Should Dravid play?
Reader Responses
Should an injured Rahul Dravid play in the first Test against South Africa?
Name:Vidya
Your View:Why should Rahul Dravid be an exception to anything? I mean if VVS Laxman can be treated and rested; Hasn't Rahul contributed enough to the Cricket team to deserve it...or does this have to have another criteria to it?
About playing in the Test matches...IF HE HAS TO REST HE HAS TO REST NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT.... that is if India still requires a good player for the games...any doubts??
Name:Mohit Bhargava
Your View:Dravid should not play. I think that the rotational policy followed by other cricket boards is very good. even when we play our full strength we do not win all the time.
The reason being that a team of stars will not win a match by default. They have to be able to play well to win a match and for that you need people who have a good mix of talent and the fighting spirit.
If there are players who have both then I do not mind a team where the stars sit out for a match or two by rotation and other players get to play. The contract system would also help in making this happen.
Name:Naveen
Your View:No, if he isnt fit he shouldnt play, this may be dangerous over the long run. I donot know why all the cricket critics stress so much about extraordinary fitness and try to compare our cricketers to the South Africans or the Australians and criticize them for lack of fielding prowess.
Yes, we do lack in that aspect but why dont we accept the fact that our genes are such that we cannot perform beyond a level, we cannot train beyond certain level.
Our cricketers are extraordinarily talented, I believe theres no cricketer on earth at present who has the timing of Ganguly, the talent of tendulkar, the correctness of Dravid.
We need to build on these positive points and worry less about our negative points. If southafrica keeps worrying that they need to have perfect batsmen like tendulkar and try to develop one its impossible.
They know that they are wonderful athletes and concentrate more on their positive point. So we need to stop worrying more and more about about our negative points and try to develop our positive points.
Name:Jeet
Your View: We should leave it to Dravid. He should make the final decision. If he thinks that he can't give his best, then it's better to leave him out.
But if he's willing to overcome his injuries in order to take the Proteas, then let him play as he is integral part of our game plan.
If he feels uncomfortable, he can be rested in the next test and most definitely in the series against a second rated England team at home.
Name:Abhishek Mathur
Your View:Well, it looks like injuries can never escape the Indian cricket team. In this case though it is not so serious.
Well, taking into consideration the fact that Rahul Dravid is one of BIG THREE batsmen in the India squad, I believe it is fair enough to let him take the decision.
If we can have Tendulkar take a decision on his health and availability based on his health, then I think Dravid should also be allowed.
I believe he is a very committed cricketer and will consider his future before making a decision. For the best of Indian cricket, HE SHOULD PLAY, but let him decide!
Name:Ravi
Your View:Rahul Dravid must play. It is ridiculous to think of an Indian team without Rahul Dravid being the lynch pin at number 3.
He must play and then after the Test series must skip the substandard challenge of WestIndies and England and go for a surgery and take rest for about 4 months.
Playing West Indies, England and Zimbabwe might help in boosting his average but against these opponents others can take up the cudgel.
His shoulder has taken the burden for 4 years and let it take for another 3 Tests and then let it go and take a service! Its time to give the boy a solid feeling about himself.
Name:Christian Simson
Your View:Rahul Dravid should play a) because he has experience of test-match batting IN SA and b) he is currently one of only three Indian batsmen capable of scoring a Test century.
SS Das should open with Ganguly Laxman 3 Tendulkar 4, Dravid 5 Sehwag 6 Sameer Dighe 7 Harbhajan Singh 8 Zaheer Khan 9 Anil Kumble 10 Ashish Nehra 11
Reasons: Ganguly needs to open to give India a chance of the all-important good opening partnership VVS Laxman should go in between Ganguly and the other two most important batsmen Tendulkar and Dravid.
Sehwag might surprise people as an all-rounder, Dighe will add to an already impressive batting line-up - (he's no worse with the gloves than Gupta).
The bowling should not be compromised by 'bowlers who bat' - Kumble, Zaheer, and Harbhajan and Nehra are all world class bowlers and should trouble any batting side
Name:Shreeraman
Your View:Well, not an absolute must. Shocked by my answer? Let me explain. To me, Rahul Dravid is currently India's best Test batsman, best equipped among all our cricketers, with the right technique and temperament for Test matches (all others, including Tendulkar - the great - are just pretenders, who just don't deliver when it matters).
The only problem with Dravid seems to be his obsession with technique, like Sanjay Manjrekar had during his playing days. Having said that, I am for dropping Rahul Dravid not for the sake of Rahul Dravid's career, but for the sake of Indian cricket.
We have for long been depending on the "brilliant individuals" to perform at the highest level, with disastrous results.
It is time we started treating players as just players and not superstars. At the cost of being rude, let me advise the Cricket Board Officials that every player, however experienced, should be made to earn his place in the team; selection should not be automatic.
Two recent examples are Mr. Kumble and Mr. Laxman. Once in a few matches, these players come up with a big performance, but these performances definitely do not justify their presence in the team for such long duration as they currently enjoy.
I could not imagine Harbhajan Singh, given his current form, being sidelined to favour a "rusty" Kumble. Genius at work!? I am writing this at a time when the Sharjah Cup is on.
The Indian team could well follow the pattern of the Sri Lankan team while batting. They hardly look for hundreds, but almost always end up with a score of 250 or more, with every "batsman" (not the wicketkeeper and bowlers) contributing with the bat.
And finally, when will our team management realize that in an international match, the least a team needs is a bunch of at least five specialist bowlers. Good luck to the Indian team.
Name:Kumar Bhagavath
Your View: I can't imagine a Indian Test team playing against South Africa without Rahul Dravid. He is the sheet anchor of the Indian batting perticularly in test cricket.
But whether he should play or not in the first test, should depend upon how series the injury is. If the problem is only in throwing the ball, well he should play the Test match, as he is a very good slip fielder who will rarely get a chance to through the ball.
But if the contition will deteriorate if he plays, then he should think twice before taking a decision, because India has to play a lot of international cricket in next one year. So all depends upon the seriousness of his injury.
Name:Vasanth
Your View:It is unfortunate that Rahul Dravid has been diagnosed with a shoulder problem. A "niggle" turned out to be a serious problem indeed!
Wonder what Mr.Leipus is doing about that? Now, the team management and Dravid himself said that it is not as serious as to prevent him from playing the Tests.
I will go with that decision because they are in a position to determine what is best for Dravid and the Indian team. Dravid has put up his hand to continue on the tour.
Rahul "The Wall" Dravid is a crucial player of the Test team and should play. He is one of the best batsmen of fast bowling and should be a source of strength to the others in the team.
His services are all the more important because except for Sachin, no one else in the team is reliable.
That is a blanket statement, but that is a fact. Good luck to Dravid and the Indian team! Hope his injury does not get any worse during the tests!
