At 35, Dravid cannot look outside his natural game for answers. He is not likely to change his game and hit himself out of trouble as he sees the light at the end of the tunnel begin to flicker ominously.

Dravid needs to find the solutions playing like Dravid, and time is running out. His catching is beginning to let him down too. It was strange to see him field on the leg-side boundary today.

He will be the first to admit that he has had the support of the selectors and his captain. The slide began in England a year ago, with whatever went wrong causing him to give up captaincy. The man who consistently averaged above 55 averages around 30 this year. The thoroughbred - to change our analogy - is turning into a cart-horse. It is not a pretty sight.

Does he have one final match-winning (or match-saving) innings in him? The romantics will hope he does. One good innings is all he needs, say friend and foe alike, but with every failure hope is beginning to recede.

Not for the first time, a visiting team written off before the start of the series is about to upset all calculations. Seldom can a fourth innings have been so important - for country and individual - as the one that is about to unfold before us.

Rahul Dravid is a thoroughbred in every sense of the word. Be it his cricket or his pedigree and upbringing, class, courage or charecter, he epitomises everything that one looks for in a sportsman. In fact along with Anil Kumble, he wil forever remain the greatest role models for youngsters to emulate. I feel said that such all all time great, is at a stage when people are poised to write his epitaph as a player. I feel that he has been out of luck over a period of about six months.Add to this some decisions in Sri Lanka which went against him and you see how even great players can have their confidence eroded. Like the Chairman of the selectors, I too feel he is on the verge of scoring a big one. Great players sometimes have a memorable swansong. Gavaskar's final Test score was that epic in Bangalore even if in a losing cause. He went on to win the WCC in Australia in 1985 as well.Greg Chappell scored a hundered in his last Test. Dravid could conjure up something similar in Chennai.

Being an ardent Dravid fan over the years, it hurts me no end to see him like this. I have grown up over the years watching him blossom. The way he overcame odds on the field inspired countless millions like me; to be the best we ever can be; to be a model of single minded dedication to achieve what we want in life. But inspite of all the gloom, I still back him. Back him to strike that one defiant knock, and scream "We will not GIVE UP".
For our sake; for the sake of Dravid himself; for the sake of a bruised nation; Jammy, please please play it on, once more.
- Fan

Dravid has not just 1 final great innings left in him but quite alot.Great players have always had lean period in their great careers except the Don.Its sad that this lean period is in his career when people think he his on the verge of ending a wonderful career.I believe that he has alot to offer to the team not just in the tests but also the ODI's as its just a matter of one gud innings that could signal his return back to form,also not many players in this beautiful game have maintained an average of 55 for over 100 tests.He is a player who cannot be replaced easily.Also the younger lot of players need to understand the seriousness of test cricket and international cricket in particular as its just not ODI and twenty20 which makes a great player.These guys have to learn that from dravid.If there was any batsmen who you want to bat for your life then it is dravid.like Suresh even the worst of his critics and his huge fans like me would want to see the wall back to his elegant best.

one final match-winning (or match-saving) innings in the second innings of this test is not enough to let dravid continue playing test cricket. he should have had big innings a year ago. his average in the last 18 months is 28.65. with that kind of performance he would have been dropped from Zimbabwe or Bangaladesh teams! other indian batsman in the top 5 have all averged over 40 and most of them over 50 during the same period. india should thank dravid for his contributions in the past and drop him from the next test match irrespective of his second innings score.

We have seen the "Wall" support our team for well over a decade. And now it is time to reciprocate. Rahul needs the support of his team and his fans at this moment of trial. Let us not question Rahul's skill, his temperament, his zeal to succeed for us. Let us believe in him, as we have done all these years.

The Englishmen may be in for a surprise tomorrow.

I think he should play in the second test, the English attack is very impressive with three good pacers and two above average spinners(compared to Australia)to bring in another player now would be suicide. Dravid has had a bad run, but all he needs is a series against a lesser bowling attack like Pakistan to regain his form, he will score a hundred easily against them, he's had a tough time against the Aussies and the English, but they are two of the best sides in the world and are not giving him anything to hit. His favourite shot off the pads has all but disappeared, I notice, because the bowlers are aiming outside off and forcing him to cut, and he is not as good a cutter as Sehwag or Tendulkar. Dravid needs to drive the ball or deflect it off his legs. Trust me, he will take Pakistan to the cleaners, because they are nowhere near as smart as the English or the Aussies.

