I have no idea why Rahul Dravid has returned to the ODI team for the Sri Lanka series and the Champions Trophy. The man last played for India two years ago, and was dropped by the then selectors who did not see him in their plans for the 2011 World Cup. No one doubted either his ability or his record then and now. But Dravid’s return comes on the back of some appallingly poor batting by some of the young guns against well-directed short-pitched bowling in England during the World T20 competition. But if Suresh Raina (still in the squad) and Rohit Sharma (finally dumped) cannot play fast, rising balls directed at their bodies, then shouldn’t they be sent to work in the nets against bowling machines as well as the likes of Ishant and Zaheer? And if it’s possible to recall Dravid, why not consider the younger and equally competent VVS Laxman? Or better still, some of the younger players who can actually play the short ball well, say, Virat Kohli or Manish Pandey?
The decision to recall discarded players past their best-by date suggests muddled thinking. Dravid will definitely not play in the 2011 World Cup, so he should not be considered for a one-off series just because it’s in South Africa. If only past records in South Africa are to be considered at the time of selection, why not also consider Sourav Ganguly next time? After all, his ODI record in that country is better than most of his countrymen. Or for that matter, why not consider the current chairman of selectors, Krishnamachari Srikkanth? He played the short stuff rather well: remember him cutting Michael Holding and pulling Andy Roberts in the 1983 World Cup final? Might he not be able to tackle Dale Steyn, Mitchell Johnson and others with equal aplomb, albeit in his mid-fifties?
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