November 07, 2007	Wednesday	Shawwal 25, 1428

MUMBAI, Nov 6: India’s Rahul Dravid struck a fluent double century in his first domestic game after being dropped from the one-day team for the opening two matches against Pakistan for loss of form.

Former captain Dravid, 77 overnight, hit 214 in the second innings for Karnataka against champions Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy national championship match that was heading for a draw on Tuesday.

Dravid, 34, one of seven batsmen in the world to score over 10,000 one-day runs, had looked out of sorts in last month’s one-day series against Australia, scoring just 51 in five completed innings.

But the top-order batsman, who made 40 in the first innings of the domestic game, showed a fine touch as he hit 21 fours and five sixes before being caught in the deep.

Dravid has been one of India’s batting mainstays for over a decade with Sachin Tendulkar, 34, and Saurav Ganguly, 35, but their age, fitness and form have increasingly come under the spotlight in the one-day game.

Indian selectors will announce the team for the remaining matches of the five-match series after the second one-dayer in Mohali on Thursday.

India won the opening game by five wickets on Monday.

Pakistan will also play three Tests.—Reuters