Dravid has been truly a great player of this era. He is amongst the best, though it has taken him an year now for a substantial innings you can't just write him off. He may not be able to play a master's innings when he comes out to bat on a wearing track. But that should not be end of him. He must be given a chance in next test at-least. His problem hasn't been his form, its the concentration that he is lacking and one can suspect that is because he has sword hanging over his head, which needs to be taken off.

I think he is the greatest test match player india has ever produced,even better than sachin.Thats a big thing wat i have told because Sachin is my favourite player,Dravid comes a close second..I dont know y he is so worried.he looks tense..Please dravid,please..get back to form..Score one more double hundred before u go.play freely like u played in the ipl....best of luck!

All of us know that dravid is a good player.His average is just behind tendulkar.But its recent forn in tests is questioned against his quality as a batsman ! He forgets his batting stvle and his defence.His average is just 28 runs in 2008 ! Even he can't stay on the pitch for the long time.So,its right time for him for retirement.Ganguly and kumble already took this decision.

Dravid averages 30 not just this years but over the last two years. More than the years its the 26 test barren period which is more startling. I doubt any player in the history of cricket would have been given such a long reprieve. Which says a lot, He should have called it quits long back. Or like Michael Vaughan, taken a break from International Cricket for a while. Wonder why he kept playin for India, hurting both his prestige and Indian cricket as well.
For all his decent mannerisms, Dravid had a big ego as well. U could see it in the kind of "test" Team he selected for Royal Challengers Bangalore. By far the worst in the tournament. U cant just burn someone's (Mallya's) money on the basis of your whims and fancies.
All said an done, he will always be remembered as one of India's greatest test batsmen.
Lets hope he does well for himself and team India in the 4th innings and then gracefully retires from International Cricket.

Now his age will be soon 36. I think he should take retirement from International level. He played 224 innings totally in test with the help of 25 centuries with batting average 52.36. He scored 22 centuries in his first 161 innings with batting average 58.43 means in his last 63 innings he scored only three centuries in which one is against Bangladesh. One good inning may recover his form back to him. He still have a chance of three innings against England as his overall performance in test is very good against England. Another option is that he will take rest for few months from international level and then re-start again. He now become third batsmen of India who scored more than 10,000 runs in test. In one day he also scored more than 10,000 runs. He is also fourth player who scored 10,000 or more in both forms of cricket. In first class cricket, he will soon score 20,000 runs as well. In my opinion, Dravid is in very critical situation and even this series can end his career.

Dravid should have been eased out before the Australian tour; the #3 position is much coveted and should go to VVS who is a natural counter attacker. Dravid has never made batting look easy; now he makes it look impossible. The selectors are to blame here; sometimes even a great batsman needs to be pushed - follow the Aussies and you'll realise why this is so important. One must feel for Sachin & Co; the number 3 spot has been rendered impotent by a man refusing to put team and nation above himself but as i said earlier, this is a job for the selectors so let's place full responsibility at their feet. Rohit Sharma is a class act (i rate his game a notch higher than M. Clarke); and should be given the chance and then persevered with if he proves inconsistent; Rohit at 6 and Yuvraj at 5, sandwiched between Sachin and Dhoni will provide India with a potent top six equal to any in Test match cricket; give this combination 10-12 tests and Indian cricket will be the better for it.

It is very sad to see someone with the skill and ability as Rahul to be down and out domain. I would like to see Rahul finish out this test series before anyone should start thinking about asking him to retire. I personally think that his best days are behind him but India owes him this much. I hope that some day he decides to continue with the sport in some way or another. When ever he goes the world will miss a great cricketer and a truly great person. So all I ask of the selectors to let him have this series.

I'm a huge Dravid supporter, but I'm afraid it's over. It has nothing to do with reflexes and ability. Ganguly showed us that. Its all in the mind. And that impregnable wall has been breached. Dravid was all temperament and cool. Now he's edgy at the crease and drops catches in the slips. would love a swan song, but this tune has grown old and bitter.

