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Home > Cricket > India's tour of West Indies > PTI > Report


Dravid is a marked man: Collins

June 09, 2006 18:02 IST

Recalled left-arm West Indies paceman Pedro Collins warned Rahul Dravid, saying he is the 'marked' man for his team and the visiting Indian captain would do well by not taking him lightly.

"He is one of the best players in the team and kind of a marked man for us. If you get him early, you can put a lot of pressure on the rest," said Collins, brought in to replace an injured Fidel Edwards for the second Test, starting in St Lucia on Saturday.

"I look forward to get a chance to bowl and surprise him," said Collins, known to take the best batsman of the other team out of the equation.

But it does not seem a fair challenge knowing Dravid has 8664 runs from 101 Tests, at an average of 57.76, and Collins has only a smattering of Tests in nearly eight years of his international career.

In 2002, he played three Tests against India and got Sachin Tendulkar out in all of them, twice for ducks.

When England toured the Caribbean in 2004, he claimed Michael Vaughan twice in three Tests and again in the first Test in Lord's three months later. His last two Tests were against South Africa last year and he got Herschelle Gibbs in both of them.

The legend in Caribbean cricket is that whenever Collins turned up for Barbados against Trinidad, he nearly always got a certain Brian Lara out.

Injuries and comebacks have been the theme in Collins's career, which started in 1999, and is still only 29-matches-old.

"I have four of five years of international cricket to make up (for lost opportunities). I am now 30," said Collins during Thursday's nets session.

Collins came into the picture after Edwards pulled out because of a hamstring strain, but not before he had a word of advice for his half-brother.

"He spoke at the airport and told me just to watch my line and stuff since they (Indians) are very difficult batsmen," he said.

But Line and length has never been an issue with Collins, who can frustrate the batsmen with his accuracy. However, in the present West Indies line-up, he hopes to bring his experience to good use.

"There are not too many quick wickets in the Caribbean, or for that matter in world cricket. But line and length is an area where I am good at.

"The pitch here in the middle is not one of the quickest of pitches and requires a lot of hard work."

Collins has an added incentive for the second Test. After 29 games, he is just four short of raising 100 Test victims in his career. It would be a good reward for the utility man of West Indies cricket.


India's tour of West Indies: The Complete Coverage

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Number of User Comments: 4




Sub: Tendulkar is the best.

Tendulkar is the best. He might be having a bad time recently, but overall he is the best. Dravid might be better than Tendulkar as ...


Posted by Ritwik





Sub: Pedro Collins

Pedro Collins should first consider being an integral part of the team. There is no use marking people if you are not sure of a ...


Posted by Sumedh Warudkar





Sub: Lara

1st Test. It no longer is a gentleman's game. Lara was insolent and so were the umpires.


Posted by Anil Agrawal





Sub: Dravid is a marked man

He is a wonderful and a hardworking player.He capable of playing under high pressure.This makes him special.


Posted by Neha Chaudhari




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