

when we expect players like murali vijay, the so called test specialists, to adjust their game to the demands of shorter format and thereby team's interest... why we do not expect the same from players like sehwag...?

why we should not brand players like sehwag as 'test specialist' by same token...?

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india vs sri lanka test series... an unfinished business...

though many go yuck at the mere mention of another india vs sri lanka series... but i agree with dravid here...

To be honest, from this team's point of view, for us to go back and play in Sri Lanka again is something of a good thing. I know we've played them often enough, but we haven't really won there. Sanjay was part of a team that won there, in 1994, and we haven't won a series there after that. We were pretty disappointed with the way we played the last time. From our point of view, it would be nice to go back there and win another series there. The more the merrier

until unless we avenge that 'mendis' test series in their own den... i won't even say india sri lanka test series is a passé...

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dravid drives... india rides...

very pleasing day for india as well as rahul dravid...

from 32 for 4 to finishing 385 for 6 wickets by scoring most runs in a day... while dravid scoring 177 of those runs in a single day... a never before feat achieved by him... from that precarious situation... just goes to show what difference slight change in approach can make...

india lost first four wickets next to nothing on board... and to be honest one was bit skeptic about how dravid will approach the situation based on some of his recent innings at that point of time coz of late he appeared to be bit bogged down... seemed like a player who was holding himself back... but not today...

he came in refreshingly positive frame of mind... didn't let go loose ball just coz the situation demanded it... rotated the strike and therefore even though india lost quite a few wickets for their liking... the scoring was never a problem so much so that at one stage sangakkara appeared in doldrums whether to keep on attacking field or set a defensive one... hence his use of murli in then middle... when he could have attacked bit more with him... specially early in the innings when yuvraj came to the crease... but such was the onslaught from dravid that he kept sanga occupied... which also gave some breathing space to yuvraj and later to dhoni... who went on to score his second century and first in india...

although its easier said than done... but how i wish dravid keep this tempo not only for this match but in future games as well... that is too punish the bad balls irrespective of the situation and more importantly look to score which he showed today that he is perfectly capable of...

» on bored:
11000 reasons to celebrate a century...

perfect way to celebrate 11000 runs in test cricket... by playing one of the better paced innings...

congratulations dravid!!

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rahul dravid: the saviour of youngsters...

or shall i say their short pitch problems...

our five wise men led ably by shrikanth the ‘cheeka’ who was known for his attacking batting came up with the idea to take the bull by its horns... so he called dravid back to save india from blushes against the perceived threat of short pitch bowling weapon that cricket world threatened to unleash on our youngsters...

must say dravid did his job the way only he could have done... the bowlers around world were so frightened to see him in team india that they forgot to use the weapon which was invented and marked for our youngsters only... the proof is evident by the fact that there was not even a single casualty of short pitch bowling since dravid returned...

what dravid did in these few odis... gary kirsten couldn't even manage to do in spite of being with team india for so long... so well done dravid!

but now that the age old short pitch bowling nemesis of our youngsters has been laid deep down in grave for never to surface again in future... the five wise men have asked dravid to take well deserved 'rest'...

youngsters of india can't thank him enough coz he came like a breath of fresh air that provided much needed oxygen to their sagging... ailing careers... they can breathe easy now... that the demon has been laid forever... for good...

hail five wise men! hail dravid!

take a bow!!

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curious case of sachin and dravid...

nice that dravid raised his hand...err bat and agreed to open the innings today... though dravid would not have have been selected in the first place had sachin raised his bat too and said i will bat in middle order...

so who's doing who a favor...?

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the responsibility is mutual...

If Rahul is back because he plays the short balls well, it is a matter of great concern for Indian cricket," he told Daily News & Analysis. "It means the youngsters cannot play the short balls. This decision means the cupboard is empty. If the youngsters are not technically equipped to play the short ball, then they should be sent to the National Cricket Academy. But I have my doubts.

this is what dilip vengsarkar...former chairman of selectors...said on dravid's recall to team india odi squad...

i share colonel's concern and its really a serious matter if this is the reason...but i would like to ask dilip that during your regime how many players were sent to national cricket academy to rectify this problem...?

rainas, rohits etc, though still considered youngsters but are with team india for quite a while now and its also not that they have suddenly developed the weakness against short balls...so what he exactly did during his tenure as chairman of selectors...?

i am not saying for once that bcci should not be blamed for doing nothing to rectifying the problem of some youngsters may have...but sir its very easy to criticise when you are not part of system anymore...

what about setting some precedence before new selectors who are going to take over from you...?

as i said the responsibility is mutual...the players in question should also take the blame on themselves for the 'chalta hai' attitude and doing nothing to improve their over all game...

if bcci is at fault for doing nothing...so are the players...coz nobody stops them to check into nca and seek professional help for any short comings they think should be addressed...to take their game to next level...

i hope rohit will do exactly that and won't wait forever for bcci to take a call...

but is he willing or just wait for another musical chair game to begin...?

