Dravid hoping India can continue winning form by AFP

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Player:	RS Dravid
Event:	India in Pakistan 2005/06

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DateLine: 20th February 2006

 

Indian captain Rahul Dravid praised his teammates' performance in the one-day series against Pakistan and said he hoped they would have similar success against England at home.

 

"Hopefully, we will carry forward the confidence of this series against England after a few days off," said Dravid after India beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the fifth and final match on Sunday to take the series 4-1.

 

"We will assemble again and just get back to cricket for one more tough series against a good team," he said.

 

The three-Test series starts with the first match at Nagpur from March 1. It will be followed by seven-match one-day series.

 

Dravid, whose team lost the preceding three-match Test series to Pakistan 1-0, said confidence was the key in the turn around.

 

"We are on a bit of a roll now and responded really well after the loss of the Test series. The spirit in the camp is very good mentally after you win games like we have over the last 15 or 16 games."

 

Dravid praised Yuvraj for his outstanding performance in the one-day series against Pakistan.

 

"Yuvraj is a standout performer for us," Dravid said of the left-hander who notched 344 runs in five matches to deservedly win man-of-the-series award.

 

Yuvraj Singh hit an unbeaten 107 while Mahendra Dhoni smashed a 46-ball 77 not out to help the tourists to their fourth successive win. They successfully chased the 287-run target with 3.1 overs to spare.

 

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer singled out India's fielding as key to their win.

 

"India's fielding and throwing was superb. If you cast your mind back to Rawalpindi where they had four brilliant run outs and such things impacted," Woolmer said.

 

"I can only give credit to India really. I don't want to knock my side they worked hard they tried hard they did the best they can, but nothing went right for them."

 

Woolmer said his team will have to work to overcome the weaknesses.

 

"We have to look hard at our batting, bowling and fielding and I am glad that it has happened so that we can do something about it before this time next year for the World Cup," he said.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)