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SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012
India’s Dravid ends international career MUMBAI: India batting great and former skipper Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket yesterday, saying it was the right time to “move on” and make way for the next generation of players. The 39year-old second highest run scorer in test history announced his decision at a news conference in Bangalore with Indian cricket board (BCCI) president N Srinivasan and former India leg spinner Anil Kumble also in attendance. Dravid has scored 13,288 runs in 164 tests, including 36 hundreds, and became the first of India’s senior batsmen to retire from the longer format after the team slumped to eight consecutive test defeats away from home. “I would like to announce my retirement from international and domestic first-class cricket,” a sombre-looking Dravid read from a prepared statement, confirming what many observers had expected when the news conference was arranged on Thursday. “It has been 16 years since I played my first test for India. I feel its time for me to move on. “I have had a wonderful time but now its time for a new generation of young players to make their own history and to take the Indian cricket team even further.” Flanked by Srinivasan and former India captain Kumble, who is now president of the Karnataka state cricket association, the father of two said he would now look forward to spending more time with his family. “Being away from my family became harder and harder through the years and I look forward now to spending time at home and doing the simple things, like just taking my sons (Samit and Anvay) to school,” he said.
NEW BLOOD Critics and disgruntled fans had called for Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman (37) to make way for new blood after India were whitewashed 4-0 in their last two away series in England and Australia. “I would like to believe that irrespective of
BANGALORE: Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid, gestures while addressing a press conference held to announce his retirement from Test cricket in Bangalore yesterday. —AFP how the Australian series had gone, in my own mind I was pretty sure that after Australia I was going to sit down and assess a lot of things,” Dravid said. “It is easy for me to say now, but I think I would have come to the same conclusion.”
The third member of the ‘Big Three’ Sachin Tendulkar (38) has struggled for form since reaching his 99th international century a year ago and at 38, could soon be expected to limit his participation to test matches only. Dravid said he had given his all to become the best cricketer he possibly could. “My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity, and it was about upholding the spirit of the game,” said Dravid, nicknamed “The Wall” for his impeccable defense. “I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride.” Last year, Dravid retired from the limited-overs formats of the game after India’s disastrous tour of England, where the team failed to win a single match. The stylish right-hander, one of cricket’s most technically sound batsmen, also has 12 hundreds in oneday internationals and while he will be unable to add to that tally, cricket fans will still be able to see him play in the shortest format. Dravid will continue to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, where he will lead the Rajasthan Royals, replacing the retired Shane Warne as captain of the franchise. “I will play my part in helping young kids (in cricket). But to be honest I have not made up my mind, not decided,” he said of his future plans. “I have couple of months in IPL to go through and then come June, I will sit down and think. “I truly believe that the time away from the game will be good for me... I have played this game for 20 years... it has been a surreal world, it has been away from reality.” —Reuters
Rivals India, Pakistan set for Asia Cup tussle DHAKA: India and Pakistan renew their cricket rivalry after almost a year’s break when they take part in the Asia Cup one-day tournament starting in Dhaka tomorrow. Buoyant Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh, the other two teams in the fray to determine one-day supremacy on the continent, play the opening match at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium in Dhaka. But the focus is already on the March 18 tie, the first between the arch-rivals since the highprofile World Cup semi-final at Mohali last March, which India won on their way to clinching the showpiece title. Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, whose team were blanked 4-0 by England recently, said the match against India would be a highlight. “Against India it is something special because of the supporters of Pakistan and India,” he said. “Everyone wants to enjoy India-Pakistan rivalry and that adds to the pressure. But we want to