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why dravid selection is one-off thing…

yesterday i tried to decode dravid selection and wondered whether his selection is going to be one-off thing or selectors are planning for long term with him in picture...

i think it’s going to be one-off thing for various reasons...

once sehwag gets fit...gambhir will have to move one down so where dravid will play and on whose expense...?

next world cup will be played in subcontinent with majority of matches being played in india...where even the score of about 330 is not considered safe...the pitches are going to be so true that even lesser batsmen would look to play on the up trusting the bounce and movement of ball...

the matches in all probability will be decided on that brilliant run out at crucial juncture...sure boundary getting limited to two thanks to the great diving effort on rope...the team who will hold opposition team in check during middle overs...good tight spell from a bowler resulting in a wicket or two...one blinder of t20 type innings...in batting power play...or at death...

» related story:
bcci explains dravid selection...

...and i don’t see dravid performing any of above role...

can india...given that sachin will definitely play the next world cup provided his body holds up...risk to have another player who will be 38 years of age then and average fielder at best...specially when there are many sure-shot players in our current team who already field like billionaires...?

i refuse to believe that things have reached such alarming level in terms of shortage of talent that we will need another veteran to bail us out even in our home conditions...that too when even sachin's participation in limited over game is seen as his individual pursuit for a world cup glory...

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decoding dravid selection...

so dravid returns to don blue colors after two years of exile...

once he was included in the list of probables for champions trophy his final selection in the team was a forgone conclusion...coz you don't put a legend's name on probables list for decoration purpose...

though i have already posted my first hand reaction on his inclusion in probables on bored...but today i will try to find out why selectors made him wear blue jersey...again...

first and foremost i don't see his selection is due to the alleged failure of youngsters in facing short pitch stuff...for the simple reason that we have not lost a single odi series in past one year...with relatively young middle order...

i said alleged coz first its not only indians who have some problems facing quality short pitch bowling... second...the inclusion of dravid alone can not guaranty that the overall performance of team against short pitch bowling will improve... third...we would not have won 5 series on trot with sachin tendulkar effectively making contribution only in nz series... and last being...how come this short coming of our youngsters escaped being noticed...in the age of 'laptop' coaching and instant analysis for such a long time...?

the reason could be...with the injury of sehwag...sachin's deteriorating body...one can not be 100% assured that he will last the distance...raina too coming in after layoff coz of injury...rohit not scoring consistently... and not so great form of gambhir which was putting too much pressure on dhoni and yuvraj would have put selectors in a bit of quandary...and instead of throwing another youngster in a high pressure world event they decided to go with the proven experience of dravid...

now it remains to be seen that whether dravid's selection is one-off thing thereby giving him platform to bid adieu in style from one day internationals or visualising his role till 2011 world cup...

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dravid is back...

i have put my first reaction on dravid being announced in the list of champions trophy probables...on bored...

but in not so flattering way...as the headline might suggest...

check out...at BCC!

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183!

rahul dravid c mark waugh b curse

well done rahul!!

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rahul speaks his mind...

for the first time since i remember him...

away from the glaring scrutiny of relentless indian media... new zealand seems to have given him much needed space to arrange and organise his thoughts... he seems relaxed at crease... no wonder the runs have started to follow....coz more than the technique... the problems were in his head...

so when he took indirect dig at 'natural players'... i was pleasantly surprised...this is what he said with obvious touch of tantrum...at the close of day 4 play...

I don’t know the meaning of playing your natural game all the time. You have to play according to the situation of the game. That’s what the great players have done over the years.

this is also reminder to players who bat only in one gear...and hide behind the beaten to death formula of 'natural play'...

specially sehwag...

branding him reckless dasher will be doing total injustice to his awesome talent...he has it in him to read the game more effortlessly and swiftly than many...and has shown it in adelaide as well as galle when chips were down...

