For Rahul Dravid, it could be getting increasingly difficult to stop thanking Mahendra Singh Dhoni. All but for that one last wicket, his wicket-keeper stuck around, giving Dravid a face-saving draw in the first Test match at Lord’s.India will definitely go into the second Test at Trent Bridge with a better frame of mind than had they lost at Lord’s. Until then though, Dravid needs to take a few strides in rebuilding his team for the occasion.Dravid had admitted in the post-match press conference yesterday that India were “lucky” to be saved by the weather in the first Test.He also added that the much-hyped batting line-up, including himself, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, will have to improve if India have to rekindle hopes of making a mark in this series. “We just got out of jail here. There were some good efforts by the boys, but truly we were saved by the weather,” Dravid said.One of the primary requirements for India’s improvement is Dravid’s own form. Batting at number three—a position he is most comfortable in—he averages a little above 56. However, in the last eight innings, barring the century against Bangladesh that need not be considered, Dravid has a mere 150 runs to his credit.In the middle of the Lord’s frustration, where the team’s batting was at best mediocre, one couldn’t have expected Dravid to go on about his personal troubles at the moment. He had to speak for the entire team, in the middle of which, the 33-year-old also added, “even I need to get back among runs and expect myself to go out and do that bit in Trent Bridge.”Either leg-before wicket or the ball getting the edge of his bat, Dravid has certainly failed to cope with the swing here, definitely his woeful form at the moment adding to the burden. Given his batting history though, in England alone, there is a lot he can rely on for the positives. In his first two Tests here in 1996, Dravid had scores of 96 and 84 and when he returned in 2002, his batting had reached another level, totaling 602 runs in four Test matches. All of this and his reputation are enough to keep the England bowlers on their toes. Dravid though, needs to get a better start and stay in the middle.The pressures of captaincy are showing, especially when the team has not found winning ways. On that count, it’ll be tougher for Dravid, the batsman, to concentrate just on his own form. Though he added: “Captaincy has its pressures but I’m sure my batting should not be affected by it.”The weather in Trent Bridge, for now, is perfect and the last time Dravid batted there, he got the first of his three centuries on tour. This time, the skipper would hope for a similar showing.
