Dravid calls time on international career

Updated March 10, 2012 00:21:11

India batting great and former skipper Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday, saying it was the right time to "move on" and make way for the next generation of players.

The 39-year-old second highest run scorer in Test history announced his decision at a news conference in Bangalore with Indian cricket board (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan and former India leg spinner Anil Kumble also in attendance.

Dravid has scored 13,288 runs in 164 Tests, including 36 hundreds, and became the first of India's senior batsmen to retire from the longer format after the team slumped to eight consecutive Test defeats away from home.

"I would like to announce my retirement from international and domestic first-class cricket," a sombre-looking Dravid read from a prepared statement, confirming what many observers had expected when the news conference was arranged on Thursday.

"It has been 16 years since I played my first Test for India. I feel it's time for me to move on.

"I have had a wonderful time but now its time for a new generation of young players to make their own history and to take the Indian cricket team even further."

Flanked by Srinivasan and former India captain Kumble, who is now president of the Karnataka state cricket association, the father of two said he would now look forward to spending more time with his family.

"Being away from my family became harder and harder through the years and I look forward now to spending time at home and doing the simple things, like just taking my sons (Samit and Anvay) to school," he said.

Critics and disgruntled fans had called for Dravid and VVS Laxman (37) to make way for new blood after India was whitewashed 4-0 in its last two away series in England and Australia.

"I would like to believe that irrespective of how the Australian series had gone, in my own mind I was pretty sure that after Australia I was going to sit down and assess a lot of things," Dravid said.

"It is easy for me to say now, but I think I would have come to the same conclusion."

The third member of the 'Big Three' Sachin Tendulkar has struggled for form since reaching his 99th international century a year ago and at 38, could soon be expected to limit his participation to Test matches only.

Dravid said he had given his all to become the best cricketer he possibly could.

"My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity, and it was about upholding the spirit of the game," said the man nicknamed "The Wall" for his impeccable defence.

"I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride."

Last year, Dravid retired from the limited-overs formats of the game after India's disastrous tour of England, where the team failed to win a single match.
The stylish right-hander, one of cricket's most technically sound batsmen, also has 12 hundreds in one-day internationals and while he will be unable to add to that tally, cricket fans will still be able to see him play in the shortest format.

Dravid will continue to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, where he will lead the Rajasthan Royals, replacing the retired Shane Warne as captain of the franchise.

"I will play my part in helping young kids (in cricket). But to be honest I have not made up my mind, not decided," he said of his future plans.

"I have couple of months in IPL to go through and then come June, I will sit down and think.

"I truly believe that the time away from the game will be good for me... I have played this game for 20 years... it has been a surreal world, it has been away from reality."

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, india

First posted March 09, 2012 19:41:35

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Dravid not going anywhere yet

Updated January 28, 2012 15:14:35

Charges of complacency aimed at India are only likely to intensify after it fell to a crushing 4-0 series defeat in Australia and an eighth successive loss in overseas Tests.

The news conference after a fourth emphatic defeat in the series, this time by 298 runs, opened with the team's media manager denying reports back home that a "senior player" - namely Rahul Dravid - would be retiring.

It continued with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag suggesting that all teams suffer poor runs of form and India should just put the humiliating reverse by behind it.

"If you look at the Australian team, they were struggling as well in the Ashes last year and they got out for 47 in South Africa, so it happens with every team so we have to rebuild the team," he said.

"There are experienced players in our team, they are well aware of that and they are working on that.

"One bad series doesn't make any difference for them, so they are working hard on their batting skills and they'll find a way.

"The best way out is to forget what happened and concentrate on what we will do in coming matches and coming series and practised hard and plan well and execute your plans in the game."

By saying the team needed to be rebuilt, Sehwag made it clear that would not mean the retirement of some of the golden generation of batsmen who arrived in Australia hopeful of winning a first Test series Down Under.

He said the final decision on a player's career should be left with the player.

"It's their call, whenever they want to retire they can retire. It's up to them," he told Grandstand.

"We love their company and we love to have them in the dressing room because they've played so many Test matches.

