This is a compilation of
news clips and articles about Rahul Dravid's World Cup exploits.
Thanks to The Hindu, Rediff on the Net, Times of India Son at the crease brings a prayer to the lips It's time again for nail-biting finishes and moments of agonising cliff-hanger suspense. If the excitement for nameless, faceless millions of fans can reach such a feverish pitch, what must their families go through before and during the World Cup matches? Rahul Dravid's father, Sharad Vishvanath Dravid, grants that he feels a tad nervous when Rahul plays. But he still watches every ball he plays. "I record his batting because he likes to look at his mistakes when he returns, and correct them." The Dravids are not overly religious, but this time, they too had a Sathyanarayana puja performed, not only for Rahul but also his younger brother, who got into IIM at Lucknow. "A kind of thanksgiving," he clarifies. And when Rahul is on 99, he tries to "will" him into getting a 100, even if he's in Bangalore, and Rahul just about anywhere in the world. Mother Pushpa Dravid is very
keen that India wins. And a little jittery when Rahul's playing. "On the
day of a match, I pray a little more. And I want everything to go off well
that morning, without any hitches." At tense moments during the match,
"Automatically, I start praying, `Oh God,
The Dravids are leaving for
England to watch all the Indian matches and will stay with cousins at Bradford.
Heavy burden on Rahul Dravid By V. Srivatsa NEW DELHI: First Sri Lanka
and now England have beaten Zimbabwe. These victories may have given India
a great deal of comfort since they had lost to the Zimbabweans, but their
fate in the world cup will be decided on Wednesday when they play Sri Lanka
at Taunton. It is must win situation for the 1983
In fact, if Sri Lanka win
tomorrow their chances of moving up are far easier as they have to play
the lowly Kenyans in their last game. If India beat the Sri Lankans and
lose to England there could be a three-way tie between India, Zimbabwe
and Sri Lanka all with four points each. In a situation like that India
stand
After today's matches, India
have a run rate of +0.66 whereas Zimbabwe have -0.24 and Sri Lanka -0.60.
Even England have minus rate (-0.09) courtesy that rout against South Africa.
South
India's hopes of winning
against Sri Lanka took a hard knock with the announcement that they would
be without their wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia as his palm is still badly injured.
When Mongia could not cope
with the waywardness of the fast bowlers, what chance stand-in Rahul Dravid
has standing up to Srinath and others with the ball darting around. That,
too, in a
Ganguly, Dravid maul Lankan bowlers By Pradeep Vijayakar The Times of India News Service TAUNTON:Sri Lanka experienced
what Kenya bowlers felt when they blasted the World Cup and one-day best
of 398 for five in 50 overs in 1996 when India lashed 373 for five (ave.7.46)
in their 50 in the must-win World Cup group A match before some 3,000 esctatic
Indians at the Clerical Medical
The Lankans, who had then won by 144 runs, lost this one by 157 runs in the 43rd over and they were writing the obituary for the title holders. While Saurav Ganguly was the man of the match for his ramapaging 183, the fourth best score in the one day game ever, the role of his partner Rahul Dravid in a world record stand of 318 could not be gainsaid. And at the end there was the encouraging sight of Robin Singh grabbing the chance for some rehabilitation being given almost 10 overs and he responded with his second five wicket haul 5 for 31 coming close to his five for 22. As for India there were visions once more of reaching the Super Six and of pieces of a shattered dream being put together. Now only some freak results can put India out whereas a win in the final against England at Edgbaston on May 30 could see them making the next stage with better record than the home country. The ground, which has a penchant
for records - Graeme Hick hithis 405 here, the highest score in English
cricket before Lara made his 501, saw an avalanche of records as Saurav
Ganguly (183, 158 balls, 16 fours, 7 sixes and Rahul Dravid (145, 129,17
fours 1 six) posted their career-best, Ganguly India's highest
India's previous best was the 339 against Kenya at Leicester a few days ago. And the previous best stand was also by Indians,between Azhar and Jadeja 275 for the fourth against Zimbabwe at Cuttack in 1997-98. The Sri Lankan flag was waving in the opening over when Chaminda Vaas bowled Sadagopan Ramesh after he had turned him for four off his legs. The flag stayed under the benches of the eastern stands for the next 45 overs as Ganguly and Dravid put the attack to sword. It all began in the first over of Pramodaya Wickremasinghe coming first change in the sixth over. He went for 15. Dravid cut him for four, ondrove the next and flicked the third to the fence. Ganguly warmed up to with a flick that should have gone for four but for a fine save by Mahela. Dravid was a revelation,
playing more shots in the air in this innings than what he had done in
the previous ones put together.
Media rains praise on Ganguly, Dravid LONDON: The thunder that
England heard on Wednesday came from Taunton as Indian batsmen went on
the rampage, a British newspaper said, reflecting the high praise in the
media here for
"India, after their sleepy
start in England, will have to be taken seriously as world cup candidates
after a succulent batting display at Taunton on Wednesday," said The Telegraph
praising Ganguly and Dravid for their 183 and 145 respectively in a 318-run
world one- day record stand that saw India thrash
"The message is clear. India are motoring and ready to take onanyone," said the Independent in its despatch. The Times while describing
Dravid cracking a century for the second successive match only to be outshone
by Ganguly said "It is hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for Dravid.
