‘We had to shake things up'

CHENNAI: There’s very little that has gone wrong for Rahul Dravid since he took over the Indian captaincy this season. The team is winning, it looks happy and is miraculously riding out controversies without any visible scars.

The ODIs passed with flying colours, Dravid’s new test has been delayed by weather and administrative obstinacy. Even as Day 3 was abandoned, DNA caught up with the Indian skipper. Excerpts.

Do you take the ownership of this team?

I don’t think it is ever an individual’s team. People say it’s the captain’s team but I think the team belongs to everyone, and they have to take ownership of it. Even when I was just a team member, I felt the team belonged to me. Only when every player starts doing that will we rise above the individual. People have to start believing in the cause as a unit — only then does the cause become a plausible reality. Teams may get identified by individuals but as long as the individuals are within the group, it’s fine. Also, a team cannot just have one leader. It always has many leaders ready to step up when the situation demands. This is not MY team, it is OUR team.

You have seen it all - a 95 on debut, being dropped, criticism from the press, a comeback, vice-captaincy. Is becoming skipper the culmination of it all?

I didn’t start out wanting to be skipper. All I wanted to do was to be successful on the cricket field, to be part of a good team. I guess if you achieve success as a player, good things do happen to you. And one of those good things is becoming skipper. I guess luck plays its part too.

But this certainly isn’t the culmination of my dream. There’s more.

What is your opinion of the suggestion that a captain and coach should have a vote in the selection meeting?

When the selectors choose a team, we do have a say. Having a vote or not doesn’t really matter as long as we are understood by the panel. We don’t want a vote, but we do want a little respect and, at present, our opinions are respected. And, I think the selection committee meetings should not be about votes. It should be a frank discussion and there is always a little give and take but it shouldn’t come in the way of getting the best team. At least for me, not having a vote doesn’t matter but if our opinions were not taken seriously then it would.

Do you feel that the losses at the start of the season gave you and coach Greg Chappell ample scope to experiment?

Actually, if you look at it, we have had a very tough time in One-day internationals for around two years now. So definitely, when I took over we analysed the situation and decided that change was needed. We needed to try and do things a little differently to just shake things up a bit. I think we have managed to do that. We want the players to grow as individuals. We want to know who will put his hand up when the chips are down for the team. We had to get better and whatever gave us the chance to get better, we had to try it.

So how has the experience as skipper been so far?

It has been great. I am really happy with the way the team has responded. Every player has come up with a performance when it has really mattered and any one watching this team can realise that this team isn’t just about a Tendulkar or a Sehwag or a Dravid. Anyone and everyone can come up with the contribution that makes the difference on that particular day. That is what eventually has got to happen.

What do you want from the team next?

I think everyone needs to learn how to raise their performance when it is really needed. I have always set goals but they aren’t for everyone to know. What I’d like is that this should remain the happy unit that it is and that they put winning and losing in the correct perspective. Winning and losing should not define your life.

What according to you is the most important attribute in a team player?

I think that anyone who plays for India has to have the right attitude towards the game and his teammates. He has to give his everything when he plays for India. There can be no holding back, nothing else should matter.