Dravid back in ODI squad!!

[Daemon]

If Dravid has been selected he'll play.Can't see them selecting him to be backup at all.

The selectors should seriously learn to differentiate the 2 formats tbh.

Yeah I guess. But that's what I would do if I had Dravid in the squad.

 

[Cevno]

1.Virender Sehwag
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Gautam Gambhir
4. Rahul Dravid
5. Virat Kohli
6. Suresh Raina
7. MS Dhoni (wk)
8. R Ashwin
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Praveen Kumar
11. Munaf Patel

middle order's full of accumulators............ no destructive guys

Don't think the lack of destructive guys is a as big a problem as Raina, Kohli and Sharma sharing 10 overs every match and more if someone else fails.

 

[Uppercut]

Because he's just a ****ing brilliant batsman, and sometimes that's all there is to it. Dravid was part of the ODI setup for a long, long time and would probably get into an all-time Indian side in the middle order. Stick him in at 5 or 6 here, and I'd still envy you.

 

[cp007]

It's a decent move imo, the selectors were obviously looking to get some solidity in the top order to prevent collapses. They're under pressure now to not go back home empty handed so it's no time to try out younger players like Mukund or untested ones like Badrinath (who failed to impress in the one dayers in WI). Yusuf doesn't look to be a part of India's plans as well since he wasn't taken to West Indies IIRC.

As to whether Dravid will even play in the starting XI is not known yet, he may as well be a backup option. I'd go with this -

1. Sachin Tendulkar
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Gautam Gambhir
4. Virat Kohli
5. Suresh Raina
6. Rohit Sharma
7. MS Dhoni (wk)
8. R Ashwin
9. Zaheer Khan
10. Praveen Kumar
11. Munaf Patel

If any of the batsmen get injured, then Dravid can take his spot. If one of the openers gets injured then Gambhir can open and Dravid can slot in at no.3.

I really don't see Zaheer playing the ODI let alone the final two test matches, after he has only bowled 3 overs in the tour match.

 

[kingpin]

Sharma,Kohli,Raina,Dhoni can be pretty destructive...not as destructive as Yuvraj!!!

 

[Daemon]

I really don't see Zaheer playing the ODI let alone the final two test matches, after he has only bowled 3 overs in the tour match.

Posted that before I knew he was injured.

 

[Howe_zat]

Oh, come off it, I know the differences between formats and the narrative of a career. My point is that if having Rahul frigging Dravid in the side is their biggest problem, we might as well give them the trophy now. He's a quality batsman, he's done the business before and he's in form, he's not going to be written off as total fail before we start.

 

[Uppercut]

Nah you just touched upon one of my recurring rant topics- slow scoring in ODIs. It doesn't get enough criticism. And hence Dravid is consider a "quality" ODI player when he's really crap-to-average.

Nothing infuriates me quite like seeing Dravid bog down an end chasing 300, the other batsmen getting out slogging trying to keep up with the run rate, and the headlines declaring "Dravid fights lone battle as India crumble". Happened in a huge game against Pakistan last time he was recalled.

 

[Daemon]

Sharma,Kohli,Raina,Dhoni can be pretty destructive...not as destructive as Yuvraj!!!

Yeah when Dhoni gets it in the right areas he can be a pretty dangerous bowler

 

[scorpio1990]

Well, Dravid has just announced his retirement so I just hope he performs well in his last ODI series.

 

[Cevno]

Yeah, he has retired from ODI and T20I cricket.

I guess this is the final farewell series for him then and the selection was down to that. Makes some sense now.
Wonder when we give Laxman his farewell series so he can retire from these 2 forms too?

 

[scorpio1990]

@Cevno Has he ever played T20 Int.?

 

[Cevno]

Nope. But hadn't retired from them till now.

 

[Cevno]

"Since I had not been picked for one-day cricket for the last two years, I was obviously a little surprised," he said after the warm-up match against Northamptonshire. "To be honest, because I had not been picked, I had not informed the selectors or the board of my desire to solely focus on Test cricket.

"At the end of this one-day series, I would like to announce my retirement from one-day and Twenty20 cricket and concentrate only on Test cricket. I am committed, as always to give my best to India in this one-day series and obviously the Test series that follows.

"In the short term I am committed because now I have been picked for the series, but in the long term I think it is best for me and Indian cricket that I focus on Test cricket."


Doesn't seem he was too keen on being called up..

 

[cp007]

"Since I had not been picked for one-day cricket for the last two years, I was obviously a little surprised," he said after the warm-up match against Northamptonshire. "To be honest, because I had not been picked, I had not informed the selectors or the board of my desire to solely focus on Test cricket.

"At the end of this one-day series, I would like to announce my retirement from one-day and Twenty20 cricket and concentrate only on Test cricket. I am committed, as always to give my best to India in this one-day series and obviously the Test series that follows.

"In the short term I am committed because now I have been picked for the series, but in the long term I think it is best for me and Indian cricket that I focus on Test cricket."


Doesn't seem he was too keen on being called up..

No it does not. But Dravid will do anything that is asked of him. Keep wickets, open the batting, and now play ODIs.

 

[EnglishCricket]

maybe to get him to retire.......

farewell ODI series ?

I just think he's in such good form and a real solid batsmen in the top order, India have the destruction so they need Dravid to hold it all together.

Plus he deserves an ODI send off and it clears the air with regard to whether they will pick him in the future.

 

[ankitj]

Did anyone post this?

India in England 2011: The baffling decision to recall Rahul Dravid | Cricket Features | England v India 2011 | ESPN Cricinfo

Pretty apt description of how we treat this unassuming gentleman.

EDIT: That's my post # 2000

 

[Uppercut]

I didn't like the way it represented playing Dravid for games in awkward conditions and someone more aggressive for games in India as the selectors just being a dick to him when it makes perfect sense tactically. Why wouldn't you pick someone with a tighter technique in conditions that will test it and someone who can score faster in conditions that won't?

 

[weldone]

I didn't like the way it represented playing Dravid for games in awkward conditions and someone more aggressive for games in India as the selectors just being a dick to him when it makes perfect sense tactically. Why wouldn't you pick someone with a tighter technique in conditions that will test it and someone who can score faster in conditions that won't?

AWTA

Sehwag, Tendulkar, Gambhir, Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni, Raina was the perfect batting lineup for WC IMO.

 

[Arjun]

It's a bit disappointing, but also offers an opportunity. Disappointing, because we've seen them virtually make it an excuse to go back to Dravid each time batting gets difficult, and eventually offload him for a series where flat decks are available. Let them learn to bat on tough conditions, please! Besides, this is ODI cricket and India are far from struggling there. England is no stranger to laying out carpets for big scores.

It's still an opportunity, because the top five (or four) becomes so much stronger, that you have a top six capable of lasting at least 45 overs. You're looking at Sachin-Sehwag-Gambhir-Dravid-Dhoni-Raina, no less. That gives a chance to play a bottom five of bowlers, getting in five full bowlers. Ashwin can bat. Praveen can bat. Mishra can bat. Vinay can bat. While none get you centuries (Ashwin actually has an enviable FC batting record, anyway) from there, their runs add up, and that possibility should be explored. That's what makes the recall of Dravid useful, much as I find it very silly to go back to him only when things are not going good.