For the second successive match he found himself overshadowed. His unbeaten104
against Kenya earned no more than a few lines below the
Dravid provided momentum, Ganguly the gusto By Sunil Gavaskar Yeh dil maange more! That was what Indian cricket lovers were saying after a display of batting, the like of which has seldom, if ever, been seen in World Cup cricket. It was a mix of the classical and the elegant. It was a blend of the orthodox and the unorthodox. It was a concoction of power and the delight of a caress. It was a combination of fire and ice and, even to a complete teetotaller, it was heady and intoxicating. If the Indian supporter staggered
off with a pleasantly heavy head, the Sri Lankans stumbled, as if punch
drunk.
There was the orthodoxy of
the straight bat that Rahul Dravid brought to the table and there was the
slightly lesser movement of the feet but sweet timing of Ganguly that rendered
the Sri Lankan
In the end, even Ranatunga seemed to have given up and resigned himself to being a spectator with a better and closer view than the other spectators at the ground. When a bowler, as miserly
as Muralitharan, starts to go for two sixes in an over, then the captain
knows there is not much he can do about it. Still, one felt that Ranatunga
could have used more of
Not that it would have made much of a difference to Ganguly. For he played some incredible shots where he virtually scooped the ball from under his boots and hit them into the river that runs behind where the dressing rooms are. Ganguly's pyrotechnics may have overshadowed the classical batting of Rahul Dravid but it was Dravid who gave the innings the momentum it needed and the Indians just did not let up after that. Even their most ardent supporter
would not have expected them to go past the 300-mark, for, at the 30-over
stage, they were 172 and we all had seen how South Africa strangled them
in a similar situation in the first match. Dravid and Ganguly's partnership
was not only a record one but it was the first time a 300-plus partnership
had been registered in a One-day game.
Rahul Dravid is Mr. Consistent Two centuries and that too back-to-back has earned Rahul Dravid a place in the record books. Only Mark Waugh, the Australian one-day opener, was in this club. Ever since the tour of New Zealand late last year, Dravid has been turning in consistent performances not only in the Tests but also in the one-dayers. Criticised for his poor approach in the one-dayers, Dravid, along with Schin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, are now the mainstays of the Indian batting line-up. In the match against Kenya, Dravid played second fiddle to Tendulkar but against Sri Lanka it was he who picked up the challenge with a positive display. The effect rubbed on Ganguly too and the result was an awesome performance by the Indians. Rahul Dravid on top India's Rahul Dravid with
19 points to his credit, leads the Ceat Cricket Ratings at the end of the
league stage of the World Cup. Dravid is followed by Saurav Ganguly and
South Africa's Lance Klusener both of who have 16 points each. Robin Singh
(9 points) and Sachin Tendulkar (8 points) are the other Indians in the
top 10 list. Dravid's magnificent scores of 54 against South Africa (2
points), 104 n.o. against Kenya (7 points), 145 against Sri Lanka (8 points)
and his 53 vs England (2 points) catapulted him into the top slot. With
the Super Six starting tomorrow, the race to the top is hotting up. Incidentally,
Dravid also bagged the BPL
Dravid learns his lessons well LONDON: As he walks with
the team, Rahul Dravid, ranked six in the Times Cricket Ratings, attracts
attention with a red tikka quite prominently on his forehead. One also
distinguishes him by the spring in his step. Not suprising for one who
has ended as the top scorer of the preliminary world cup league. Dravid,
with 369 runs from five innings, is the top-scorer. And his average, 92.25,
is second best behind Ridley
The previous year, in Toronto, he had played some fine aerial shots off Saqlain and Mushtaq during a knock of 90. In fact, his world cup form has reminded one of his Sahara Cup batting in its inaugural year. It is obvious that he does not get tense given the form he is in. He is more careful than tense. This was evident in the two shots he played off Alan Mullaly. Remember the left-arm pacer
had come with great hype and had taken wickets regularly. And he had claimed
Ramesh, quite predictably. But the way Rahul Dravid played him sealed the
fate of the match. Two pushes off the back foot past point saw the ball
race on the fast slope on one side and the threat of Mullaly has been taken
care of.
One of the redeeming features
of an energy-sapping world cup has been watching Ganguly and Dravid complementing
each other. They trace it to their coming up through the board's under-19
programme. One remembes Dravid as skipper of the youth side scoring a hundred
at Mumbai against a New Zealand youth side having Dion Nash and Mathew
Hart, two world cuppers here.
This will remain one of the
enduring features of the world cup. Who knows, it may force some of India's
oponents to forget their own styles and attempt to copy these two tyros.
That may leave the door open for our bowlers, a fringe benefit that could
win India the world cup.
