Tendulkar and Ganguly hail Rahul Dravid

Indian cricket greats, including star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, have richly praised Rahul Dravid as he prepares to play the final one-day game of his illustrious career.

Tendulkar called Dravid the "unsung hero of the Indian team" and said his value was reflected by the sheer amount of runs he has scored.

The 38-year-old Dravid, who has amassed 10,820 runs in 343 one-dayers, will play his last game on Friday in Cardiff against England. He announced his retirement before the start of the series after having been overlooked for limited-overs games for most of the past two years.

Former captains Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble also praised Dravid's contribution in one-dayers.

"He has had a fabulous career as a one-day player and has contributed so much to Indian cricket," Tendulkar said in an interview published in an Indian daily. "I have no doubt that he is and will continue to be a role model for all of us."

Tendulkar said Dravid's natural game was not suited for the quick scoring of one-dayers, but had worked hard to improve and excelled in his "finishing role."

"He may not give you a quick start, but he will surely make his innings count in terms of time spent at the crease. You need such players in the team, and he was the best man for the job," he added.

Tendulkar also praised Dravid for adjusting according to the team's needs and helping the team gain depth in batting by agreeing to keep wickets.

"He is the perfect team man; when he was asked to keep wickets we all knew that he will do well because he was initially a wicketkeeper. It later helped him, and came as a big help to all of us in the Indian team during the 2003 World Cup."

Ganguly said Indian cricket should be "thankful to Rahul" for being flexible.

"Rahul has a had a checkered one-day career and it took a new turn once he decided to keep wickets in 2002," Ganguly wrote in his column in an Indian daily. "His decision was absolutely for the team as it helped reorganize the middle-order and add more depth to it."
                                                                                                                                                               
Kumble, who was Dravid's senior while playing for Karnataka in domestic cricket, called him an "exceptional team player" who was unfazed by criticism.                                                                            

"I consider it a privilege to have played alongside him through most of my career," he said. "His contribution as a team player and mentor can't be quantified, and that will certainly be missed going forward."
                                                                                                                                                            
Dravid, who played his solitary Twenty20 international during the ongoing tour of England, will continue to play in Test cricket.

He has scored 12,775 runs in Tests, which is the second highest aggregate in history behind Tendulkar (14,965). He has slammed 35 centuries and is fourth on the list of century-makers behind Tendulkar (51), South African allrounder Jacques Kallis (40) and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting (39).

Gautam Rajadhyaksha was a wonderful person: Sachin Tendulkar

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar paid rich tributes to veteran photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha, who passed away on Tuesday. Tendulkar said he was sad to hear the news. “I’m really sad to hear about his demise,” Tendulkar told DNA here on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Rajadhyaksha, well-known for portrait photography, passed away following a massive heart attack, family sources said. He was 61.

Rajadhyaksha, cousin of author Shobha De, was popular amongst all film personalities and worked on portraits of almost all the leading stars of Indian film industry. He had also worked with Tendulkar in the early days of the cricketer’s career, Terming Rajadhyaksha as a wonderful person, Tendulkar remembered the pictures taken by the fashion photographer, particularly for his book.

“He was a wonderful person and has taken some pictures in the early days of my career. He also took snaps for the cover page of the book ‘Making of a cricketer,” Tendulkar said.

Let Tendulkar decide on his future: Davidson

He owns virtually every record in one-day cricket - the highest score, most runs, most centuries, and he's played the longest. So decorated has been his limited overs career that for Sachin Tendulkar to find a challenge itself seems to have become a challenge, believe experts.

A commentator raised the issue during the fourth ODI at Lord's, wondering whether the batsman himself is convinced about continuing in the limited overs format after having achieved his dream -- the World Cup win.

“Time has come for the Indian board to have a talk with Tendulkar as to his plans for one-day cricket, whether he wants to continue playing. It will help Indian cricket plan better,” reasoned Sanjay Manjrekar while doing commentary on Sky Sports.

The former Mumbai and India batsman's doubts seem to stem from Tendulkar's reluctance to play limited overs cricket before the World Cup. He is missing the current series against England due to a toe injury.
Australian pace bowling great Alan Davidson, who has followed Tendulkar's career keenly since he captained him during a private tournament in Hong Kong when the batsman was 16, believes Tendulkar should be provided the privilege to take a call on his career.

"Tendulkar will know when it's time. He has been around for a long time. I think the decision is his and no one has the right to make that decision for him. He deserves that space," Davidson told HT at the function to induct him into the ICC Hall Of Fame.

Left-arm Davidson is regarded among the finest exponents of the new ball during his 44-Test career from 1953 to 1963, taking 186 wickets at 20.53.

On India's debacle in England and a rare poor series for Tendulkar, he said: "Don't forget the wickets in England. It has rained here this summer. Everytime England bowled there was a cloud cover and it swung and seamed. That's why your batsmen had problems.

“Tendulkar is playing first-class cricket for more than 20 years. When you age, you rely on experience, your reflexes and reaction slows down.”

Tendulkar failed to get his 100th international hundred in England. Davidson said Australians are looking forward to that feat being achieved at his homeground, the Sydney Cricket Ground, in the forthcoming tour.

Sachin Off the Field

 

 

Sachin Tendulkar ruled out of England ODI series

The Indian cricket team's injury woes were on Monday compounded with senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar ruled out of the England ODI series due to a toe injury.

Tendulkar was forced to sit out of the opening one-dayer against England at Chester-le-Street on Saturday.

Tendulkar has been carrying this injury for quite a while but the problem aggravated before the opener of the five-match series.

The batting maestro, who is just one short of completing the incredible milestone of 100 international centuries, may have to wait just a little longer with this latest injury.

It has been a wretched tour so far for India, who lost the Test series 0-4 before being handed a defeat in the lone Twenty20 match as well.

The team is already missing key players such as Rohit Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and Zaheer Khan due to injuries.

Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the five-match ODI series against England after suffering a fracture in the index finger of his right hand in the first ODI.

While Sehwag is out because of hearing problems, Gambhir has been forced to go back due to blurred vision following an awkward fall during a Test. Zaheer, on the other hand, has already undergone an ankle surgery.