Tests will be in danger in 10 years, says Dravid

Mumbai, July 4
Rahul Dravid has cautioned that Test cricket will face a stiff survival challenge in a decade's time since children who are growing up watching and playing the shorter formats of the game may prefer easy money in the Twenty20 format over the traditional form of the game.

"I think today's youngsters like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary have grown up watching and idealising Test cricket. It's (about) kids of my son's age, who have grown up watching T20 and IPL, and what those kids want, will be the challenge in 10 years' time," said Dravid at a book launch today.

"I don't see that as an immediate problem, I see it as a long-term issue. That challenge is going to arise in 10 years' time and we need to address that problem right now," said the batsman who was the proverbial rock at N. 3 for India in Tests for more than a decade and a half. Dravid, who holds the record for second highest runs scored in Test matches, said while the cash-rich IPL provides the opportunity for players to earn big bucks, children growing up with the game should be told that the real satisfaction comes by playing Test cricket around the world.

"I had gone through a degree in commerce and not very successfully. So I knew that the only option for me was to be a successful Test cricketer at that stage. Today the options are a lot more. People have the option of not playing Test cricket but still making money out of the game. Who is to blame kids for taking that option? I won't judge them on that," he said.

"I want to tell kids that the greatest satisfaction you are going to get is by playing Test cricket across these wonderful stadiums in the world. So don't sell yourself short," the former Indian skipper said.

Dravid, who took over as captain of India when Greg Chappell was the coach, said he always had felt in command of the team, contrary to the general belief that it was the controversial Aussie who ran the show.

"It was always my team. There is no doubt about that. Because Greg was a strong personality and because he himself was a great cricketer, because of the fanfare and publicity, at times it could come across as it was his team," said Dravid about.

"He can polarise a team with his strong personality. But I always thought it was my team. I never felt that he took a hard position when I wanted to do things differently," said the former captain.

"I thought he (Chappell) was a terrific man to talk batting with. He is the kind of a player who had grown up in a era of Australian cricket where they played the game and, at the end of the day, discussed the game. There was a lot that he could offer in terms of knowledge and experiences on how you could play the game," the 40-year-old former India star elaborated.

Dravid brushed aside queries about coaching the national side in the future: "Are you the one offering the job? I don't know. I have not been offered at this stage.