Can handle Mendis: Dravid
Former skipper says Indians have learnt their lessons
Ajantha Mendis wreaked havoc when India toured Sri Lanka in 2008 but senior batsman Rahul Dravid said this time around, he and his colleagues were better equipped to tackle the ‘mystery’ spinner in the Test series next month.
Mendis demolished the famed Indian batting line-up in his debut series two years back by capturing 26 wickets to help Sri Lanka win the three-Test rubber 2-1.
But Dravid said since then, the Indians had mastered the mystery spinner. “He is still a good bowler. He was completely new to us when we toured Sri Lanka last time. He got the measure of our team last time, there is no doubt about it. He played a major role in the series. But hopefully, we have learnt our lessons,” the former captain said at the launch of the 2010 Limca Book of Records, which has entered its 21st year.
The book features 10,000 awe-inspiring feats in its latest edition, out of which 6,000 are new records. “We played him pretty well when he came to India. We learnt how to tackle him. Having said that, international bowlers keep on improving and coming up with new tricks everytime. But hopefully, we will have the answers, no matter what Mendis throws at us this time,” Dravid said.
Dravid predicted a challenging series against the Islanders. “Sri Lanka is a very formidable team and they play tough cricket at home. The last two times we travelled there, we won a Test but did not win the series. It is a positive sign to win a Test there but it is now important for us to keep that performance going right throughout the upcoming series,” he said.
“It is going to be a challenge but we have a good team. We have bowlers capable of taking 20 wickets, which is important to win a Test. If we can put runs on the board, hopefully we will have a good series,” the right-handed batsman added.
Asked about his own preparations, Dravid said, “I have been training and preparing for the last six weeks.
“I got a good break after the IPL and it has given me time to be with my family and do a bit of physical training. It was a good break for me but now it’s time to get back to cricket.”
He, however, agreed that it would be a challenge for him to return to Test cricket after a long gap. “Sometimes, it is a little bit of a challenge to return to Test cricket after a long break but there is preparation time in Sri Lanka. I am looking forward to some match practice before the series,” Dravid said.
The former skipper disagreed with the notion that his shoes would be difficult to fill once he quits international cricket.
Dravid also congratulated ace shuttler Saina Nehwal, who won three consecutive international titles in a span of three weeks to jump to the third position in the world rankings.
“It is phenomenal achievement,” he said. “She is a great inspiration for a lot of Indians. It is incredible to win three competitions in three weeks in a sport like badminton, which is physically very tiring. She has set the benchmark for a lot of youngsters.”
Dravid said it was high time FIFA took the help of technology to avoid refeering mistakes which have dominated the World Cup in the last few days.
“It is a world-class event, such a big event. When so much is riding on each of these games, there is room for technology. The world body should think about it,” Dravid, a die-hard Brazil fan, said.