Dravid figures in all dream teams LONDON: Three Indians -- Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid -- find pride of place in the world cup dream team picked up by leading sports British journalists here. Intrestingly of the six dream teams published, Rahul Dravid figures in all while, Ganguly and Tendulkar are in five teams. John Etheridge's dream team which appeared in The Sun comprises of Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Inzamam ul Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq (Pak), Roger Twose, Geoff Allot (NZ), Ridely Jacobs (WI), Lance Klusener, Allan Donald (SA) and Gavin Hamilton (Sco), 12th man Jhonty Rhodes (SA). David Foot dream team comprises of Wasim Akram (captain),Mark Waugh (Aus), Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), Brian Lara (WI), Andy Flower (Zim), Lance Klusener (SA), Shane Warne (Aus), D. Gough (Eng) and Allan Donald (SA). He says there has to be plenty of India in the upper order. Ganguly and Rahul have remained imperious in style and stats, always more wrist than risk even when blasting away. And it would be unthinkable to omit Sachin Tendulkar. It is probably absurd to leave out Shoiab Akhtar and Glenn McGrath. Yet one day cricket thrives not just on sheer pace. That is why Lance Klusener is there ``to take wickets and damage tree branches.'' Paul Weaver's dream team is led by Hansie Cronje and includes Ganguly, Dravid, Tendulkar, J. Kallis (SA), Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Musthaq (Pak). L. Klusener, A. Donald (SA) and Courtney Walsh (WI). Mike Selvey's team is led by Wasim Akram and includes, Ganguly, Nasser Hussain (Eng), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar (Ind), J.Kallis, L. Klusener, A Donald (SA), Moin Khan and Saqlain Mushtaq (Pak). David Hopps team is led by Sachin Tendulkar but surprisingly it does not include Saurav Ganguly. The team: Nick Knight (Eng), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar (capt), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar (Pak), Johnson (Zim), M. Bevan (Aus), Crains (NZ), Kaluwitharana (SL), and D. Gough (Eng). Hopps says, Sachin Tendulkar is a must. Captaining this side will be easier than leading India, so he can have the job back. Sunsports's official team
picked up by Paul Sherwood is a shocker, it does not include Sachin Tendulkar.
He said selection was done on the basis of points. His team: Ganguly (477
points), Rahul Dravid (439), G. Hick (299), Twose (257), Jacobs (505),
Klusener (484), Johnson (396), Allot (360), Saqlain (303), Gough (289)
and Abdul Razzaq (282). (UNI)
Dravid bows out at the top Last call for the reticent run-maker who shone in the limelight In the heat of battle against
Pakistan last Tuesday, Rahul Dravid trudged over to take his position on
the Old Trafford outfield and gave a warm smile and generous wave
to a cluster of Indian fans.
"But I feel all that is behind me now and I'm really looking to the future and hoping to develop my batting. The World Cup has been good for me," he said, before the match against New Zealand. While all the attention was drawn towards Sachin Tendulkar and left-hander Saurav Ganguly before the tournament, few expected Rahul to perform much higher than his more famed and recognised teammates. "Up until now I have not really had the same recognition as Sachin and Saurav, but then again they have performed better than me over a longer period of time," he said modestly. "But you have to be able
to perform before getting recognition and that is what I have done. You
can't really complain about recognition when you are playing with a player
like Sachin. He's the undoubtedly best in the
Not feeling the pressure
has clearly helped Dravid. He is the tournament's leading scorer with 432
runs, hitting two back to back hundreds - only the second player after
Mark Waugh achieved the feat against Sri Lanka and
Dravid has a Test average
of 57 in 25 matches since making his debut against England at Lord's in
1996 and, more importantly, considering his average of 33 in one-day internationals
(in 66 matches) before the World
"I just enjoy playing here in English weather," he said. ''The wickets and the conditions really suit my style of cricket and this has helped me get a few runs in my kitty.'' A right-handed batsman, Dravid's
measured approach to run-making has been ideal for a tournament in which
the big, fancy hitters have failed to make their mark. He relies more on
timing than brute force, and relishes
He, however, clearly indicated that he is somewhat disappointed with England's interest in cricket, particularly the World Cup. "It's quite amazing because the World Cup has been a bigger event in India that it has in England," he said. "It's a big shame really, given the history of cricket in England. Cricket is such a big game for Indians." "We have played some excellent
cricket," Dravid said. "I believe we had a team capable of going all the
way to the final. We have had a couple of off days that have cost us dearly."
Rahul is Captain Material In a media interview, Akram also suggested that the selectors could look to Rahul Dravid for the future. Akram said that Azhar did
a good job in the World Cup and should not be held responsible for his
team's failure. On Jadeja's chances, Akram felt that the Indian selectors
should make sure that whoever is made the
''I think they should persist with Azhar for a while and then go for a long term choice who is an automatic choice in both forms of the game,'' Akram said. Akram also felt that Dravid
should be groomed for captaincy. ''Dravid seems the obvious choice. He
is a sensible cricketer with with a calm presence. I think he can do a
good job on a long term basis,'' the Pakistani
Akram said that India has
the best batting lineup in the world, and attributed recent failures to
a lack of mental toughness. In this respect,Akram felt, Dravid has the
requisite mental strength needed to bring the
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