Mohali: A solemn Indian skipper Rahul Dravid admitted that India's performance in the Champions Trophy was a failure. Despite being disappointed, he was ready to analyse why playing at home India could not make it to the semifinals.
Gulf News: What went wrong despite posting a good total?
Dravid: We did not bowl well in the first 15 overs. We allowed them to a good start where they nearly scored 60 runs in the first nine overs. After that we could not put pressure on them with our spinners.
Gulf News: Why did the bowlers not click today?
Dravid: Our bowlers are a bit inexperienced. They probably tried too hard and gave away too many runs. Once Australia got off to a good start then we were fighting with our backs to the walls.
Gulf News: Do you think 250 was a decent total to contain the Australians?
Dravid: We should have posted a bigger total. I think we were about 25 runs short, especially after a good start. Australians bowled quite well and chased the target with clinical professionalism. They played better cricket than us.
Gulf News: Do you think your decision to bat first was wrong?
Dravid: It was a good wicket to bat. We tried to keep wickets until the end and I thought 250 was a good score. The wicket had bounce, pace and turn for the spinners too. But the fact is that we did not apply ourselves correctly.
Gulf News: So what are the areas that you think need improvement?
Dravid: There is a lot of work to be done in the coming days. We have to improve in all areas. I am happy with the young seamers, they are hard working, but we need to put more runs on the board.
Gulf News: Under these circumstances, how do you see the oncoming South African tour?
Dravid: A tour to South Africa has always been tough. It will be a good experience. We have to learn from the drawbacks of this tournament and go on to do better there. We have slipped down in our ranking. We need to attain consistency.
