At the selection committee meeting, Dravid and Chappell differed on his inclusion. The captain finally got his way even though the opener is out of form.
MUMBAI: But for Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag would have sat out the Cape Town Test last month, according to the team manager’s confidential report. Now, Sehwag has more to thank Dravid for. But for the skipper, he would have sat at home and watched the World Cup on television.
At the selection committee meeting in Mumbai on Monday, the skipper made no bones about his preference for Sehwag. The captain’s strong support brought to the fore his differences with coach Greg Chappell, who, one learns, was not favourably disposed towards the Delhi dasher. Chappell wanted Uttar Pradesh southpaw Suresh Raina instead.
It was a rare occasion of discord between the coach and the captain, who were known to come to selection meetings with near unanimity. “I did not know Rahul could be so vocal,” a selector remarked later.
“He was unwavering in his argument. He would not budge from his position.”
Sehwag’s name, in fact, was on the verge of being struck off, but Dravid put his foot down, forcing Chappell to relent.
“It’s your call,” the coach finally told chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar.
The committee gave its nod to Sehwag but made it clear that he will either open the innings or bat at No 3.
“It’s not a personal issue; it’s about whether one can perform in the given conditions,” Dravid said later. “It’s not that I am supporting him, it’s just about getting the right combination for the World Cup.”
Dravid was equally vociferous in his support for Anil Kumble who, like Sehwag, has fallen way below expectation, fielding and batting being his weak points. The majority in the committee favoured the recall of Mumbai’s Ramesh Powar, but Dravid again prevailed. Chappell did not oppose Kumble’s inclusion.
The selectors, one learns, were happy to accommodate the captain. “It is the captain who will have to handle the resources,” said one selector, expressing happiness that the captain is turning into a leader.
Reactions
I feel Powar should have been picked, and one of Munaf and Irfan should have been dropped. Taking 2 wicketkeepers is a luxury. An extra batsman, preferably Raina, could have been picked. — Ajit Wadekar
This is a perfect squad. There are a lot of options. Raina and Kaif could have been picked to improve fielding, but they are not in form. — Kiran More
I would have picked Powar instead of Harbhajan. Why have they ignored Ranadeb Bose's performance in domestic cricket? — Anshuman Gaekwad
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