Included in the list of probables for the Champions Trophy in South Africa, former India skipper Rahul Dravid's return to the one-day fold on Monday has not only given a new lease to his career but may also have marked the end of the apparent youth policy started soon after the World Cup debacle in 2007.
Dravid was included as one of the 30 probables for the tournament to be held in South Africa in September, and the decision now makes him a certainty in the final list of 15 as sources in the selection committee said they were hoping he would provide solidity to the batting line-up in the middle.
Dravid last played a one-day international against Australia at Nagpur in October, 2007, before being left out by the selectors in a move that was said to have new skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's approval. But now, the selectors said, his comeback was aimed at rehabilitating Dhoni by allowing the captain to play his strokes freely, rather than bearing the burden of holding the innings together.
"Dhoni has been performing in the last two years and guide the youngsters around him that has forced him to curb his natural attacking instincts. Hopefully, this will change things," a selector, who did not wish to be named, told The Indian Express.
Dhoni had admitted he was facing a problem of choosing between batting aggressively and anchoring the innings. "I don't know if I'll get back to my old self. Maybe I will, maybe I won't, it depends on the situation. But the more important thing is who will play the role that I am playing at present. I don't want any of the youngsters to change their style, I will rather take up the responsibility myself," Dhoni had said during the IPL.
Short story
The move has also been sparked by India's early elimination in the World T20 championship, and then their big defeat in the second ODI in Kingston against West Indies since, in both cases, the batsmen had been found wanting against short-pitched bowling.
Dravid's return, the selectors said, also had to do with conditions in South Africa in late September, when the wickets will be fresh and a lot more conducive to fast bowling. The 36-year-old Dravid, meanwhile, is expected to return to active cricket after the IPL next week, leading India Cements in the Senior Division League in Chennai. Dravid will also be leading the side in the inaugural BCCI corporate tournament in the first week of September.
Age no bar
This decision, along with the inclusion of the 30-year old Ashish Nehra for the West Indies tour last month, is being seen as a message from the selectors that the tacit policy of preferring younger players for Team India slots may be finally over, with Tendulkar, Dravid, Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Nehra in the fray.
Even as Dravid's return hogged the limelight, Irfan Pathan was left out of the probables. Irfan was also dropped for the West Indies tour after the World T20 championships. The selectors picked seamers Pankaj Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni ahead of the left-armer.
