India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday revealed that the team think-tank was toying with the idea of dropping off-colour Rahul Dravid in the batting order but said it was in two minds fearing the ploy may boomerang in the second and final Test against England.
Dhoni said promoting VVS Laxman at number three was one of the options before the Indian team in the match starting tomorrow but felt it was not a foolproof idea of helping Dravid wriggle out of his bad patch.
"We are thinking about that but as of now, it's not confirmed," Dhoni told reporters.
"Shifting Rahul to number five and asking VVS to bat at number three seems ok at times. VVS has scored runs at number three and it would be easy for Rahul too. But it can also boomerang," he said.
"If VVS gets a good ball and gets out, there is already pressure on Rahul and once you lose three wickets, the pressure is always on the number five batsman. It's really tough to tackle that," Dhoni explained.
"At least batting at number three gives you the freedom to play your natural game," he said.
Since the home series against South African, Dravid has been a pale shadow of his former self and continuous failure has reduced the Mr Dependable to the weakling of the side.
"We are not really worried with Rahul's form. It's just a matter of time. Once he passes the 30-run mark he can get his confidence back. Nobody can question his talent and determination," Dhoni said. "It's the initial phase and he has not been able to pass that phase. But we have confidence in him," he added.
Dhoni said with India delivering as a unit, there was no insecurity in the side and he was not perturbed by a failure on any individual's part.
"It happens when the team starts doing well. It allows you to go ahead with a few guys who are not in very good form or phase. It's a team sport and if the team does well, you can carry a few individuals, giving them more time (to find their form)," he explained.
Waxing eloquent on the unity in the dressing room, the Indian captain said, "We understand each other well, we know the strength of the individuals and enjoy each other's success.
"We back Virender Sehwag to play his shots even if he gets out in a few innings. As a team we know how dangerous he is and how he scored so many runs in international cricket. We believe in the talent every individual has got and that makes us a real team.
"We always have the self-belief. We believe we can do things. When people question our ability, we want to prove the wrong. Guys come up and say 'Well, I'll take the responsibility and take the team through," he said.
Under him, winning has become a habit for the side but Dhoni insisted it was not as easy as it appears.
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