Brickbats and the wall

A lot changed for Rahul Dravid between his two international outings in Chennai this year. In March, after the run-heavy drawn Test against South Africa, he left the city as a man who had made peace with himself. However, a few months older and in the middle of the worst slump of his career, Dravid this time departed with scores of 4 and 3, and Sandeep Dwivedi in the Indian Express feels this is nothing but that inevitable countdown signalling the end of a glorious cricketing career as he takes a look at the period that signalled the fall from bad to worse.

In the past, lots of players have tried to hit out of slumps but Dravid, as was expected from someone as meticulous as him, has opted to take the defensive route. He isn’t hurried in the middle, but he is hesitant. His lbw to Graeme Swann, and his edge off Andrew Flintoff were both examples of a muddled mind caught in indecision.

Tendulkar put a finishing cap on a career of genius when he nudged his way to the century which led India to victory over England via a huge fourth-innings run chase in Chennai. All the more reason for New Zealand cricket to celebrate though, because the first test has been a wonderful reminder that Tendulkar is on the way. Chris Rattue in the New Zealand Herald keeps his fingers crossed.