There was a feeling of bereavement, says Dravid

[1]

Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid couldn’t help but get emotional after the team’s four-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL-6 Eliminator here on Wednesday night.
The shocking turn of events in the last one week had pegged them back as disbelief gripped the Royals’ members. “I wouldn’t lie,” said Dravid when asked how difficult it was to keep the focus heading into the playoffs, especially with so many youngsters in the team.
“It was a blow to the team. It was something that I have never experienced in my career, and there was a sense of bereavement in some ways. The news broke and we were to play the Sunrisers the next morning. We were all in a daze and it was very important to get our heads together,” was Dravid’s honest admission.
The 40-year-old revealed that it was a “well thought out plan” to spend the build up time in Jaipur. “We went through a range of emotions, all of us. There was anger, despair, disbelief.. and in the end all of us had honest, open conversations amongst ourselves. And it was amazing what came out of it.
“Even the younger lot contributed and it brought us to where we are today. This victory was special.”
The Royals were all but staring at the exit, before Brad Hodge came up with a superb knock to bail them out against the Sunrisers.
“We were dead and buried,” Dravid agreed. “We needed something absolutely special to come out (of this situation), and it was the finest T20 knock of cricket that I have seen in a long time. Hodge really stood out for us.”
Asked about the inclusion of five seamers in the XI despite the Kotla track assisting spinners, Dravid couldn’t help but say, “I would have cracked a joke at this, but the mood in the camp is so sombre that I cannot! In an ideal situation, we would have played spinners but we put together what was available for us. Spinner Pravin Tambe was injured. The game showed our resilience.”
Dravid praised the younger players in his team, saying clarity in roles and the urge to take up responsibility has been the secret of their success this year.
“We give our players a lot of freedom. There is absolute clarity on roles, everyone knows what they have to do. But more than that, when it comes down to performance and execution, each and everyone of us stands up and does his bit.”