play good cricket and improve our own performance. It’s going to be a tough tournament.” India severed cricket links with its neighbor after the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks, which New Delhi blamed on militants based across the border in Pakistan. The Asia Cup will be the first assignment for new Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore, the former Australian international who guided Sri Lanka to World Cup glory in 1996. The tournament provides Indian batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar with yet another opportunity to record an unprecedented 100th international century. The world record-holder has gone a year without a three-figure knock since scoring his 99th ton in a World Cup match against South Africa in Nagpur last March. India hope to make amends after their disastrous tours of England and Australia, where they lost both the Test and one-day
series. India, who won the last Asia Cup title in Sri Lanka in 2010, have rested hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag and key paceman Zaheer Khan, but will feel at home on the low, slow pitches in Dhaka. Sri Lanka, who finished runners-up to India in the World Cup, have produced encouraging results after reappointing Mahela Jayawardene as captain and South African Graham Ford as coach. They not only knocked India out of the recent tri-series in Australia, but also gave the hosts a close run before losing the best-of-three final 21. Bangladesh are boosted by the return of opener Tamim Iqbal, who was initially dropped by the country’s cricket chief before being added as a 15th member of the squad on Thursday. Each side will play the other once in the round-robin league, with the top two advancing to the final on March 22. —AFP
DUNEDIN: Graeme Smith, captain of South Africa, bats during day three of the first five day international cricket test match between New Zealand and South Africa at the University Oval in Dunedin yesterday. —AFP
Double-century stand puts South Africa in charge DUNEDIN: South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis both scored centuries and combined for a 200-run partnership as the tourists virtually batted New Zealand out of the first test by the close of play on the third day yesterday. Smith (115) and Kallis (107 not out) had come together with their side on 47 for two and with just a 12-run lead after Doug Bracewell had taken two wickets in one over before lunch to give the hosts hopes of pushing for an upset victory. The experienced duo, however, consolidated their innings before lunch then built on it afterwards to guide South Africa to 268-3 by the close of play at University Oval in Dunedin, an overall lead of 233. Jacques Rudolph, who was given out lbw to Bracewell shortly before the close but had the decision overturned when television replays showed the ball had marginally pitched outside leg stump, was with Kallis on 13. Smith brought up his 24th test century from 201 balls when he flicked a Daniel Vettori delivery through a packed onside field for a single, while Kallis achieved his 42nd test century with a quick single into the off side. The South African captain had fallen shortly before Kallis reached his ton, becoming Bracewell’s third victim of the innings when he was bowled by the seventh delivery with the second new ball. New Zealand had been buoyed before lunch when Bracewell had dismissed Alviro Petersen (25) and Hashim Amla (2) in the same over to leave South Africa struggling. Momentum looked to be swinging the hosts’ way after Trent Boult’s cameo of 33 not out gave them a 35-run first innings lead. South Africa need to sweep the series 3-0 to take over the world number one test ranking from England.—Reuters
Scoreboard DUNEDIN, New Zealand: Scoreboard at close of the third day of the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa at University Oval in Dunedin yesterday: South Africa 1st innings 238 (H. Amla 62, G. Smith 53, J. Rudolph 52; Martin 4-56) New Zealand 1st innings Rob Nicol c Smith b Philander 6 Martin Guptill b Morkel 16 Brendon McCullum c & b Tahir 48 Ross Taylor c Boucher b Morkel 44 Kane Williamson c Boucher b Philander 11 Daniel Vettori c & b Kallis 46 Kruger van Wyk c Smith b Philander 36 Doug Bracewell b Steyn 25 Tim Southee c Smith b Philander 0 Trent Boult not out 33 Chris Martin c Amla b Steyn 5 Extras (lb3) 3 Total: (all out; 88.2 overs) 273 Fall of Wickets: 1-7 (Nicol), 2-41 (Guptill), 3-106 (McCullum), 4-116 (Taylor), 5135 (Williamson), 6-188 (Vettori), 7-229 (van Wyk), 8-229 (Southee), 9-239 (Bracewell), 10-273 (Martin) Bowling: Steyn 20.2-4-79-2, Philander 18-1-72-4, M. Morkel 18-5-52-2, Tahir 24-6-55-1, Kallis 8-2-12-1 South Africa 2nd innings Alviro Petersen c Southee b Bracewell 25 Graeme Smith b Bracewell 115 Hashim Amla c Guptill b Bracewell 2 Jacques Kallis not out 107 Jacques Rudolph not out 13 Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 1, nb 2) 6 Total (3 wickets; 89 overs) 268 Fall of Wickets: 1-45 (Petersen), 2-47 (Amla), 3-247 (Smith) Bowling: Martin 17-4-57-0, Boult 16-3-52-0, Bracewell 18-2-53-3 (2nb), Southee 17-3-58-0 (1w), Vettori 19-2-34-0, Nicol 1-0-9-0, Williamson 1-0-2-0.