11-07-2004, 03:55 PM
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| | | Join Date: Jun 2004 My other team/s: India
Posts: 6
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 Dravid; best wicketkeeper-batsman??
NO...I am NOT forgetting Gilchrist!!  I am talking of the rest of them (referening ONLY to ODIs).I think only Boucher and Sangakkara are the other main contenders. While these two have better keeping abilities, there is no doubt that Dravid is a far superior batsman. 
In ODIs the role of a keeper is limited and he has very few balls coming his way. And Dravid is a safe keeper; (though he may not be spectacular). I don't remember him dropping catches or missing stumpings. And I think Dravid scores over the other two because of his batting skills.
We should not forget the need for a player like Dravid who can hold up one end when a few wickets fall. It is always better, even in ODIs, to let the strokeplayers play around a man like Dravid.And he is also capable hitting a few lusty blows. (He has scored the second quickest ODI half-century for India against New Zealand recently). 
We all cry for the inclusion of specialists; but is that really needed? Dravid has been doing a wonderful job as the wicketkeeper-batsman; providing solidity with the bat and depth to the team while keeping. And I think he should be the first choice wicketkeeper-batsman in the RoW ODI team which is slated to play against the Australians next year (though it is quite a different issue in Test cricket where I would prefer a specialist) What do you guys think??  |