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Dravid determined to stay positive

FE Team | Published: September 10, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

LONDON, Sept 9 (AFP): India captain Rahul Dravid was determined to stay positive despite his side's seven wicket defeat to England Saturday.
Dravid said there were plenty of positives to take out of a tour that saw India win their first Test series in England for 21 years, but lose the one-day series 4-3.
"The resilience and intensity that we showed throughout the summer has been a positive," he said. "I think there has been a lot of learning on the tour, a lot of the youngsters have learnt a lot this summer, and I think that's another positive.
"Winning the Test matches was fantastic. It was a little bit disappointing today, but it was not to be and credit to England, they deserved to win.
"I think we gave it our best shot on the field. The disappointing thing was not getting more runs. When you get 187 you have to keep attacking, you have to set really attacking fields, and even though they were 11-2, or 74-3, we needed wickets at that stage.”
"If we'd had the opportunity to spread the field, and protect the boundary we would have had a much better chance, but with 187 and a fast outfield, if they bat well then you're always going to struggle.
"We are disappointed that we couldn't win the one-day series as well. But credit to England, I think 4-3 is a true reflection of the series.
"They played some very good cricket in the series, we always had our backs against the wall right through this series, we fought back well last week, but to be honest they are a slightly better side than us in the one-day game."
It is no coincidence that England put India under most pressure when Andrew Flintoff was in the side. And Dravid believes that his sheer presence makes the team better.
"He's absolutely critical to England, he's half their side to be honest," he said. "He makes a huge difference to England; with the composition of the side, the team they can play, coming in as the first change bowler, his batting, his slip catching.”

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