Surely you are exaggerating in saying that 'seldom can a fourth innings have been so important.....'. We just did not click in this Test and England have played much better so that's that. Let's move on, it's not the end of the world.

The one person hoping Dravid's career ends sooner rather than later would have to be Mark Waugh. Mark is the only non wicket keeper ahead of Dravid on the all time Test catches list.

Being such an ardent fan of Rahul, it hurts and pains so much to see him go through this kind of bad patch giving all and sundry to question his credentials and place in the XI. Dravid has been an inspiration to an entire generation and a model of courage, patience, dignity, character.... I could go on and on. Rahul - please please, play stress free and give us all fans and well-wishers a great chanceless innings which we have all become so used to. I shall always support your regardless of what others say."You are the Greatest of the present generation with Sachin. You have taught us how to win abroad" . We will always be there to back you up and give our thumbsup. So go ahead and play it on. May God give you all the mental strength and also lady luck smile upon you. Its great to reach the messages posted by numerous fans and is soothing that I am not alone in feeling the pain of Rahul's failures

One should recall the many times Rahul has posted big scores, held the innings together and delivered consistently with style and poise. The grit to stage a comeback in ODIs and score quick runs. The times he kept wicket to enable an additional batsman or bowler in the shorter version. The fine slip catches that he took. To be fair to him as a captain he did not have the team that Dhoni has today. Luck also did not give him the big breaks, missing out on a debut 100 at Lords. Still one of the most significant contributors to the game of his generation. When it's time to ride into the sunset could still provide inputs as a coach and commentator.

As a person who has watched Dravid from his 1st test and admire him for the cricketer, the human being he is, it is an excruciating pain to see Dravid like this, struggling for form. I do believe he has a lot of cricket left in him but for his sake I hope and pray that he scores in 4th Innings at Chennai. Just dont give up Dravid !

Dravid "THE GREAT WALL OF INDIA" should not think of retirement and he has to develop the confidence and spend a little time in the middle to settle.

i think he should watch the video clipping of previous matches he played (particularly one against south africa where he hit Donald to a six over long on) those matches are all treat to watch not only for Dravid but also for us.

finally we are waiting to see "DRAVID THE GREAT WALL" saved the match against England in chennai

Dravid must retire.He has passed his best time.Another thing is his average is discreasing.so.......

its amazing Dravid keeps coming at 1 down - he should be playing 3 down, with Laxman coming 1 down. This shoul dhave happened a long time back - after the aussie tour when Laxman had already hit very good form. After playing so well for so many years, a player is bound to lose some energy.
Wonder if the team "thin k tasnk" (or whatever its called these days) really wants him around.

All I can say is: Oh God!

you are only as good or great as your last innings, when you produce so many poor ones it time to go, but thanks for the memories.

I am amazed at the number of Dravid supporters here who want us to keep giving him chance after chance after chance. These very ppl used to bay for Sourav's blood after a few lean innings! The truth is that Sourav has been a batter test batsman than Dravid for the last two years, and yet he is the one who retired first. India would not have been in the condition they are in if Sourav had been playing. That is because Sourav's brilliance had been covering for Dravid's abdication of batting responsibilities since the comaback SA tour. Now that Sourav's gone, suddenly Dravid has been exposed as the liability he is currently.

It's pathetic to see one of our greatest bats, not to see the writing on the wall and try and prolong his career selfishly beyond reason. reminds me of Kapil Dev. But in Kapil's time, there were no alternatives. Now we have many. It's time for Dravid to go. This team does not dole out sinecures.

Dravid "THE WALL" is obviously one of The all time greats of the entire fraternity and has been continuously serving the Team India and taken out of the fire but In today's context when cricketing scenario of the nation is changing and youths are being preferred over experience the country and Team India seems to forgetting the deeds of this HERO. So, I pledge to the nation and Team India to stand by him and support him emotionally otherwise this won't be the way the great like him should be given farewell.
He has so much cricket left in him.

