Batting will be the key to success: Dravid

Vice captain Rahul Dravid today said India’s chances of registering an overseas series win would largely depend on the batsmen who woul...

Vice captain Rahul Dravid today said India’s chances of registering an overseas series win would largely depend on the batsmen who would have to perform upto their potential to beat New Zealand in the two-match Test series starting here on Thursday.

“Batting will truly be the key. If we can bat well and put ourselves in a position like we did in Headingley, our bowlers can take 20 wickets in these conditions,” said the prolific middle-order batsman after practice at Basin Reserve, the venue for the first Test match.

Fast bowlers are likely to dominate the first Test on a Basin Reserve pitch, which is diffcult to distinguish from the thick grass around the park. Dravid said batting in these conditions was all a matter of shot-selection and added that the Indian batsmen were well-equipped to do the job.

“It is all a matter of shot selection – a question of tightening up your technique. It is basically a state of mind – what to play and what to avoid in prevailing conditions. But the guys did well in England where conditions are similar to here in a lot of ways. We have to do like what we did at Trent Bridge and Headingley, though it might seam a bit more here initially.”

Dravid said Wright’s experience of these conditions, especially at Basin Reserve where he has scored three Test hundreds, could be extremely useful in preparing the Indian batsmen for the coming series. “He has spoken to a lot of players about it. He has had a lot of success in these conditions and knows exactly what it takes to succeed here,” the Indian vice-captain said.

Dravid who is in the midst of a fabulous run with the bat, being the leading scorer in the current calendar year with 1226 runs from 14 matches at an average of 64.53 with five centuries including four on a trot, sounded modest when termed as key to Indian batting in the present series.

“I don’t think so. We have got a good batting line-up all around. Everyone has been in good touch this year. I don’t think I am the key. If we really have to win this series, a lot of guys need to contribute. It is never really a one-man show.”

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Dravid had an outstanding tour of New Zealand in 1998-99, scoring 321 runs from two Tests at an average of 107 with centuries in both the innings of the drawn final game at Hamilton. “I really enjoyed my trip last year. New Zealand is a lovely place to play cricket. If I can get runs it will be an added bonus.”

Dravid said he wanted to end the year on a high note but added winning the series was more important than anything else.

“It’s been a good year so far and it would be nice to finish it off well. But more importantly, if we can win the series it would be fantastic. It would not be easy though as New Zealand are a good side especially in these conditions. They really do well at home. It is a series between two evenly matched sides and whoever plays better cricket would win.”

Dravid offered a word of praise for New Zealand’s spearhead Shane Bond but said he hasn’t faced either of the three main New Zealand medium-fast bowlers. The only bowler I have faced is Daniel Vettori and not the other guys. But in these conditions, all of them would be a handful.” (PTI)