"If you are not playing well you deserved to be criticised.

"But the [criticism] should not be personal. They (the media) shouldn't be saying that a couple of senior players should retire. That is not their job.

"It's a player's wish when they want to retire and you have to support them."

Sachin Tendulkar had a reasonable series despite failing to capture his 100th international century but Dravid, VVS Laxman, captain MS Doni and opener Sehwag himself were all huge disappointments.

The inexperienced Virat Kohli was the only Indian batsman to score a century in any of the four Tests.

Sehwag understood the frustration of fans but said it was at moments like these, not just successes like the 50-over World Cup triumph last year, that the support of the fans was necessary.

"When we won the World Cup everyone was happy and cheering for Team India, and now the time we need the support of the fans and everybody, they should back their own team," he said.

The 33-year-old, who averaged 24.75 runs over the series, said accusations the India team simply did not care enough about losing a Test series were well wide of the mark.

"It's very unfair," he said.

"I think everybody cares about their performances, about India losing the game.

"We are very passionate about our game and passionate about our team and it's a shame that people are talking about that.

"If you lose the game you should work it out what went wrong and come back and perform well in our next games.

"We are trying that, but it's not happening and it doesn't mean that we are happy to lose here."

Reuters/ABC

Tags: sport, cricket, india

First posted January 28, 2012 14:47:08

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No rift in Indian camp: Dravid

Updated January 11, 2012 22:56:43

Senior batsman Rahul Dravid has dismissed claims of a rift in the Indian camp ahead of the third Test against Australia starting Friday in Perth.

Reports in the Australian media, fuelled by India's limp performances in the first two Tests of the series, have suggested there are growing tensions between captain MS Dhoni and opener Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag, one of the most dangerous players in world cricket, has scored just 108 runs in all as the Indians slid to a 2-0 deficit.

The 39-year-old Dravid says the opener's poor form had nothing to do with his relationship with the skipper.

"When you are 0-2 down, this is what happens," Dravid said.

"Nothing seems right but there is no truth to those comments.

"There's a sense of disappointment with the results so far - we would certainly like to do better - but the spirit of the team is very good."

Dravid says the tourists are determined to ensure the series is not a repeat of their previous overseas tour, a 0-4 whitewash at the hands of England last year.

Meanwhile, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged India to embrace the ICC's DRS system.

DRS is designed to remove obvious umpiring errors, but it is not being used in this series after India controversially vetoed its use.

Ponting says he is disappointed that DRS - decision review system - is not being used for all Test series.

"As international players, one thing you strive for is uniformity around the world and right at the moment we haven't got that," he said.

"We played one series against South Africa where you're using a certain system and then a couple of weeks later you're not using that system.

"When it first came in, my understanding was it was going to be used in every series and it hasn't turned out that way.

"The system is not always perfect, but the bottom line is we are actually getting more correct decisions as a result of using the system than we are with not using the system, and that has got to be great for the game."

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted January 11, 2012 22:51:55

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Tendulkar and Dravid turn it on at the 'G

By Joel Zander

Updated December 27, 2011 21:22:10

Veteran pair Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid gave the cricket world another reminder of just what it will be missing when they finally ride off into the sunset as they put on another masterclass on day two of the first Test against Australia at the MCG.

The two most prolific run-scorers in the history of the game, Tendulkar and Dravid again showed a crowd of over 50,000 why with a record-extending 20th century stand before Peter Siddle knocked over The Little Master for 72 in the final over of the day.

Cricket Australia's bean counters will rue Tendulkar's absence at the crease on day three, for the man who turns 39 next April was eyeing what would have been a 100th international century.

But this match remains tantalisingly poised with the tourists reaching 3 for 214 at stumps, trailing Australia's first innings of 333 by just 117 runs with seven wickets in hand.

Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin admitted Tendulkar and Dravid, who put on 117 for the third wicket, had tilted momentum in the tourists' favour.

"They played well and they're obviously class players, that innings from Tendulkar is one of the better 70s you'll see in Test cricket," Haddin told Grandstand.