I get reminded of MacBeth, by the way Dravid keeps playing. Wonder who Banquo's ghost may be ?

Yes it's true, this will be a big fight against all odds, for Dravid and when all the eyes will be on single movement of dravid, it will fascinating to watch how will he comeback.
Since, players like dravid never want to take a bow, he will surely mark his presence and this will start his glory days once again, it is the wish and pray of every Indian.

I am a fan of Rahul Dravid and I am hurt to see him play like this. I think its time. All good things has to come to an end. Even for a great player like Dravid. Whatever happens after this, let us hope that he goes out with grace.

As an ardent Dravid fan, it pains me hugely to see failure after failure...it is obvious that there are demons in the mind that till sometime was full of steel...while he has been given a very long rope, I think his fortunes can change quite dramatically if he were to bat at no. 5 - in the past as well, when he was going through a tough phase, he regained form by coming in at 5 0r 6. I am surprised how despiet umpteen failures and more importantly despite having an in-form Laxman, Dhoni / Kirsten have not dropped him down the order...is there a reason for pushing him up consistently at 3?

what we can say about him,he is just a legend in test cricket,his time is running bad this moment,very soon he will get back,may be in the next game

what we can say about him,he is just a legend in test cricket,his time is running bad this moment,very soon he will get back,may be in the next game

i think Dravid is one of the best batsman we are having in our team,and currently i guess he is going through a rough phase and it happens with every player and i m sure he will come up good and will bounce back in the second test match its just a matter of time and one good innings and the wall will be back.and still i think there is 2 to 3 year of cricket is left in him,and he can still give some match winning performances.

Every one facing this type of problem in cricket we should not discourage Rahul in this time we have to encourage. He has to play his natural game only one innings required to prove his classics. Even when he was captain of India he encouraged Veeru like anything. Now you see how he is playing for India. Like we have to help him also. Specialy we do not have classic defensive player at this stage.

When Saurav had a really bad two years, they put him out to pasture, but he fought back into the team. Now Dravid is suffering similarly, so make him go play for Bangalore for a season, get his form back against benign Ranji attacks and fight his way back in. It's not like Rohit Sharma or Badri have taken their offered chances with both hands, and with Uthappa not in consideration and Pujara not being selected, there still are a couple of openings in the batting lineup (we'll have to see where Yuvi goes from here) and he should be able to compete for them. If he has lost it mentally, then he should retire, else he should go back to Ranji and fight his way back. His current form is hurting the team, and in the past year he has been the one weak link in the top 6, with even Gambhir coming good. I've enjoyed Rahul's play for 10 years, but like Saurav, he needs to be put out of his misery in the Test side and made to fight his way back in.

It's all in the mind. The downward slide started when Dravid began to find captaincy a great burden. Then came the world cup debacle. During the tour of Australia, I'm afraid I can only blame the selectors and the management. Why was Dravid made to open in Australia, when he was already struggling? That tour completely ruined his confidence.

Lets not repeat Ganguly's case...just live him alone. He is an architect, i know he will engineer his Great Wall again.

For old time sake, I hope Rahul Dravid regains his form and like Saurav Ganguly get a chance to sign off solidly. The Wall was build brick by brick and cannot equally collapse all of a sudden.

My fervent hope is he will come come good at Mohali just as Yuvraj came good in Chennai as I was telling my cricket mad friends...

Now he is 36 year old and he should take retirement from international cricket and give channce to some one else. In 100 test matches he scored more than 8553 runs with batting average 57.79 and Tendulkar scored in 100 test matches 8405 runs with batting average 57.96. At that time mostly people were thinking that he is better than Tendulkar but then what happened. Now in 130 test matches he scored 10373 runs with 25 centuries. Now his innings per century is 225 / 25 = 9. His overall record against England is excellent and now only one test match remain for England and if now he will not again perform then it might be his last test matche.

I am sure Dravid can sort out his problem. But it is taking time. He should get help from players like Gavaskar. If it does not work in the 2nd test, I think he should be given the option to go back to the drawing board and stage a come back.

It is too bad to see such a good classic player struggling and so much of discussions going about his worthiness to the side. I wish him sucess in the 2nd test & prove to everyone his class.

