Dravid defends Shastri's comments

Dravid says Shastri's remark that hosts should not expect mercy from tourists meant we are focusing only on our game.

After Team India manager Ravi Shastri came under fire in the Bangladeshi media for his comments that the hosts should not expect mercy from the tourists in the third one-dayer, skipper Rahul Dravid on Monday stepped in to contain the damage.

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Responding to a query from a local journalist at the pre-match media meet, Dravid said, "What Ravi meant to say was that we are focusing only on our game. We want to improve. We are looking at our cricket only, and not that of Bangladesh."

However, his response was not taken too kindly by the journalist, who again asked Dravid whether it was fair on part of the former skipper to make the comment.

The Indian captain could only say, "I told you just now what he meant."

Dravid then proceeded to soothe ruffled feathers by praising Bangladesh's performance in the World Cup.

"They are playing very good cricket. They are a good side. They beat New Zealand, India and South Africa in the Caribbeans. We have to give credit to them," he said.

Earlier, most of the Bangladeshi newspapers ripped apart Shastri's comments, made after India's series-clinching a 46-run victory in the second ODI.

Samakaal

, a Bengali daily published from Dhaka, termed Shastri's comments as indecent and said, "Bangladesh never wanted any mercy from India. Such comments do not augur well for sports."