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Batsmen were told to play aggressively: Dravid
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS,
May 12, 2007 - 10:05:03 PM
Dhaka, May 12 - The Indian batsmen at the top of the order were told to play aggressively even if it meant taking a few chances, captain Rahul Dravid said after India's second successive win over Bangladesh in the One-day International series here Saturday.
'Part of the roles of the top order for us is to be a bit aggressive and take a few chances. The guys have roles to be a bit positive and play some shots,' he said after India registered a 46-run win that gave them a winning 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Some of the players in the Indian team appeared to playing too many shots, but they had the mandate from the captain.
'In conditions like this and against this attack one of the things we have discussed is being positive upfront and taking a few chances. So, some days it's going to happen that people are going to take some chances - maybe some day one chance too many and it may not come off,' Dravid said at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
'That is part of the strategy. As we have seen here once the ball gets a bit older it gets lower and slower. Their spinners come into play and run making is not that easy. So, when people are asked given the roles to be a bit positive and take chances for the team, they do that,' he explained.
The third and final match is in Chittagong Tuesday.
Dravid lauded left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir's century.
'If someone gets an opportunity and puts up a score like Gautam did - and wins the game for your side by batting through in tough conditions, it gives the selectors a lot of confidence and hope,' he said.
Gambhir opened the innings and batted till the 39th over in trying, humid conditions. His innings helped India to 284 for eight wickets in 49 overs. The Indian bowlers then restricted Bangladesh to 238 for nine wickets in 49 overs.
India played a second spinner Saturday, replacing a pace bowler, Sreesanth.
'After the last game we felt that an extra spinner in these conditions would be really useful. Also Sreesanth's calf was a bit sore, so he was not available for selection. The natural replacement for us we felt in these conditions was Piyush [Chawla],' he said of the leg-spinner who made a fine debut.
Chawla took three wickets and bowled well generally.
'I thought our fast bowlers bowled really well at the start and then our spinners Piyush and Ramesh [Powar] bowled beautifully,' he said.
Like cricket manager Ravi Shastri, Dravid also said that the team would try to win the series 3-0.
'We will definitely try and win the series 3-0, no doubt,' he said.
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