Its true that Dravid has been a great servant of Indian Cricket. He has truly been The Wall for so long. But retirement is inevitable, more so in Dravid's case because the runs have dried up, the catches are going down. So lets hope Dravid sees the situation and announces his retirement before the selectors show him the door.

A class player as he is, Dravid should take some time off by himself to regroup. India certainly need him for overseas tours and he is by far the best player in all conditions. The selectors should have rested him for the home series and played with the Rohit Sharmas, Rainas & Badrinaths for them to get a feel of playing at highest levels. It's good that the team management has enough confidence on Dravid and Dravid should take that positively and get away from Test Cricket for sometime. It will do him good ..

Instead of trying to peek into someone when the chips are down, patience is a virtue. Form is temporary, but Class is permanent. Dravid is a class act, all the way. My only humble question to the Media is, if there is one wrong deed or a string of wrong deeds, do you guys get treated the way the sportspersons do. Does your editor come and ask you to put down your papers immediately ? Get a life guys, leave Dravid alone, he has enough cricket and is mature enough to understand when he should retire. Afterall, he gave up captaincy when he knew he wasnt enjoying it too much. Let us hope that Dravid is back to his best in Mohali.

Not one, but many my friend.
You write off champions at your own peril.
He is the last true gentleman left in the Indian team apart from sachin tendulkar.

i dont understand why always people and reporters go after great batsmen when they are at their lows.The same people praise them when the player is blasting opposition,maybe they want to grab attention to their articles by tormenting great players. Dravid is the greatest test batsmen India has produced and he does not need to answer each and everyone every time, as they point their ever itching fingers to him...He is in little tough this time and I am pretty sure he will erupt like a volcano, if not in this series, but when India needs him the most.

I think he should take retirement from international cricket as his age is more than 35 now and he is still out of form. In last two years, he played 25 test matches with batting average 30.02 with the help of two centuries in which one is against weak Bangladesh. Another one is against South Africa but his overall performance against them is not good. His average against them is 36.51 and in S. Africa his batting average is 33.6. After Tendulkar, he is the best one in his team. Tendulkar is better than him but his average against S. Africa is less then Dravid that is 35.35 and at their home 39.76. It means two best batsmen of same team are soft against S. Africa. Any how one test match remains and Dravid is still not performing. If in this test again he will not perform then it may be his last test match. One more thing is that he will take gap of three or four months in test cricket or more and then re-start. He is one of the best batsmen among his contemporaries, no doubt about it.

I think after Lara, Tendlkar and Ponting he is the best batsmen of this century means in best five, he is no. 4 with run scored more than 10,000 in both forms of cricket and in first class he scored 19,821 runs with 52 centuries and 103 half centuries.Currently he is totally out of form. In last thirty test matches, he scored only 3 centuries. In 104 test matches his batting average was 58.75 and mostly people were thinking he will soon manage 60 or more batting average in test cricket and become the second best batsmen after Sir. Bradman in terms of statistic. But after 104 test matches, his average is decreasing day by day and now it is only 52.12. Although more than 50 is very good in test but he is loosing his cricket in this manner and if he will continue this form in future also then he will soon loose the club of those batsmen who have batting average 50 or more in test. Now he should decide his career and if he is not feeling well with his form then he should take retirement.

I think dravid's problem is his temperment. He should try to be positive and attack the ball bit rather than biting the time. When ever he made good knocks he got runs all around the park. A batsman gets confidence only when he hits a boundary but not when he bites time without scoring runs.

Yes it is extremely unfortunate that Dravid is struggling to get runs. I just cannot bear it. I cannot see him failing over and over again. But I have the strongest belief that if the selectors and the captain support him for a few more series, there is no doubt that he will get back his lost form. Dravid needs all the support from his fans too who have watched him play those glorious, technically immaculate cover drives and on drives for more that 10 years. Who on earth can be more dedicated, determined and technically perfect as Dravid is. It is just a bad period that he is going through, he just needs to get this thoughts in the right place and I am sure he will bounce back with a glorious century filled with those beautiful cover drives and on drives.
Come on Dravid, we are all with you.

he should retire. He can play and score runs but he is very slow run getter and too boring to watch. His strike rate in test matchs is around 35-40. Out with the snail, as soon as India can.

