Dravid’s decision defies conventional wisdom

By John Cheeran
If I were in the shoes of Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, after winning the toss, I would have batted first in the Mumbai Test.
Dravid has made a mistake by asking England to bat first.
I’m sure, he will cone under fire as captain, justifiably so, from all quarters.
Dravid’s move has opened up an excellent chance for a struggling England to defeat India and level the Test series.
What, then, must have been the reasons for Dravid opting to field first?
He apparently placed unreasonable faith in his pacers – Irafan Pathan, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel. He also may have thought to break from the tradition, to adopt an aggressive approach rather than play for a draw.
Dravid’s intention is praiseworthy, but Indian bowling has been patchy at its best over the years. Indian bowlers, including spinners, failed to respond to captain’s call when it mattered most.
Dravid took what should have been a fifth-day decision, on the morning of the match.
Had India batted first, the traditional route, things could have been definitely safer and better. With England missing fast bowler Steve Harmison here, their bowling would have come under tremendous pressure from the Indian batting.
Now onus is on Dravid to justify his bold move.