If required, I am ready to open: Dravid

Will it make sense to make Rahul Dravid open the innings when Virender Sehwag is part of the touring party?

MUMBAI: News from the Indian camp suggests that Rahul Dravid, India’s best batsman at the crucial No.3 position, could open during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Dravid remained unbeaten on 33 at stumps on Day One of the tour game against Victoria at the Junction Oval.

“I just batted where the team management wanted me to. If they feel that the best chance for us to do well here in Australia is by me opening the batting, then that is fine with me,” the former skipper said. Dravid revealed the process behind him opening the innings. “We have a strong middle-order, a constant middle-order for sometime now. But there are a lot of good youngsters coming in, and they can’t be ignored.”

Talking about youngsters in form, the promotion of Dravid would allow Yuvraj Singh to bat at No.6. Dravid has scored 18 of his 20 tons at No.3, so opening is not his preferred choice. Virender Sehwag, who has been picked solely on the basis of his past exploits as an opener in Australia and not on current form, is the alternative choice. Dinesh Karthik, the wicketkeeper batsman, is another option.

Dravid would opt for the conservative approach and against the Aussies who score close to 350 runs a days, stone-walling at the top may not be the best way to start off a four-Test series.

Aunshuman Gaekwad, the former India coach and selector believes that Sehwag must open the innings and Dravid must bat at No.3, else it would be unfair on both the batsmen. “The argument will be that Dravid has faced the new ball often when one of the openers is dismissed early. But believe me opening an innings requires a completely different mindset. Moreover, if Dravid fails at the top and the others in the middle-order score runs, then he will feel the pressure,” he said.

Gaekwad, who himself was a reluctant opener, after having batted lower down the order in his first few Tests. He was first asked to open against a West Indian attack led by Michael Holding at Port of Spain and believes that it would be unjust to expose Dravid to the three-pronged pace attack of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait.
 
“Why didn’t Sehwag open in the tour game? He needs some runs under his belt and this would have been a good opportunity for him to acclimatise. He will be able to hurt the Australians only if he opens the innings”.

Nari Contractor faced a new ball attack for the first time in his second Test. Col CK Nayudu once told him that batting at No.3 or No.4 could be as good as opening if the openers depart early. So when Polly Umrigar asked him to open against New Zealand at Delhi, Contractor took up the challenge keeping in mind Nayudu’s philosophy. 

However, the former Indian skipper hopes that Dravid is not being forced into opening the innings. “I trust that Dravid has volunteered to open. And if he has agreed to open then it is a great gesture as he is most comfortable at No.3. He must have the courage of conviction. Mind you, he is not facing a half-fit Pakistan attack,” Contractor said.