"I think that they've probably got the better of things leading into tomorrow, it's important for us I think to shut down that scoreboard early.

"Doing that will build pressure and give us the opportunity to take some wickets."

The final eight overs of the day made for some unmissable cricket with Siddle bowling Dravid on 65, only for the man known as The Wall to be called back when it was revealed the bowler had overstepped the mark.

Siddle's misfortune unsurprisingly spurred the Victorian on and he got his just rewards with the invaluable scalp of Tendulkar, his four-over spell to close out the day reaping 1 for 5 with a maiden.

"That's cricket, you don't like to see those things happen but we can't do anything about it now," Haddin said of Dravid's reprieve.

"But the thing about it is, he (Siddle) was bowling well and creating chances which is a good thing.

"He's shown for a long time he's a class act and it was a great effort today."

Tendulkar's dismissal halted his world record union with Dravid at 6,747 Test runs and the man from Mumbai has now gone 18 innings without an international hundred, although he has clocked up seven half-centuries in that time.

Dravid dug in to remain unbeaten on 68, while opener Virender Sehwag played a typically cavalier knock of 67.

India is unbeaten in the six previous Tests the trio have all scored half-centuries in the same innings.

James Pattinson was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 1 for 35 from 15 overs, knocking over the well-set Sehwag with a delivery which caught the inside edge and castled middle and off.

In a typically brazen innings from Sehwag, he faced just 83 balls for a strike rate of 80.72 and was livid with himself at not going on, having been given lives by Mike Hussey on 11 and Haddin on 58.

Hussey grassed a particularly difficult diving chance at gully but Haddin's was a sitter and he is lucky it only cost Australia a further nine runs.

Siddle finished with 1 for 53 off 15 overs while Ben Hilfenhaus (1 for 50 from 14) was the other wicket-taker, snaring the scalp of the struggling Gautam Gambhir caught behind for 3.

Gambhir, like Ricky Ponting, has now gone almost two years without a Test ton.

Australia folded for 333 late in the first session, adding a further 56 runs after resumed on 6 for 277.

Siddle (41), Hilfenhaus (19) and Pattinson (18 not out) added some respectability to Australia's total after debutant opener Ed Cowan (68) and Ponting (62) led the way on day one.

Zaheer Khan was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 4 for 77.

Tags: sport, cricket, australia, vic, melbourne-3000

First posted December 27, 2011 18:29:50

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Dravid demands cricket revamp

Updated December 15, 2011 07:38:30

Indian great Rahul Dravid has demanded administrators revamp the ad hoc approach to cricket scheduling or risk being responsible for the game's demise.

Invited to deliver the annual Sir Donald Bradman Oration for 2011 at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Wednesday night, Dravid covered a range of issues but spoke strongly about how all three cricketing formats can be improved and preserved.

Dravid said that international cricket must better appreciate its fans and must recognise that dwindling crowd numbers for Test and ODI matches is a sign that the current approach is broken.

At almost 39, the oldest man currently playing Test cricket described five-day matches as "the gold standard ... the form the players want to play."

He slammed cricketing bodies for the prevalence of meaningless "merry-go-round" tours that in his opinion, mean Test series are often too short and hold no context.

Dravid said if the tradition of five-day cricket is to survive as the pinnacle of the sport, revolutionary concepts like day-night Tests and a Test Championship must be pursued.

"In March of last year I played a day-night first-class game in Abu Dhabi for the MCC - and my experience from that was that day-night Tests is an idea seriously worth exploring," he told a packed audience in the ANZAC room of the Memorial.

"The visibility and durability of the pink cricket ball was not an issue.

"Similarly, a Test championship with every team and player driving themselves to be winners of a sought-after title seems like it would have a context to every game.

"Every Test playing country (should) get its fair share of Tests and playing for a championship or a cup, not just a ranking."

There have been growing calls in cricket circles to scrap the 50-over format altogether, but Dravid said that approach was misguided.

He said one-day cricket was responsible for revolutionising areas of the game like strokeplay and fielding, but many fixtures had been largely pointless since 1995.

