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Dravid disappointed with team's performance
Defending his decision to field first, captain Rahul Dravid has said India were done in because of their "all round disappointing performance."
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: August 24, 2007 02:39 PM IST
Read Time: 2 min
Southampton:
He said that England played "a perfect one-day game" in the one-day cricket series opener.
Indian bowlers struggled to take wickets after Dravid opted to bowl in overcast conditions as England went on to score 288 for 2 and then the visitors were rolled over for 184 to suffer 104-run defeat in the day and night match on Tuesday.
"I thought there would be a bit more for the bowlers in the wicket," Dravid said after the match.
"Credit to the opposition. They played a perfect one-day game. They really batted well, got two guys who went on and got a hundred. It's exactly what you want. They then took wickets up front with the new ball," he said.
"The partnership between (Ian) Bell and (Alaistar) Cook (178) was a good one. They really put us under pressure."
Absence of all rounder
Dravid said it was a problem to find the right balance in bowling attack in the absence of a genuine all-rounder.
"For us, it's a bit of an issue because of the lack of a genuine all-rounder," he said.
He also said his players needed to improve their fielding and be more careful in their running between the wickets.
"It's an area we've got to try to improve. On big grounds like this, we are not overnight going to get strong arms and big throws.
"Not making stupid mistakes running between the wickets, that's something we can definitely control and work on.
"It's been a disappointing performance all round but there are six games to go and hopefully we'll bounce back."
England captain Paul Collingwood warned his team against complacency after just first win in the seven-match series and said demanded consistency throughout.
"I don't want to sound too downbeat but it's one good performance and we have to make sure we have another six," he said.
"Consistency is the crucial thing. Today (Tuesday) was a kind of a perfect game but we need to do that again and again."
Collingwood praised all rounder Andrew Flintoff on his comeback to the international cricket after a long injury lay-off.
"Fred (Flintoff) was fantastic. He was raring to go. He's a world-class player and I'm glad to have someone like that back. The areas Freddie bowls in it's very hard to score, especially at that kind of pace," he said.
Opener Bell said he was relieved at getting a hundred and said it was due to his better shot selection.
Defending his decision to field first, captain Rahul Dravid has said India were done in because of their "all round disappointing performance." He said that England played "a perfect one-day game" in the one-day cricket series opener.
Indian bowlers struggled to take wickets after Dravid opted to bowl in overcast conditions as England went on to score 288 for 2 and then the visitors were rolled over for 184 to suffer 104-run defeat in the day and night match on Tuesday.
"I thought there would be a bit more for the bowlers in the wicket," Dravid said after the match.
"Credit to the opposition. They played a perfect one-day game. They really batted well, got two guys who went on and got a hundred. It's exactly what you want. They then took wickets up front with the new ball," he said.
"The partnership between (Ian) Bell and (Alaistar) Cook (178) was a good one. They really put us under pressure."
Absence of all rounder
Dravid said it was a problem to find the right balance in bowling attack in the absence of a genuine all-rounder.
"For us, it's a bit of an issue because of the lack of a genuine all-rounder," he said.
He also said his players needed to improve their fielding and be more careful in their running between the wickets.
"It's an area we've got to try to improve. On big grounds like this, we are not overnight going to get strong arms and big throws.
"Not making stupid mistakes running between the wickets, that's something we can definitely control and work on.
"It's been a disappointing performance all round but there are six games to go and hopefully we'll bounce back."
England captain Paul Collingwood warned his team against complacency after just first win in the seven-match series and said demanded consistency throughout.
"I don't want to sound too downbeat but it's one good performance and we have to make sure we have another six," he said.
"Consistency is the crucial thing. Today (Tuesday) was a kind of a perfect game but we need to do that again and again."
Collingwood praised all rounder Andrew Flintoff on his comeback to the international cricket after a long injury lay-off.
"Fred (Flintoff) was fantastic. He was raring to go. He's a world-class player and I'm glad to have someone like that back. The areas Freddie bowls in it's very hard to score, especially at that kind of pace," he said.
Opener Bell said he was relieved at getting a hundred and said it was due to his better shot selection.
Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket
Rahul Dravid
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