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Dravid delighted by first day century
Rahul Dravid was delighted after scoring a fluent 110 on day one of the second Test against Pakistan and hoped it would turn out to be a match-winning effort.
Rahul Dravid was delighted after scoring a fluent 110 on day one of the second Test against Pakistan on Wednesday and hoped it would turn out to be a match-winning effort.
"I quite enjoyed the rhythm I got. I felt in control," he told reporters after helping India notch up 344 for six at Eden Gardens.
Dravid said he rated his 19th Test century very high.
"It was one of the better ones," he said. "There are days when you get a hundred without being in control.
"I was fluent from the beginning and the ball was coming off the middle of the bat."
However he said he was disappointed to get out in the last over of the day, caught behind off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
"It is not nice... it was important for me 100 more runs and help the team to 450 or so," he said.
Dravid's knock revived happy memories of Eden Gardens, where he hit a back-to-the-wall 180 and shared in a record 376-run partnership with VVS Laxman to lead India to a series-levelling victory over Australia in 2001 after being asked to follow on.
"Hopefully we can go on and get a good result this time also," he said.
India lost four quick wickets in the final session of the day, but Dravid hoped the tail-enders would help them achieve a daunting total.
Dravid said that the Kolkata pitch, initially predicted to help pace, had played true, although he thought it could prove difficult for batsman on the fourth and fifth days.
"It is a good wicket, a little on the slow side," he said. "But pitches in India can quickly break on day four or five and it is important for us to be in a position to bring the opposition under pressure by then."
