The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Despite loss Dravid satisfied

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Thursday, Jun 28, 2007
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Despite loss Dravid satisfied

Ted Corbett

Philander billed as the new Pollock

BELFAST: It was not a great surprise that Rahul Dravid looked slightly bewildered as he sat in the press tent of the Civil Service ground at Stormont Castle. It was little to do with the four-wicket defeat by South Africa in the first one-day international Future Cup match and more to do with the conditions.

Half his side was still suffering to a greater or lesser degree from the virus which began with an attack on Mahendra Singh Dhoni and spread to both camps. The players had left the sub-continent in temperatures around 40 degrees and arrived in Northern Ireland to find that the mercury had dropped to 10 degrees.

A group of Indian supporters made as much noise as they could but it was not even a tiny squeak compared with Eden Gardens at full volume.

Veteran skills

Still, Dravid pronounced himself satisfied with his team’s performance on a pitch that required the due care and attention he and Sachin Tendulkar gave it, as they put on 158 for the third wicket and which left Jacques Kallis to guide his side home with 91 that took all his veteran skills.

There were only three balls left when the winning runs came even though India had mustered only 242.

“We gave a good account of ourselves,” said Dravid.

There was good news too of the bed-ridden. “The fast bowlers are suffering the most but I hope that by the second match on Friday all the sick players would have improved enough to be considered,” said Dravid.

He has a soft voice and the softest cricketer’s hand I have ever shaken which means he must have a beauty secret with a commercial value when he retires so that it is difficult to believe he or his teammates ever have a problem.

Tendulkar was run out going for a quiet century but Dravid sees no problem there either. This will probably be his last tour of England, he said, and he will be happy with this innings because he will want to do well this time.

The innings was played at Test rate over 143 balls and contained a warning for Michael Vaughan’s men as they prepare for a three-Test series and seven one-day internationals.

Kallis happy

Kallis, taking over the reins in the absence of Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock, was also happy with his side’s reaction to the pressure although he would have read that there is snow back in Cape Town.

“I would have been happier with a bit of sunshine,” Kallis laughed.

“But, the players did everything I asked.” He was particularly impressed by the new lad Vernon Philander.

Watch out for this quickish bowler and upright batsman with plenty of strokes and a let’s-go-and-win-this-one which will fit nicely into the positive attitude of the South African team plan.

Philander bowled eight overs economically and made an unbeaten 17, apparently unworried by the responsibility he faced.

“This was the sort of performance we have been looking for from this boy and it bodes well for the future,” said Kallis. “He has been finishing matches in domestic cricket and today you could see why,” the South African skipper added.

There is a lot of talk that says he is the new Pollock. Yes, but the new Pollock with a touch of Andrew Hall which will suit a side which underperformed at the World Cup and knows it has to find replacements in all departments if it is to continue challenging Australia between now and 2011.

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