You couldn’t have witnessed two more contrasting knocks from two batsmen under same conditions and against the same attack. It was hard to believe that Dravid was batting on the same ultra flat track (it was quite evident from the proceedings of the very first day of the 1st test vs South Africa 2008 that we are witnessing one of the most lifeless wickets of the season) that saw batsmen from both the sides accumulating runs at will. More so, as at the other end was a batsman who was not even considered worth a place in the side merely two test matches ago and he was treating every single bowler on the scene with utter disdain.
By the time this post is published, at the end of the third day’s play India had accumulated a mammoth 468/1 with Sehwag unbeaten on 309 and Dravid on 65. While much has been and is going to be talked about the brilliant knock of the irrepressible Sehwag, we need to have a look at Dravid as well. While Sehwag had taken 292 balls to score his 309 runs, Dravid had consumed as much as 181 deliveries for his 65. Just think about it, the unfinished partnership between the two is 255 runs out of 318 balls at a more than healthy strike rate of 4.81, meaning a near 81%. Dravid’s strike rate alone is a shocking 36%.
Hell! What was he trying to do out there? Was he rescuing a side which had lost all its recognized batsmen? Or was he trying to salvage a draw, buying time and playing out as many deliveries as possible? Does any premier batsman approach his innings in such manner when the opposition is pressed against the wall? Why give the opposition a feeling that they are still commanding some respect from the batting side even under such unforgiving conditions for bowlers? Ideally, all he had to do was, he should have tried to give as much strike as possible to Sehwag, who was on a roll. Nobody expects him or anybody for that matter to match the pyrotechnics of Sehwag. But at the same time he needs to realize that he has to bat in the greater interest of the team. The bearing of this particular knock in the match is yet to be known, and if all goes well and India is able to pull off a win, we may not even remember the damage that is caused by it, but in case of any different result, it is Dravid who should take the blame.
Not for the first time have we seen Dravid not being able to break the shackles. He has been doing it on a consistent basis for quite some time now. In Australia, every time he put in a similar kind of effort, Ian Chappell had ridiculed it.
The reason is hard to understand. May be, with younger players breathing down his neck, Dravid is trying his best to hang in there and get as many runs as possible. May be his reflexes have come down drastically over the past few years. Or it may have been one of those mental blocks he is not able to get rid off………that test cricket is played this way. We will have to wait and watch.
By the time this post is published, at the end of the third day’s play India had accumulated a mammoth 468/1 with Sehwag unbeaten on 309 and Dravid on 65. While much has been and is going to be talked about the brilliant knock of the irrepressible Sehwag, we need to have a look at Dravid as well. While Sehwag had taken 292 balls to score his 309 runs, Dravid had consumed as much as 181 deliveries for his 65. Just think about it, the unfinished partnership between the two is 255 runs out of 318 balls at a more than healthy strike rate of 4.81, meaning a near 81%. Dravid’s strike rate alone is a shocking 36%.
Hell! What was he trying to do out there? Was he rescuing a side which had lost all its recognized batsmen? Or was he trying to salvage a draw, buying time and playing out as many deliveries as possible? Does any premier batsman approach his innings in such manner when the opposition is pressed against the wall? Why give the opposition a feeling that they are still commanding some respect from the batting side even under such unforgiving conditions for bowlers? Ideally, all he had to do was, he should have tried to give as much strike as possible to Sehwag, who was on a roll. Nobody expects him or anybody for that matter to match the pyrotechnics of Sehwag. But at the same time he needs to realize that he has to bat in the greater interest of the team. The bearing of this particular knock in the match is yet to be known, and if all goes well and India is able to pull off a win, we may not even remember the damage that is caused by it, but in case of any different result, it is Dravid who should take the blame.
Not for the first time have we seen Dravid not being able to break the shackles. He has been doing it on a consistent basis for quite some time now. In Australia, every time he put in a similar kind of effort, Ian Chappell had ridiculed it.
The reason is hard to understand. May be, with younger players breathing down his neck, Dravid is trying his best to hang in there and get as many runs as possible. May be his reflexes have come down drastically over the past few years. Or it may have been one of those mental blocks he is not able to get rid off………that test cricket is played this way. We will have to wait and watch.
It is sad to see one of the most prolific run getters of India sweat it out such badly for every single run.
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