Dravid, Dhoni script India's great escape

While scripting India’s one of the most incredible escapes, Rahul Dravid showcased his extraordinary batsmanship to smash an unbeaten 177. He forged two magnificent partnerships with Yuvraj Singh and captain MS Dhoni to guide India to a commanding 385 for 6 at stumps from a precarious 32 for 4 after 8 overs on the opening day of Motera Test.

Dravid’s innings of 177 runs from 251 balls, which was peppered with 26 fours and a straight six, tells the story of India’s remarkable fightback. © AFP

Dravid’s innings of 177 runs from 251 balls, which was peppered with 26 fours and a straight six, tells the story of India’s remarkable fightback. While Dravid was protagonist par excellence, Dhoni (110) and Yuvraj (68) were superb support casts in the India's splendid counter-attack.

Dravid’s knock had the romance of the clichéd ‘knight in the shining armour rescuing the damsel in distress’ and yet it wasn’t any less romantic or true. He treated the world with one of his most fluent, classy and authoritative innings. He didn’t stop after scoring a hundred; instead his intent grew more intense and his batting more sublime. When Dravid got his last run of the day, he completed 11,000 runs in Test cricket — a landmark that was not just opportune but befitting for this batsman of rare pedigree.

The Lankan bowling lacked the bite to hurt Dravid and Dhoni, as they milked the bowlers at will and throughout the innings, maintaining the run-rate of over four runs. The Indian captain was his usual calm and patient self and took over beautifully from where Yuvraj had left. After Dravid and Yuvraj, it was Dhoni who crossed the 50-run mark with a hit to the fence, as he sent one cracking to the extra-cover boundary off Welegedara.

The pitch eased out completely and batsmen ruled supreme. When the game seemed to be getting out of his hand, Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara opted for a new ball, hoping to repeat the magic of the first session. Both pace bowlers, Welegedara and Prasad bowled their hearts out, trying to get the movement they got at the start of the game. But all they managed to do was play a helpless spectator, as Dhoni muscled his way to his second Test century.

While the stylish Dravid indulged the world with his splendid batting skills, Dhoni went about his job quietly and effectively, dabbing, nudging, sprinting and punishing the occasional bad balls. His first Test century on the Indian soil consisted of 10 boundaries and one massive hit over the long-on rope.

Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni forged a splendid 224-run partnership for the sixth wicket on the opening day of Ahmedabad Test. © AFP

The 224-run sixth-wicket stand between Dravid and Dhoni met its end when the Indian skipper, flashed hard at rising delivery from Prasad, giving a simple catch to the keeper. The skipper must be ruing his indiscretion, as he perished just two overs before the umpires called stumps.

The foundation of the great Indian fight-back was laid by the Dravid-Yuvraj duo, who put on 125 for the fifth wicket. Yuvraj exuded confidence and batted with a commendable temperament. Both batsmen maintained a run-rate of over four an over without taking any undue risks.

However, a slight indiscretion resulted in Yuvraj’s dismissal. He danced down the track to Muralitharan, changed his plans at the last moment, and could only manage to offer a thick edge to Dilshan at the short covers. The wily old warhorse struck for Sri Lanka and the wonderful partnership between Dravid and Yuvraj for the fifth wicket lasted for 125 runs.

The two fast bowlers, Chanaka Welegedara and Dammika Prasad took advantage of the initial movement off the track by pitching the ball up. While Welegedara was spot on with his line, Prasad struggled initially, wavering down the leg-side far too often.

Welegedara, playing only in his second Test, caused a flutter in the Indian camp, as he removed the top three batsmen with 31 on the board. First, he dismissed Gautam Gambhir, who played a poor shot, trying to push the ball to the off-side and only managed an inside edge that dragged the ball to the stumps. Virender Sehwag followed soon, caught plumb in front of the wickets off a beauty that came in sharply.

The deafening roar in the stadium that welcomed Sachin Tendulkar, as he walked out to bat for the first time in his third decade in international cricket, soon transformed into a lull as the maestro was cleaned up by Welegedara after hitting a glorious cover-drive for four.

Prasad too joined the party, as he induced another inside edge off the bat on to the stumps. This time, VVS Laxman was the victim. The celebrated Indian batting line-up was in tatters at 32/4.

However, the trio of Dravid, Dhoni and Yuvraj had successfully bailed out India from a certain capitulation after India were tottering at 32 for 4.