The Wall comes down for a chat

Rahul Dravid talks on IPL, his newborn son and his favourite actress all on www.mig33.com

Rahul Dravid talks on IPL, his newborn son and his favourite actress all on

ICC brand ambassador Rahul Dravid with the ICC World Champions trophy 2011 earlier this year PIC/SAMEER MARKANDE
pic/AFP

Talking to Sunday MiD DAY, Dravid claimed, "Royal Challengers have given an improved showing this year because the players are performing their roles a lot better. In these conditions, you have to balance out between attack and defence because there is something in the wicket for the bowlers unlike in India."

But Dravid would not agree that giving up the mantle of captaincy has helped him relax more and play the shots better. "I decided not to captain this year because I was not sure of my full availability for the entire tournament. I did not know when I would have to go back home which would have disrupted the team.

Anyway, we have good options in Kevin Pieterson and Anil Kumble," he explained. He went on to add, "I have been in good form this season, having had a good tour of New Zealand as well. Everything is going well so far."

In the midst of the cricket talk, Dravid patiently replied a fan's query regarding his newborn baby's name. "We haven't decided the name of our second child yet," he said. And when another fan asked him about his favourite country, Dravid succinctly said: "India", though he claimedu00a0 Lords to be his favourite cricket venue.

Asked about his favourite cricketers, Dravid named Sunil Gavaskar, G Vishwanath and Kapil Dev as his childhood heroes, while he said his favourite cricketers now are Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Anil Kumble.

While he admitted that the senior players are doing a better job this year with both bat and ball, Dravid refused to call Twenty20 a 'young man's sport'. "Anyone who plays well can succeed, irrespective of his age, in this format of the game. While youth has energy, seniors have experience, so it balances out," he said.

The one thing he misses in South Africa is the crowd and "our Indian supporters", said Dravid.

Talking of Shah Rukh Khan's bedraggled Knight Riders, Dravid was quick to jump to its defence: "KR has been a little unlucky and has lost some close games. It can happen to anyone in Twenty20."

The conversation turned to more personal lines when a fan asked Dravid to introduce himself in one line. "Too difficult to say anything in one line," is all he would say, adding a smiley for effect.

On a more tongue-in-cheek note he admitted to Kajol being his favourite actress, loving home-cooked food and Maharashtrian fare, wanting to learn Indonesian cuisine and also became the perfect diplomat when he called all his teammates his 'good friends'. His parents, he said, are his role models and his ambition is to keep winning matches for India.

And when a Yusuf Pathan fan asked about his idol's performance, Dravid was all praise for him. "Yusuf is a good batsman and a dangerous hitter, who can win the game single-handedly," he said. Giving a word of advice before logging out, the man known as The Wall said, "We all make mistakes, so I don't regret them but I have learnt from them."

Though he was far away in South Africa, his fans in India asked him questions on a wide range of topics using their computers or mobile handsets, thanks to the social networking site.

By creating a virtual sports stadium, this site allows groups of fans to discuss cricket, apart from providing them with ball-to-ball commentary, and bringing cricketing icons closer home through the chat sessions. The teams on their radar include Royal Challengers, Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings.

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