Dravid happy to be in Sachin shadow
LONDON: Rahul Dravid insisted he had no problems with the focus on Sachin Tendulkar after ensuring India avoided the follow-on in the first Test against England at Lord’s with a typically well-made hundred.
Dravid, a few months older than fellow 38-year-old Tendulkar, is an undeniably great batsman in his own right with more than 12,000 Test runs at an average in excess of 52.
His latest century was his 33rd in 154 Tests yet the focus remains on Tendulkar, who had been an international player for some seven years by the time Dravid had made his debut.
“The talk is always about Sachin and rightly so,” said Dravid.
“He is a true legend of the game. To be on 99 hundreds...it was set up for him. It suits me, I suppose. I can slip by quietly, do my job and get on with my business.”
Dravid has struggled in recent times and during India’s tour of South Africa at the turn of the year managed just 120 runs in six Test innings.
“There have been stages when I’ve doubted myself but that’s just natural being a professional sportsman when you go through some tough times,” Dravid said.
“It’s not really about about numbers for me but the longevity, for me to be playing after 15 years and making contributions, still being able to play the kind of knocks I want to for India makes me feel good.”
Even so Dravid was proud of scoring a Test century at Lord’s — an achievement that has so far proved beyond Tendulkar, Australia’s Ricky Ponting and the now retired Brian Lara.
“To miss out in my first Test here was something that stayed with me a little bit,” he said. “It’s not that if I hadn’t got this hundred it would be the end of the world. There are lots of grounds where I haven’t got a hundred.”
Dravid, a few months older than fellow 38-year-old Tendulkar, is an undeniably great batsman in his own right with more than 12,000 Test runs at an average in excess of 52.
His latest century was his 33rd in 154 Tests yet the focus remains on Tendulkar, who had been an international player for some seven years by the time Dravid had made his debut.
“The talk is always about Sachin and rightly so,” said Dravid.
“He is a true legend of the game. To be on 99 hundreds...it was set up for him. It suits me, I suppose. I can slip by quietly, do my job and get on with my business.”
Dravid has struggled in recent times and during India’s tour of South Africa at the turn of the year managed just 120 runs in six Test innings.
“There have been stages when I’ve doubted myself but that’s just natural being a professional sportsman when you go through some tough times,” Dravid said.
“It’s not really about about numbers for me but the longevity, for me to be playing after 15 years and making contributions, still being able to play the kind of knocks I want to for India makes me feel good.”
Even so Dravid was proud of scoring a Test century at Lord’s — an achievement that has so far proved beyond Tendulkar, Australia’s Ricky Ponting and the now retired Brian Lara.
“To miss out in my first Test here was something that stayed with me a little bit,” he said. “It’s not that if I hadn’t got this hundred it would be the end of the world. There are lots of grounds where I haven’t got a hundred.”
Published by Unknown
on 03:22.
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