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Dravid's turn to follow


With Kumble joining Ganguly in making the right decision for their careers, hopefully Dravid will also see the light and follow suit. He has really struggled for runs over the last year or so and increasingly is finding new (and very un-Dravidlike) ways to get out. Over the last two years he has averaged 32.04 (which has brought his career ave down to 53 from 58). Take out the two matches against Bangladesh and this goes down to 29.53 with a solitary hundred and six fifties. Anyone else with that kind of a record would have been dropped by now. In fact its surprising that Laxman who averages 55.68 in that period and Ganguly who averages 46.48 have faced more scrutiny and faced the chop when India play five bowlers. Proud man that he is, it doesn't behoove Dravid to hold on to his place just on past reputation.

Having said that, I really hope he's able to do a Sampras and go out with a bang in Nagpur. A hundred for Dravid and an Indian win would be an ideal note to finish the series and for Dravid to call time. Of the Fab Five, in the long run I think it is Dravid that will be missed the most. Not only is his elegant yet steely style of batting and grafting going out of fashion, none of the youth brigade come even close to matching his abilities as a slip fielder. So its going to be a double blow when he retires. Tis was a true champion, when comes such another?

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