Dravid said the regularity in which ODIs are played must be drastically reduced so it returns to being a special event.

"The future may well lie in playing one-day internationals centred around ICC events, like the Champions Trophy and the World Cup. That would ensure that all 50-over matches would build up for those tournaments," he said.

"Anything makes more sense than a seven-match ODI series.

"The fans have sent us a message and we must listen.

"Empty stands do not make for good television. Bad television can lead to a fall in ratings, the fall in ratings will be felt by media planners and (have) advertisers looking elsewhere.

"If that happens, it's hard to see television rights around cricket being as sought after as they have always been in the past 15 years. And where does that leave everyone?

"I'm not trying to be a ... doomsday prophet - that is just how I see it."

Dravid said the overwhelming public support for Twenty20 cricket spoke for itself, but the shortest form should be restricted to "domestic competitions through official leagues which will make it financially attractive for cricketers ... and also keep cricket viable in countries where it fights for space and attention."

Touching on the spot-fixing scandals, Dravid backed Steve Waugh's call for players to willingly submit to lie-detector tests, so the innocent are cleared and the fight against corruption is boosted.

Tags: sport, cricket, canberra-2600, act, australia

First posted December 15, 2011 00:14:20

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Dravid ton puts India in control

Updated November 14, 2011 22:45:24

Rahul Dravid cracked a brilliant 119 to put India on course for a big total on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.

The 38-year-old batsman hit two sixes and nine fours in his 36th Test hundred, and the fifth of the year, as the hosts reached 5 for 346 in their first innings at stumps after winning the toss on a good batting pitch.

Only India's Sachin Tendulkar (51), South African Jacques Kallis (40) and Australian Ricky Ponting (39) have scored more Test centuries than Dravid.

India leads 1-0 in the three-Test series following its five-wicket win in the opening match in New Delhi.

Dravid never looked in trouble in his 207-ball knock, impressing with his shot-selection during his long stay at the crease to put India in a strong position with three valuable partnerships.

He added 83 runs for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir (65), 56 for the next with Sachin Tendulkar and 140 for the fourth wicket with Venkatsai Laxman, who was unbeaten with a solid 73 when bad light stopped play.

Dravid completed his hundred when he turned a no-ball from paceman Kemar Roach behind square-leg for a four before inside-edging part-time spinner Kraigg Brathwaite's delivery on to his stumps in the day's penultimate over.

India lost one more wicket when nightwatchman Ishant Sharma was caught behind off Roach.

Laxman, who made an unbeaten 58 in the last Test, has so far hit five fours in his second successive half-century.

Tendulkar, who needs just one hundred to complete an unprecedented 100th international century, had been batting confidently before falling for 38, pulling leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo to Marlon Samuels at mid-wicket.

Dravid continued to bat comfortably against both pace and spin, lofting Bishoo over long-off and part-time spinner Samuels over long-on for sixes.

Tendulkar, who has also scored 48 hundreds in one-day internationals, looked in excellent form as he turned Fidel Edwards to fine-leg for his first four and then drove Roach through the covers for another boundary.

He survived a confident appeal for leg-before on 25 while attempting to sweep Bishoo before being dismissed by the same bowler in the afternoon session, much to the disappointment of nearly 10,000 spectators.

West Indies struggled for success on a pitch which had little in it for the bowlers, with seamer Darren Sammy, Edwards, Bishoo, Roach and Brathwaite each taking one wicket.

Gambhir fell to a loose shot, driving an Edwards delivery straight to Adrian Barath at short cover after adding eight runs to his lunch score of 57. He hit eight fours in his 17th half-century in 43 Tests.

India got off to a solid start as Gambhir and aggressive Virender Sehwag (38) put on 66 in 12.1 overs for the opening wicket.

Sehwag played some handsome shots against the West Indies pace attack, hitting eight fours in his brisk 33-ball knock before driving Sammy straight to Barath at short mid-wicket.

AFP

Tags: cricket, sport, india

First posted November 14, 2011 22:45:24

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