Advertisement

Help
You are here: Rediff Home » India » Cricket » India in the United Kingdom 2007 » Report
Search:  Rediff.com The Web
Advertisement
  Discuss this Article   |      Email this Article   |      Print this Article

Wright adapted better than Chappell: Dravid
Get Cricket updates:What's this?
Advertisement
September 02, 2007 22:41 IST

Considered an ally of Greg Chappell [Images] during the Aussie's eventful stint with the Indian t team, captain Rahul Dravid [Images] said that the former coach could not adapt to his role as well as his Kiwi predecessor John Wright [Images].

Dravid said both Chappell and Wright had difficulty in coming to terms with certain aspects of the Indian dressing room, but while the New Zealander was willing to compromise a bit, the Australian wanted to rule with an iron fist.

"Tension is a good thing within a team, but it needs to be creative, not destructive. John Wright had similar problems at the start but unlike Greg he was prepared to adapt. By the end he [Wright] was more Indian than the Indians," Dravid said in an interview to former England [Images] captain Michael Atherton for The Sunday Telegraph in London [Images].

Dravid, who shared a cordial relationship with Chappell, drew flaks from ex-players in the past for allowing the Australian to call the shots on important issues.

The 34-year-old became only the fifth Indian captain to lead his side to a Test series triumph in England but he maintains that a defeat in the one-day series could invite the daggers again.

Asked if he found captaining India a burden in such a scenario, Dravid said, "burden is too strong a word and people say that because of how I look. I'm not naturally a cheery-looking soul on the field.

"I do enjoy it but there are aspects I find tough. What I find hardest is the absolute lack of proportion. It makes it very hard to build a team when two or three bad games provoke such an extreme reaction."

Dravid suggested changes for Indian cricket, which he felt is the need of the hour.

"Our cricketing culture has to change to some extent. It is an athletic game now and we have to instill these processes into our young cricketers.

"Our Academy has got to become more professionally run and we must manage our own contracted players much better."



  • India in the United Kingdom 2007
    © Copyright 2007 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.
     Email this Article      Print this Article

    © 2007 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer | Feedback