Welcome back Dravid

From Azeez Gupta, India
After last week's epic test match at Chennai, my joy as an India fan was heavily interspersed with sorrow. Our run chase was heroic but my personal cricketing hero had failed. After nearly two years of backing Rahul Dravid, I finally came to the conclusion that it was time he ended his career. Thankfully, Dravid has chosen his very next innings to renew my faith. I am writing this as I watch him bat on 34 and even if he happens to get out next ball, I will still be hopeful.

For the first time in two years, the real Rahul Dravid is batting. All his most beautiful shots have been unfurled-the hook, the cover drive, the flick through the leg side, but most indicatively, the straight drive. This is the shot that Dravid plays when he is at his best and is feeling the ball well. The ball bounces off the middle and rolls serenely to the boundary.

In recent lean times, when this shot has been played, the ball has tended to hit the bottom of the bat and bounce undulating straight to mid on. It may be rash to think that one good innings will automatically solve everything. However, this is the innings that can act as a catalyst. It will give Dravid confidence and take some of the heat off him.

Earlier he had been scratching around and looked devoid of any scrap of self-belief. His foot movement was uncertain, he did not get a proper stride forward and was unsure about whether to leave the ball or not. Also he had forgotten to rotate the strike and the shots were too weak to reach the boundary even if he did manage to pierce the field. In short, all of Dravid's strengths had become his weaknesses.

But in this innings, after lunch, I see Dravid batting like the Dravid of old. He is leaving the ball with authority and defending with a firm stride and a firm stroke. His footwork is certain and decisive. But the biggest change has come in his body language. Earlier, he was making batting look impossible, head bowed, and an uncertain manner. Now he is moving confidently and batting decisively, looking like a wall. A smile is still not forthcoming but you can see that Rahul Dravid is again confident in his abilities.

It is essential for India that Dravid continues to bat in this manner. We need him for at least two more years. I have no doubt that the only reason for India currently not being number 1 in the ICC rankings is Dravid's loss of form. Our other players are playing the cricket of their lives, the missing link is our immovable no.3. There is also no ready replacement. India do not currently have a batsman with enough quality to take over the mantle. When Saurav Ganguly retired, Yuvraj was waiting in the wings. For all his inconsistency, everybody knows the talent and timing Yuvraj possesses. Such qualities are not yet present in any of the young pretenders, be they Rohit Sharma, Badrinath or Raina.

So I would request the selectors to continue having patience with Dravid. Even if he fails in the next innings, he has now shown that he still possesses the ability to succeed at Test level. The worry would be an erosion of his physical abilities. On the evidence of this innings so far, they appear to be as good as ever. My hope is that with the regaining of his confidence, Rahul Dravid becomes 'The Wall' again.