Dravid to spring a surprise in team selection

Chittagong, May 17 (UNI) Keeping his cards close to his chest, Indian skipper Rahul Dravid today said a surprise was expected in the team selection for the first Test match against Bangladesh as would be evident tomorrow.

Talking to the media in the customary pre-match press meet, Dravid said, ''No we did not have a chance for a team meeting last evening. We will have a meeting tonight. So we will be able to disclose the team tomorrow. We would like to keep a little bit of surprise as well. So we will announce it tomorrow.'' Asked who would he axe between MS Dhoni and Dinseh Kaarthick, he said, ''Its going to be difficult dropping either Dhoni or Kaarthick, both are in such good form. Its never easy to drop anyone especially when they are playing well.'' ''But yes in this case we have to drop one. So it's a part and parcel of the game. You have to take these decisions keeping in mind what is the best combination under these circumstances and what helps you to win the game. All of them are good batsmen and so someone has to miss out and be unlucky,'' he added.

Are you going to play five bowlers? Dravid said, ''Yes we may consider playing five bowlers considering the wicket, the weather, considering what we want to achieve from the match. That is what we will sit down and discuss and go threadbare on.'' ''What we want to do, what we want to achieve we have discussed but about the specifics we have to discuss tonight,'' he said.

Asked if the team thinktank was concentrating on any Bangladeshi cricketer, he said, ''Its not fair to concentrate on any one player. They are a good team and have several good players and we are focusing on them as a team.'' On a specific query on Mohammed Ashrafful, he said, ''He is a very talented batsman, he played extremely well in the last series.

Hopefully we will not allow him to score so many runs this series, he can score against somebody else.'' Asked if Anil Kumble would again be the key, Dravid quipped, ''I mean under any conditions Anil is a very important part of our attack. Anil has played a huge role for the team over the last decade and half. Don't see that to be any different in this series as well.'' On his take on the wicket, he said, ''It looks like a good wicket. It looks pretty flat, little grass on it. It should hold together for the first two and half to three days, I mean it's a good wicket to bat on. In the fourth and fifth day it can dry up and we can get some spin. But if the weather is hot and dry it can break up a little early also. As the play progresses, it should grip and turn slowly, but initially it should hold firm.'' ''You can't think too far at a time. We have to think about this game and win this and build on it as we move on. We have to take a step at a time,'' he said when asked if he was aiming at a clean sweep of the series.

If the ODI win was an advantage, he said, ''Yes the wins here should be an advantage, but the fact is how you perform on a given day of the match. You can have a wealth of experience but it is of no use unless you perform. The match is going to begin zero-zero at even scores and then you need to perform and build on it. We also have to see that we perform and get the basics right and do what is needed to do to win a test match. We must go about it in a methodical manner.'' He did not forget mentioning that heat would be a factor for both the teams.

''I'm not sure whether anyone is ill or otherwise. But we are not concentrating on their team, we are concentrating on being positive, batting well, bowling in the right areas and on the right length and doing things that are right for winning a test match,'' Dravid said when asked if he was aware of four players of the opposition being ill.

UNI