The Surfer

Dravid's return to ODI frame not a surprise

Cricketers of Rahul Dravid's stature continue playing only because they believe they are good enough; pride is a big part of it all, and the fact that he had not retired from one-day cricket meant he believed he could force his way back in

Judhajit
25-Feb-2013
Cricketers of Rahul Dravid's stature continue playing only because they believe they are good enough; pride is a big part of it all, and the fact that he had not retired from one-day cricket meant he believed he could force his way back in. Writing in the Indian Express, Harsha Bhogle reasons why Dravid was chosen ahead of Rohit Sharma, who represents the future and is 14 years younger.
There is an interesting parallel in international cricket. In 2005 after a poor Ashes series, and without setting the one-day series that followed on fire, Matthew Hayden was dropped from Australia’s one-day squad while still averaging 40. A year later he had forced his way back and as if to prove a point, he scored at 54.1 till his retirement. Again, like with Dravid, the selectors didn’t have numbers in their mind, not even age, merely an assurance that he was hitting the ball well again.