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Dravid backs under-fire Ganguly
"Each player has a role and there are times when some are out of form. The challenge is to carry them and still manage the right results," Dravid said.
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly's failure as a batsman is not putting extra pressure on the team during the one-day series against arch-rivals Pakistan, vice-captain Rahul Dravid insisted on Monday.
Ganguly managed just 48 runs in five Test innings against Pakistan and was dimissed for a first-ball duck in the opening One-Day International at Kochi on Saturday which India won by 87 runs.
"There is no pressure because of that and we are sure Sourav will come up with a good performance sooner or later," Dravid said ahead of the second one-dayer on Tuesday.
"Each player in the team has a role to play and there are times when some are out of form. The challenge is to carry people who are out of form and still manage the right results."
India won at Kochi mainly due to centuries from Virender Sehwag and Dravid and a five-wicket haul by part-time spinner Sachin Tendulkar.
Dravid lauded Sehwag for his tremendous run of form which has seen the opener hit a 95-ball 108 at Kochi after amassing 544 runs at an average of 90.66 in a preceding three-Test series.
"Veeru (Sehwag) is in terrific form but we do not depend only on him," said Dravid, who added 201 runs for the third wicket with Sehwag in the last match.
"Others have stood the team in good stead in the past and will do so in the future.
"India and Pakistan are evenly matched sides and we have great respect for our rivals. We are aware they will bounce back hard."
Dravid, one of the world's leading batsmen, rubbished suggestions the balance of the one-day series had shifted in India's favour after the Kochi win.
"I do not believe in the tag of underdogs or favourites," he said. "That is one thing this game has taught me over the years."
