Twenty20 comes to Dravid's rescue

Obligated to represent Bangalore by contract and by a sportsman's natural desire to be in the thick of the action, Dravid initially looked as comfortable as a virtuoso singing hip-hop. Indeed, he could easily have walked away. Instead he developed a variety of improvised strokes, and before long was playing his part in his team's triumphs.

Nor is he not the first frozen batsman to be defrosted by the lighter version of the game. Suddenly, he was hitting the ball again, and scampering between wickets and clouting rude boundaries. Confidence returned. Perhaps, too, he remembered that cricket is just a game. He scored runs in the Ranji Trophy, and returned to Test cricket with his game in good working order. It had always been his way to think himself out of trouble. Sometimes blasting works better.