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[kban1]

Key players need to perform: Dravid

PTI

BANGALORE, Nov 11: In a grim message ahead of the big engagements, including the World Cup, captain Rahul Dravid on Saturday sought to blame his "key players" for the Indian team's slump and said it was high time they delivered.

Dravid said India's lack of consistency in recent tournaments was largely due to the collective failure of the top players and the team could regain its winning momentum only if that aspect was corrected.

"I just think that we need to get performances from lot of our key players. Last season when we were doing really well, lot of players in the team were performing consistently and were sort of playing if not up to their potential, sometimes even above their potential", Dravid told PTI in an interview here.

"For the last 2-3 series we have not been able to get consistent performances from most of our key players. That's something you need to correct. There's quality in the team but we need to get back into putting in consistent personal performances which will help the team", he said.

The Indian team has been going through a lean phase, particularly in the shorter version of the game since the tour of the West Indies in April this year.

The team lost the One-day series in the Caribbean, failed to reach the final of the DLF Cup tri-series in Malaysia and were knocked out of the recent Champions Trophy before the semi-final stage.

Dravid said there was enough talent and resilience in the team to come out of this phase and be in a better frame of mind before going into next year's World Cup in the West Indies.

Commenting on the team's performance in the Champions Trophy, the stylish batsman said it was disappointing not to reach the semi-final or final of the tournament, especially because it was held in India.

"Obviously we could have done better. It would have been nice to reach the semi-finals or final of the tournament especially because it was in India", he said.

"But we cannot do much about it now. We have got to look ahead at trying to get better and keep improving our performances from here on until the World Cup".

Dravid acknowledged that the return of ace spinner Anil Kumble in the One-day squad will definitely help the team during its gruelling tour of South Africa.

"Obviously Anil's experience and his knowledge will hopefully help us. We always had him in our plans. But we need to manage Anil in terms of the amount of cricket he plays.

"Leading into the World Cup, now we can give him enough games so that he goes into the big tournament ready and fit to play", he said.

Dravid said it was important for the team to do well in South Africa as it would give the players the confidence to do well in the World Cup.

"Both the Test and One-day series in South Africa are very important. We haven't done very well in South Africa in the past and we would like to put in good performances in both versions there. That would give us a lot of confidence leading into the World Cup.

"There's a tri-series as well (after the South African tour), so there are some games and a chance to hopefully get our key players back in the form and in full fitness before the World Cup", Dravid said.

The Indian cricketers leave for South Africa on Monday for a 54-day tour which will include a five-match One-day series and three Tests.

Dravid, however, cautioned his players not to worry about the World Cup too much at this stage.

"We have got to focus on each game, try and play at our best, take one game at a time and by the time World Cup comes we should be in good shape", he observed.

Asked whether India's tour of the West Indies earlier this year will help the team during the World Cup, Dravid said he was optimistic about his team's prospects in the World Cup.

"It was nice to do well in the West Indies, especially after such a long time. There were very good performances by the boys. In spite of losing the One-day series I think the team played really well to regroup", the Karnataka batsman said.

"Even in the first Test, we were behind in the first innings by about 145 runs but we nearly went on to win that match. From there on we pretty much controlled the whole series. That was a good performance by the team.

"Hopefully we can have a bit more of the same when we go to South Africa. I am pretty hopeful and confident that we should have a good series and good future", he added. 

[kban1]

http://cricket.indiatimes.com/Time_for_mission_back-on-track/articleshow/409972.cms

Time for mission back-on-track

BETWEEN THE LIES/BOBILLI VIJAY KUMAR

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


In less than 48 hours from now, India will zip off on the tour to South Africa with one desperate mission in their eye: get the World Cup campaign back on track.

In the year gone by, they have clearly lost their way, tumbling from the high of 17 chases and hurtling from one setback to another. Today, the team looks in disarray, if not on the verge of disintegration.

Its strategies have come unstuck and there's a sense of fear and insecurity among the players. You can't hope to start a new campaign in such a frame of mind, forget planning an attack on something as big and elusive as the World Cup.

Mission-back-on-track will certainly not be easy. Especially as India will be launching it away from home. They have been sloppy travellers; and if the destination happens to be hard and bouncy pitches, they become even more suspect. South Africa will raise both questions again, if not a lot more.

Luckily, India are not playing the Test matches first: that would have killed them off in the beginning itself, debilitating their confidence and World Cup chances even more. In the One-dayers, they will at least start as near equals; they can wear the war-paint with hope, if not assurance.

Coping with Ntini, Nel, Hall and Pollock will be that much easier when you know they can only bowl 10 overs per head. The pitches too will be a bit more batsman-friendly while the slip cordon won't be too dense. If they come out of the One-dayers unscathed, an upset in Tests won't hinge on just a miracle or two.

The key, like always, will be to start off nicely. And here's where Rahul Dravid must set the tone. To start with, he has to stop living behind that Wall. The captain must lead from the front, not just on the field but off it too; he must be prepared for the tough questions and be willing to talk about them openly.

We don't expect him to discuss strategies but he can't say he won't talk about individuals. Especially when we are referring to those who are not exactly performing, or some others who seem to have become the protected species. It doesn't help anybody. We just want Rahul Dravid, the vice-captain of old, to step forward again.

Dravid also needs to correct the misperception that he is a remote-controlled captain; he not only has to take charge of the team, but must also appear to be doing so. Once he settles that life will seem much easier for him; he won't feel the burden of the entire nation either.

Like always, though, Team India is struggling with the same old glitches: the right opening combination, who at No.3, seven-four or six-five combination. The return of Kumble will also make them ponder over which spinner to play and which to hold back.

Wasim Jaffer's inclusion and Yuvraj Singh's absence give them another interesting option. Do they play him and push Sehwag (or Tendulkar) down the order again? Do they stick with Irfan Pathan at three? Is there a case for promoting Dhoni up the order?

A lot of questions. They all need to be cracked quickly for Mission-back-on-track to succeed. The safari begins.

[flute202020]

"Obviously we could have done better. It would have been nice to reach the semi-finals or final of the tournament especially because it was in India", he said.
I don't what was the exact question for Rd, but to me it is simply ridiculous to think of only finals or semis. how about getting disappointed at not winning the champions trophy? I hope he & his coach are not simply thinking of trying and getting into semis in WC07.

[dhruvdeepak]

thats overanalysis for you IMO, of a quote. it is a stage we failed to reach, hence he said yeah we should have reached the semis or finals.