» introducing 'Che' of indian cricket... @ BCC!

infact he went full one session at adelaide* without scoring a boundary! (can you believe it!) the fact he acknowledged in a cricinfo award function recently almost apologetically...

this shows that if he wants to do it...he can do it...

that's what dravid meant exactly...that one can not play 'natural game' all the time...that sometime giving due respect to match situation won't take away 'glory' from you...

so move over politically correct and serene dravid...i am already liking this new version of dravid... say dravid 1.50...?

...and i hope this version is here to stay...


*correction
thanks tifosi guy for pointing my gaffe on galle...

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rahul dravid is wide of the mark...

Everyone is basing their assumptions on the last tour [in 2002-03], but it was probably an aberration.

rahul dravid

» related link:
are 'we' ready...? @ BCC!

we believe that rahul is wide of the mark here...
when we have not won a series in nz for more than 35 years...how can another series loss on last tour be an 'aberration'...?

so rahul, previous tour was not...rather this tour is going to be an aberration...

india will win both odi and test series...

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you are out mate...

with matt hanging his bat for good...india too is staring at one big possible retirement of dravid...

as next test series not gonna happen before march...there's still some time left for dravid, selectors and we the fans to ponder over his looming retirement...

though it seems laxman has already declared him out before we or more appropriately selectors can...

so guys...you guessed it right...its caption time...

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136 reasons...

to smile...rahul...


more than the runs...
it felt good to see that missing smile returning...

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one question...

two captains...one question...

who will deliver...?


two another captains...one question...

will my team turn up...?


two players...one question...

will they perform...?

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why dravid...why?

no looking back?

i have been the most ardent fan of you and many times have said that you are the most underrated player for what you have done to indian cricket...

i have also, more often than not, dared to say that you have saved and won more matches for india than other fab 3 put together...and nobody has come back to me saying how dare you say that...

coz they know its not an exaggeration...

but that was past...

the rahul dravid of present is not even a pale shadow of his true self...

every innings comes with added pressure on you to score and every failure thereafter leaving you with fewer options...

more than lack of runs the signs that you are loosing it by day have started to appear like wide cracks on wall...

now you have started making statements that are not befitting to your stature...

remember that 'runs-per-ball' statement...?

next is what...

will you say that your 'timing' to get to wicket after wicket falls is intact?

no rahul no...

why you are putting yourself to so much of scrutiny...? why you are putting all the relentless efforts you have put for india on stake with each and every outing of yours...?

i know the desire is still burning inside you...and there's no lack of determination as well...

but if only desire and determination can make it for you...

kumble would be taking wickets...

more than for your determination to come good...chances are that by the time you will realize what's happening...you will be in danger of being remembered as the person who did not saw it coming...

and i fear that day...

and mind you it pains me a lot to even visualize that way...

...and i know...i am not alone...


Update: Breaking News
kumble has decided to hang-up his boots...wish luck to him...for his future endeavors...
more on him later...

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Dravid...i am with you...

at the outset this blogger wants to state that he is not talking about dravid the BRC Captain...who he thinks is a failure...

its the dravid the player i am talking about...

who is the last man standing for BRC...standing alone in the debris of some royals...with his hand firmly up and still counting...

he has scored 330 odd runs in his 12 outings so far with strike rate of 126 at the average of 30!

not bad...infact good...

if you consider that wickets keep falling around him like nine pins...he has not got much support one requires at other hand...

that too...under resolutely relentless pressure from almost all quarters and specially consistent glare from media...

some of his own creations but mostly not...

as if some force is hell bent on singling him out...as if it gives, that force, extra pleasure...

still he has done far better job than most without even blinking...certainly more than some celebrity specialist T20 players like yuvrajs, uthapas etc. to highlight the point...

and they are from winning teams...

what more he can do now so that people accept him as viable T20 player?

some players are cursed to stand the scrutiny of their endeavors for life...some get away with murders...

may be his fate was decided when he was famously named 'the wall'...

and we all know...what many of us do with wall...

but does he really deserve all this...is it so difficult to give him peace of support...the feeling of being wanted...cant we even give some 'space' he deserve...more than anybody...?

and more importantly cant we just enjoy his last couple of years...?

my heart goes for him...and i really wonder sometimes...

what heals dravid...?

take your call...isn't it time to say 'I'...?

PS: and no soulberry, my adopted team is RRC...(he knows what i am talking about)...

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