Ganguly gushes over Dravid

Leeds, July 1: Ganguly's roll of the dice in terms of his deputy Rahul Dravid doubling up as a wicketkeeper in one-day internationals is beginning to show astonishingly good results.

Dravid has got rid of five top order batsmen of England and Sri Lanka by way of catches or stumping in the first two games of the NatWest triangular series and Indians are over the moon at his tidy work behind the stumps.

"Rahul Dravid has been a revelation," gushed captain Ganguly. "He is beginning to look good enough to command his place as a specialist wicketkeeper in the side."

It is high praise from a man who is said to have coaxed his vice-captain to take over the additional role of a keeper besides the one of a dependable middle-order batsman.

Ganguly may have another reason to go overboard on Dravid as the latter picked up a stunning catch of England's Marcus Trescothick against his bowling in India's opening match of the series at Lord's on Saturday.

It was a measure of Dravid's confidence that he was standing up to the wicket against Ganguly's medium-pace bowling and smoothly intercepted an intended glide from buccaneering Trescothick at a critical stage of England innings.

Dravid was helped in his wicketkeeping technique by former India stumper Kiran More who worked with the batsman before the England series.

But despite all the bonhomie expressed in public, it must be said Dravid could have had his reservations in taking up the responsibility of a wicketkeeper, at least initially.

Coach John Wright disagrees with it and says Dravid was only too happy to lend his weight on team's behalf.

Says former India captain Ravi Shastri: "The thing about this issue is, as long as you are doing a good job behind the stumps, you are praised. No sooner you drop a critical catch in a critical game, you would be vilified."

This is a cross Dravid must wear in order to promote India's cause and also lengthen his one-day career which has faced threats from promising youngsters in recent times.

Dravid, barring any unfortunate injury, now must stand behind the wickets till the next World Cup in South Africa in February-March 2003.

It means at least two dozen more stints behind the stumps including a series against the West Indies on inconsistent Indian pitches in October-November.

It would be a heavy workload since Dravid is also one of side's main batsman and he opens himself up for a possible injury on the variable bounce of Indian wickets.

Barry Richards, the former great South African opener and now a commentator, supports Dravid as a wicketkeeper in the Indian side and says a cricketer can't be too concerned about picking up injuries on a cricket field.

"Dravid as a wicketkeeper just gives a better balance to the Indian team. You can't be too worried about picking injuries on a cricket field, you could do that even when you are chasing a ball in the outfield."

According to More, once you straighten your knees your shoulders straighten up straightaway and it kind of locks you up in your reflexes, so essential for a last-second adjustment for a wicketkeeper.

According to More, once you straighten your knees your shoulders straighten up straightaway and it kind of locks you up in your reflexes, so essential for a last-second adjustment for a wicketkeeper.

Dravid has on and off kept for India and his outing against Sri Lanka was his 14th in his 173rd one-day international. The clamour for him to don the gloves in the one-dayers has only gained a decisive voice in recent times, beginning with the series against West Indies in the Caribbean recently.

"Indeed it was at Hyderabad (against Zimbabwe, earlier this year), where Dravid would have begun to keep wickets on a regular basis. But looking at the wicket, we decided against it," Ganguly revealed.

And Ganguly must own up to taking quite a few liberties in terms of making choices on behalf of Dravid's career in recent times.

Ganguly has shifted Dravid's batting order wantonly in recent times, even asking him to open in Tests, as latest as against South Africa last year, and to double up as a wicketkeeper.

"It just gives us a better balance in our batting," says Ganguly. "We can play an extra batsman and it provides depth to our line-up."