'I want a good, tough Indian side'

Source: The Hindu     Date: December 8, 2005

Chennai: Apart from displaying cricketing nous as India skipper, Rahul Dravid has been firm and decisive; despite talks about him being `soft,' there is a hard edge to his cricket and his personality.

As Dravid says in this conversation with The Hindu on Wednesday, he is enjoying his time as India captain.

The side has jumped from the seventh to the fourth place in the ODI rankings, and stares at a packed Test season.

"Captaincy has been exciting. We won a lot of games in the one-day series. The job takes its toll on your time and a lot of things. At the end of the day, it is stimulating."

Any talk with Dravid veers down to the core areas of work ethics and attitude.

Core areas

He says: "You cannot get by without a certain basic attitude towards the game, towards yourself and towards your team-mates. It is very important that you respect the game, and you respect your team-mates. When you travel with the team for eight, nine months, you need to make sacrifices on and off the field."

Dravid is clear about the kind of team and men he seeks. "I want a good, tough Indian side."

"A team that fights, a team that is willing to play for itself. A team that comes through difficult situations. A team that has a lot of pride. And the individuals in the side who want to be great cricketers. Who keep testing the bar and raising the bar, challenging themselves for the team. The understanding that everyone contributes to the squad is critical."

Challenges ahead

A slew of challenges in Tests await India. After the remaining two Tests against Sri Lanka, India travels to Pakistan and then takes on England at home.

"The Pakistanis have gained a bit of experience and look a much stronger unit than the last time we were there. It will be good for our team to test itself against the better sides. The youngsters learn, they improve. There are a couple of important Test matches against Sri Lanka. England is another tough team."

Says Dravid: "At the end of the mentally and physically demanding season, we will have a fair idea about the kind of people who will take us forward." But then, does the side have the required reserve depth for Tests? Dravid is confident about batting, and the spin bowling resources do not worry him either. But he is a touch concerned about the pace bowling department. "We have good talent, some young pacemen, but we have suffered a bit over the last couple of years due to injuries and lack of form."

He talks about India's vibrant fielding in the ODIs. On the topic of `flexibility' and inter-changing roles in Tests, he is emphatic that "there will not be too much of messing around in the batting department."

Talk to Dravid about him topping the ODI run-makers for the year (till that point) in the match against South Africa in Mumbai and he responds, "I don't worry about numbers." This, then, is the essential Rahul Dravid for you.