For more than a decade, Rahul Dravid has played for his team more than any player I can think of. And for this, more than any other reason, I'd include him in an All Time Greatest Test 11. To cast aspersions on him because of an all too familiar dry spell that has hit every great batsman is immature; to suggest that he is too vain to retire when he 'can't do any more' is childish, indeed insulting to a man who has gone to the length of keeping wickets when asked to do so in spite of not being a regular. I say we give him credit for being able to decide when he needs to leave and show some patience for another one of those epic knocks to come out.

Dravid Tendulkar Lakshman and all the greats before them and to come after,these names are a history for us to cheris,relish and think the happiness they bought us.But as we all age,our reflexes dwindle and mind functions in lesser speed than it needs to.Coming to the point, all the posts mean only good. But there comes a time when one has to dig deeper into himself and say, I did what I needed to do for my country and for myself, I should go on a high. Don't bring the situation to the level that others have to point a finger at you. Ganguly left not wiht his will but was forced out. Kumble left because he could not take it any more with Dhoni winning and him standing helplessly. Bottom line is Dravid should announce before the start of the 2nd test his retirement instead of waiting for that magical "one more innings away from regaining form" He does not have to prove anything to anyone.He is a wall and will remain a wall. Dravid please do no let this wall crumble. PLEASE RETIRE NOW...

I differ with inference of the article that it has to do with ageing and analogy with Ganguly in that context is inaccurate. Ganguly was a frequent victim of selectors' whims who tried to teach him so called lessons for his unconventional boldness, fiercely independent spirit and falsely perceived as one from controversial Dalmiya's camp. While Vengsarkar and company were busy grinding axe, Ganguly maintained poise and faught back. Rahul is an universally acclaimed hero and a great batsman with demonstrated potential. He is simply going throgh horondous batting slump that has nothing to do with ageing. By the way Sachin is no younger either but he is not in such slump and never was. That is good for him and India. However, I strongly feel that Dravid needs one more chance, in fact, one more test sereis to redeem himself. He has done reasonaly well in Ranji trophy matches recently and seems like on the verge of finding olden golden touch. I beleive he has 2 more productive years to go.

The demons are in Rahul Dravid's mind than anywhere else. He seems so aloof these days. It's been so since Greg Chappell left. I feel it was a case of Dravid blindly backing his coach then even at the cost of differences with his own team members. Chappell packed and left and perhaps Rahul is now rueing the fact that he didn't side with his players as much as he perhaps should have when he was the skipper. He should forget all that now.

The sooner Dravid sorts this out the better it is. Perhaps he can try throwing caution to the wind and play one devil-may-care innings rather than getting stuck in things too technical. he has always been a purist & perfectionist and sometimes your great strengths become your weknesses. It seems to be so with Dravid.

India need the great Rahul Dravid, as does the cricketing World. He is a once in a lifetime player...... The quicker he comes out of this slump the better it is for India and World Cricket ! He has it in him to do that.

No one seems to have noticed what the IPL has done to a few classy batsmen. Rohit Sharma and Wasim Jaffer had wonderful season before they started manufacturing shots. They showed great potential and had good success for a year, but, haven't been the same since the IPL. Is Dravid another victim of the reckless 20-over version of the game. He did OK in the tournament, but, can we ignore the fact that Vijay Mallya fired Charu Sharma and gave him an earful when his team was slipping. Why is he chasing deliveries that are a foot outside offstump? Why is he hitting spinners against the turn? Why is he driving without getting his foot to the pitch of the ball? And why is he driving on the up on a 3rd-4th day pitch?
Aren't these are some points to ponder? Is this a prolonged slump or is there a deeper problem about his expectations of himself?

dravid needs to relax. he has nothing to prove, so why is he so stressed. he seems to be very alone, aloof. as a senior player, he needs to get more involved on the field, run up to the bowlers, talk to dhoni...he needs to smile, have fun and stop thinking about his wretched form. if he is not selected, big deal...he is and will remain the 'wall".