Best supporting actor?

With Sachin Tendulkar out of action, India vice-captain Rahul Dravid remains the pivot around which an innings has to be built. And by recent accounts, a Dravid failure has often meant an Indian loss. In eight matches against Pakistan from the World Cup 2003 encounter, Tendulkar and Dravid (in that order) have been the two highest run-getters for India.

Here’s how India’s batting stacks up, and why they will miss Tendulkar and hope for Dravid to come good

INDIA’S BATTING V PAKISTAN (LAST 8 MATCHES)

Rahul Dravid: Runs: 297; Av: 49.50; 100: 0; 50: 2

Sourav Ganguly: Runs: 229; Av: 28.62; 100: 0; 50: 0

Virender Sehwag: Runs: 203; Av: 25.37, 100: 0; 50: 1

VVS Laxman: Runs: 171; Av: 34.20; 100: 1; 50: 0

Yuvraj Singh: Runs: 232; Av: 33.14; 100: 0; 50: 2

Mohammed Kaif: Runs:189; Av: 27; 100: 0; 50: 2

Sachin Tendulkar: Runs: 389; Av: 55.57; 100: 1; 50: 2