Cricket
Dravid to call it a day
2012-03-08 10:55
New Delhi - Indian batting superstar Rahul
Dravid, the second-highest run scorer of all time in Tests, is set to
announce his retirement from international cricket on Friday, reports
say.
The Press Trust of India and the Cricinfo website both said
the 39-year-old was poised to call time on his career in the national
team after a wretched Test series in Australia, where India were
whitewashed 4-0.
Dravid, popularly known as "The Wall", scored
only 194 runs in eight innings and was bowled out in six of them as
Australian paceman Ben Hilfenhaus repeatedly breached his
once-formidable defences.
India's famous but ageing batting stars
Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar are all
under pressure, with the national team in crisis less than a year after
it lifted the World Cup on home soil.
Dravid is to address a press
conference in Bangalore on Friday alongside the president of the Board
of Control for Cricket in India, N. Srinivasan, the Press Trust of India
reported, citing a statement.
The one-time India captain, lauded
for his sportsmanship and level temperament, retired from short formats
of the international game last year, but had vowed to continue in Tests.
He
was one of few players to emerge with any credit after India's
disastrous tour of England last year where he defied the years to crack
three hundreds in different innings.
As speculation grew in India about his imminent retirement, tributes poured in.
"Holding
back my thoughts till I hear a formal announcement, but if he retires
it will be an emotional moment for me," wrote leading cricket
commentator Harsha Bhogle on Twitter.
Dravid was rumoured to be
set to retire in January during the Australia tour, but the reports were
dismissed as "baseless" by the team management.