As India face Rest, Dravid wants 'intensity'

The skipper knows that India must make the most of their practice match and test the form and fitness of a few key players, reports Kadambari Murali.

After the thrashing in the ODIs and with the Tests looming just ahead, Indian captain Rahul Dravid knows that time is running out for his beleaguered team. He knows that India must make the most of their practice match against the Rest of South Africa and test the form and fitness of a few key players, as he told the media on Wednesday.

HT Image

Excerpts:

On how important this game is:

Very important, especially as it’s a four-day game. It gives us, hopefully, two chances to bat and that will be very important for the boys, not only to spend some time in the middle but also for the bowlers to get some intensity. After the ODIs, getting in some long spells will help.

On the close-in fielding:

We're looking at people like Wasim and Gambhir for the short leg and silly point positions. They're going to have to work hard at those positions. The bottomline is that we have to catch really well through the series.

On whether two spinners will play the first Test:

It depends on the conditions and the kind of wickets we get there. I don't think they're going to give us the kind of conditions that would make it dead certain that we’d play two spinners, but you can never say.

On the mindset after the losses:

We've got to remain positive. I still believe that we can play much better than we played in the one-dayers, we've got the capability, we've got the ammunition. I think in some ways we've played a little better in Tests recently, so that will help.

We won the last series we played in the West Indies, we can take confidence from that. That and a bit of experience in the side, especially in the batting line-up. Hopefully, they would get the runs we hope they will, and then we can put pressure on the opposition and try and take 20 wickets.

On the players being collectively out of form:

I can't fault their efforts, they've been trying their best. We have not been able to play the bounce as well as we'd like but it's been accentuated by the fact that we've come here a bit out of form, and have had to play a good bowling attack under different conditions.

The challenge still remains but the guys are trying hard and as the series goes on, we'll get better. There's a bit more experience in this side, so hopefully that might be able to counter these conditions.

On Laxman as his deputy:

I've been lucky in that sense — Viru's been a very good vice-captain to me and I think Laxman will be a good one as well. Laxman's obviously got a lot of experience, a good head on his shoulders and we go back a long way, we know each other really well.

So we've been pretty frank with each other and I'm sure he'll not hold back, he'll tell me what needs to be done and what needs to be said, so it's good. I've been lucky with the vice-captains I've had.

On his not getting a bat before the Tests:

I'm obviously a little disappointed that I can't play this game. Ideally, I would have liked to play a four-day game but that can't be helped, it's part and parcel of the game. Like I said, I'll start batting slowly at the nets, I'd like to get at least two or three good net sessions in before the first Test.

I've had a bit of experience with these wickets and these conditions, so that's a plus point and the fact that I'm not coming in from the cold will help. If I had not played a single match here, and not had to play the practice game, it might have been difficult.

On a local bowling consultant:

We didn't think about it. We have a lot of experience as the batsmen have played in these conditions, and in bowling, know what lengths and what lines to bowl. It's the execution which is going to be important.

Zaheer's experience and his knowledge of these conditions is something we'll tap into, and the same about Anil. So no, we haven't really looked at trying to get a consultant just for this series.