SOURAV Ganguly reckons Rahul Dravid is too good a player to be out of form for long. I hope he is right and Dravid gets going against England.
I am not too sure whether the think-tank should send a struggling batsman into war at No 3 when he lacks surety. An attacking player like VVS Laxman player would be a better option for most captains. It’s not that Dravid can’t play shots but he’ll take longer to get his eye in as compared to an in-form batsman. With a player like Virender Sehwag going for his shots from Ball One, it would be a travesty if the No 3 who comes in at the fall of his wicket, does not maintain the momentum.
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SACHIN Tendulkar completes 20 years of first-class cricket today (as reported by MiD DAY). Wonder whether there is any cricketer in the history of the game to last so long without getting dropped or taking a break.
But then, Tendulkar has this knack of being as unique as they come.
I was not fortunate to be at the Wankhede Stadium that day in December 1988 when he scored a ton on Ranji Trophy debut against Gujarat, but I remember an anecdote about one of his early practice sessions at the Wankhede Stadium.
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NICKNAMES are something cricket lovers will hear more about as soon as the England team arrives for the two-Test series.

There will be post-day press conferences where players might refer to teammates by their nicknames. The journos too refer to players by their nicknames. It’s not rare to hear questions such as ‘What’s the update on Freddie (Flintoff) or ‘KP, What has been Warney’s influence on you.’
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INDIAN former Test and first-class players are indeed fortunate to receive a monthly pension from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
It’s not quite the same for other countries including world champions Australia, whose players association helps out needy players, but not all past players benefit from funds. It was sad to read a report which said that as many as 23 players or their families had been benefiting from a hardship fund formed by the Australian Players Association.
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INDIA has rarely earned such respect in international cricket. Today, South Africa want to know how the Indians went about demolishing the Australians before they tackle them Down Under.

Just like it was a smart move by Cricket Australia to use the services of Greg Chappell, it’s an equally bright idea by South Africa to pick Gary Kirsten’s brains.
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