SYDNEY: With India heading towards their sixth consecutive overseas Test defeat, veteran batsman Rahul Dravid on Thursday said his team has quality batsmen but they need some inspiration to fight back and save the second Test.
“The key for us is to keep them on the field for a long period of time. If we can keep their bowlers and fielders on the field for more than 100 overs. Then we can put them under pressure and some of their bowlers will wilt”, said Dravid after the third day’s play during which Australia declared for 659 for 4 in the first innings before reducing India to 114 for two in their second essay.
“Sadly in the three innings we have played so far, we haven’t been able to do that. They kept up on the field for a long time today. We need to try and do that.
“We have probably been in the field much longer. They put us under the pump. The real key for us is to keep them in the field for that long. They are coming in hard, running in hard. The last spell they bowled really well. After drinks the last 15 overs they came in really hard. That’s one of the challenges,” he added.
Hoping that India would be able to bat after tea on Friday, Dravid said, “That’s where the real challenge is. If we can hang in there, play out time, and have them on the field for a long time.”
Dravid refused to predict whether India would save the Test by batting out the next two days. “I don’t know we can think about saving the game right now. We need to go out there and show some fight. And bat as long as we can,” he said. India were revived in 2001 home series when Dravid and VVS Laxman batted the length of a full day’s play at Eden Gardens and turned the series around and Dravid hoped for a similar inspiration for his team.
“I would hope so. We need a lift. We need to perform better than we have. We have not played well in the last three days. We need some inspiration,” he said.
Dravid believed the challenge for his side’s batsmen is both mental and physical.
“Part of the challenge is mental. Part of it is physical and technical. Physically you have to bat for long period of times. Technically, they have a good attack that is bowling well. So you have to counter them technically as well. It’s a combination of effort. If we are going to save the game, we need everything to work for us.”
The former skipper said he expects to turn his own fortune around in the present series in which he has been consistently getting out bowled to Australian bowlers.
“I feel I have been batting well. Hopefully, in the next couple of Tests, I will be able to convert one of these starts. Dravid was out bowled in both innings of the first Test. He again has been found out leaving a gap between his bat and pad in the second innings in the SCG Test. (PTI)