“I don’t know the meaning of playing your natural game all the time,” Dravid said at the press conference after close of play on the fourth day. “You have to play according to the situation of the game. That’s what the great players have done over the years,” he added.
Dravid also said great players know how to read situations and play according to them, adding that’s the way the palyers he has admired and watched over the years have played. “There cannot be only one way of playing the game. You’ve got to play differently, according to the situation. The good ones adapt,” he said.
I agree 100% with Dravid here.
Imagine Dravid playing his “natural game” when India needs to score 100 runs from 50 balls to win a match.
So why is it okay for Sehwag to play his “natural game” when India needed to bat for 2 full days and then some to save the Test Match. The guy got out trying to hit a SIX in the first innings and to another T20 shot in the 2nd. And not to forget, he was the KAPTAAN for this Test Match.
As Dravid says, great players can “adapt” to situations, not succumb to the comfort of their “natural game”.
could not agree more with you guys. Sehwag is out of his mind
It is often gifted but reckless compulsive hitters like him (others being Srikkanth and Afridi) who fail to read the match situation and get out in brainless fashion that let the team down
When a player wins you a game by playing his natural game, his style is praised but if he plays the same way and you lose the game, the same player is criticized. These players will play the way they always play and we got to live with that.
No argument with the essence of what Dravid is saying - should change your style if the situation demands such a change. Will offer two comments for the sake of discussion (slow day here :-)
1) Not sure that Sehwag’s shot was reflective of his natural game. There is a method to Sehwag's madness that goes beyond the simplistic Jatt stereotype. His natural game is not as risky as it may superficially seem - you don’t maintain such a high average over so long of a time otherwise. I think this was more a case of him just losing it for one stupid moment. (Sambit Bal had a good analysis on Cricinfo where he tried to explain Sehwag’s issues with spinners he doesn’t rate).
(2) Not sure Sehwag needed to change his natural game for this situation. One could argue that Sehwag’s natural game would have been a superior strategy to the stonewalling strategy of Gambir and Dravid. Batting time over two days at a snail’s pace is fraught with danger (esp on such a benign pitch) - you are not doing anything to proactively change the time equation in your favor; meanwhile any number of factors could conspire to get you out (as Dravid found out). In contrast. getting runs on the board reduces the time pressure as it introduces the additional time demand for the other side to bat again. That was my biggest fear with the way Dravid and Gambhir were going at it on the 4th day - if either one had gotten out, pressure would have been tremendous with a large deficit still looming. Tendulkar and Laxman upped the scoring rate, and in the end, we drew, so we’re all happy. Sehwag, playing the way he did to get us a draw in Adelaide or the way he did against Murali and Mendis in Colombo (no stupid shots, still a great scoring rate), would have changed the time equation even more effectively.
No argument with the essence of what Dravid is saying - should change your style if the situation demands such a change. Will offer two comments for the sake of discussion (slow day here :-)
1) Not sure that Sehwag’s shot was reflective of his natural game. There is a method to Sehwag's madness that goes beyond the simplistic Jatt stereotype. His natural game is not as risky as it may superficially seem - you don’t maintain such a high average over so long of a time otherwise. I think this was more a case of him just losing it for one stupid moment. (Sambit Bal had a good analysis on Cricinfo where he tried to explain Sehwag’s issues with spinners he doesn’t rate).
(2) Not sure Sehwag needed to change his natural game for this situation. One could argue that Sehwag’s natural game would have been a superior strategy to the stonewalling strategy of Gambir and Dravid. Batting time over two days at a snail’s pace is fraught with danger (esp on such a benign pitch) - you are not doing anything to proactively change the time equation in your favor; meanwhile any number of factors could conspire to get you out (as Dravid found out). In contrast. getting runs on the board reduces the time pressure as it introduces the additional time demand for the other side to bat again. That was my biggest fear with the way Dravid and Gambhir were going at it on the 4th day - if either one had gotten out, pressure would have been tremendous with a large deficit still looming. Tendulkar and Laxman upped the scoring rate, and in the end, we drew, so we’re all happy. Sehwag, playing the way he did to get us a draw in Adelaide or the way he did against Murali and Mendis in Colombo (no stupid shots, still a great scoring rate), would have changed the time equation even more effectively.
Agree with your analysis. However, there are players like Afridi who play their "natural" game no matter what, and use this as an excuse for not improving themselves.
Getting out playing a T-20 style shot when your team is 300+ runs adrift is not playing your natural game. That is pure recklessness esp. when you are also the skipper of the team. Equally Sehwag did not have to go into his shell. A batsman of his talent should be able to keep the score board ticking over without taking undue risks. One could also argue that if Sehwag had played sensibly and not got out when he did then Dravid and Gambhir would not have had to take such an ultra cautious approach.
^^ That is what I am saying - problem is the reckless, stupid shot Sehwag played, not his natural game. This recklessness or stupidity is not reflective of his natural game, as his career average and past record will attest. If he had played his normal, "natural" game, scoreboard would have ticked along just fine, and the time equation would have inverted a lot sooner. But, he lost his head and played his stupid shot. Read the cricinfo article if you have time, interesting theory on Sehwag and spinners.
Sehwag has simple things in life. If he batted for one day, India would have been in lead and May be forced for a win. Dravid on the other hand would have grafted and settled for a draw. I have no idea which is better. tHis wicket was a belter. People could have batted on and on. May be sehwag had a point and may be not , since it will any way be a draw because our bowlers will not be able to get them out on the last day.
Welll Sehwag did give us a victory on the final day in the India-England match. Playing his natural game. what is dravids take on that.
Sehwag did play recklessly. That is not playing your natural game. That is being stupid.
Sehwag is riding high so he can afford these kind of comments. Masses in India are going to side him (same thing will happen in Pakistan if Shahid is riding high).
I can not agree more with Dravid. You have to play session by session unless of course its a tulley*baj* game of 20/20 even then you need at least one player in the middle around whom other can swing.
Ghambeer is also an aggressive player but he showed what was needed. Had he played his "natural" game tu ho gaya tha kaam