Rahul Dravid, who very nearly lost his place in the Test side due to a slump in form last year, today said big scores did not fascinate him anymore but what satisfies him was contributing to the team's cause.
Rahul Dravid, who very nearly lost his place in the Test side due to a slump in form last year, today said big scores did not fascinate him anymore but what satisfies him was contributing to the team's cause.
"It is not really the number of runs or centuries I score now. It is really about if I can make a contribution to a winning team in Test matches in India and abroad. That's what gives me satisfaction," said Dravid, who carved out a classy 66 at Seddon Park here.
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"I truly love the game. I have always played this game since I was a young kid. I have loved batting, I have loved being part of victories and making contributions to wins. I think that sort of thing gives me the challenge now.
"I love the ebbs and flows of the game, I love what it has taught me over the years and love what it is teaching me even today," he added.
The 36-year-old former India skipper felt the present scenario was an exciting time to be in Indian cricket. "It is a very exciting time for Indian cricket. We are playing some very good cricket both in the one-day and Test format. There are some good exciting young players coming through," he said.
"So it is a really good time to be a part of the team. We have got a good set-up at the moment as well. I am enjoying my cricket," said Dravid, who had relinquished the captaincy in September, 2007.
The former Kent county professional said for him taking catches was like scoring runs in a match. "It would have been nice to have caught one more yesterday and get the record.
"I guess I have played a lot of Test matches and it's always nice to take catches. Taking catches has sort of given me probably as much pleasure as scoring runs.
"It is being part of someone else's success as a catcher. That has been a thrilling experience for me. To me to have taken so many catches is a reflection of the quality of attack that I've been lucky to have played with for India in all these 12-13 years.
"I have been lucky to have played with some very, very good bowlers that created the opportunities and given me, Sachin (Tendulkar) and (VVS) Laxman, in the slips, the opportunity to take 100-plus catches.
"You look at Javagal Srinath and Zaheer (Khan) and Venky (Venkatesh Prasad), so many of them, Anil (Kumble) and Harbhajan (Singh), the number of catches that I have taken off them," said Dravid, who drew abreast of Mark Waugh's record 181 catches when he snared Martin Guptill at third slip off Zaheer yesterday.
He, however, said it would be hard to pick his best catch. "It is a hard call. You look at these catches and you think of them in terms of the context of the game and how they helped the team win.
"I took Damien Martyn in the Adelaide Test off Sachin's bowling and we went on to win the Test match. It was a critical phase. Sachin took Martyn and Waugh and I caught them both. "I took Martyn at slip, it was an important one, one that I valued and cherished.
"Another one I can remember is that of Mark Waugh at backward short-leg in the Chennai Test of that great series in 2001 off Harbhajan's bowling.
"Mark Waugh was batting 50-60 and we couldn't give them a big lead. It was a sharp chance to my right. These two are the ones that probably stand out in my memory."
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