'Sehwag and Kaif are proven performers' - Dravid

Rahul Dravid slipped right back into the thick of the action in Indore, the city of his birth, after a well-deserved two match break and was at once stoutly defending two of his team mates, the out-of-form Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif.

"They are both proven performers and both have done really well for India in the past," he said the day before the final ODI against England. "You just have to look at their records to see what they bring to the side. Our aim is to try and get the best out of players, irrespective of whether it is Sehwag or Kaif or VRV Singh. The aim is try and build a good side. We will do whatever it takes to achieve our goal of trying and picking a good team that we think will take us forwards.

"In a team situation, it is not always possible to say that everyone will get the same number of opportunities. We all know what Sehwag is capable of doing at the top of the order when he is at his best. Some players will get more chances than others, who may not be lucky enough to get the same number of opportunities. That's the way international cricket goes, it is part and parcel of international cricket."

Dravid said that while his team was very keen to end the series on a winning note, they were not viewing the match in isolation, and would use chance to give some of the younger cricketers a chance to put their hands up. "It's a good opportunity for the young guys to show what they are capable of," he said. "There are a few areas that we need to address. We have a bunch of good young fast bowlers, and we need to identify the best prospects, we must find out who is the best of the lot. Sometimes, you can make the mistake of looking at it as just one match, but we must look ahead. Now that the opportunity presents itself, we must give them a chance."

Dravid also lavished praise on Ramesh Powar, whose stocky build has been a talking point despite some skilful bowling and determined batting. "Sometimes, size can be a bit misleading," he said. "Ramesh is working very hard on his fitness, he understands that he needs to be fitter. He batted very well in the last one-dayer, and his bowling has been exceptional right through this series. He is a very good and handy cricketer to have. It's very heartening to see his development; when you have a player like him who can contribute with the bat and with the ball, it mades a difference to the combination of the side. We need to develop players like that."

While conceding that he had watched parts of the last ODI on television Dravid said he had not seen much of Robin Uthappa, the young batsman from his own state of Karnataka. "To be honest, I have not seen too much of him myself. But the selectors have seen something in him, they believe he has the potential. Even without playing a game, it is a very good learning experience for him. He will also be playing in the `A' team's outings in Abu Dhabi. It's like an apprenticeship period for a lot of the young boys, and they can benefit in the future from just being with the Indian team now."