I enjoy frustrating people, says Dravid

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/16742899.cms" alt="/photo/16742899.cms" border="0" /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">LONDON: </span>The ever dependable Rahul Dravid denies he is defensive but says he enjoys batting for long periods and "frustrating people" by his technique. "I wouldn''t say I''m defensive but I think sometimes the situation demands that I put down a solid foundation for the stroke-makers to follow," the <span style="" color:="" font-style:="" italic="">Observer</span> quoted Dravid as saying on Sunday.<br />"I enjoy doing that (playing defensive). I enjoy batting for long periods. I enjoy frustrating people," Dravid said. Dravid also dismissed suggestions that being in the same side as batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar had affected his batting. "I''ve never looked at it that way. I mean it''s a huge honour to play with Sachin, to share the same dressing room as him. <br />"If anything his presence has helped me and been good for my cricket. I''ve always batted the way I know I can bat." When Dravid arrives at Lord''s on Thursday for India''s first Test against England, the 29-year-old will be returning to the scene of his Test debut. <br />Six years ago, he and another newcomer to the Indian side, Sourav Ganguly, shared a 94-run sixth-wicket stand that was the key to their team having the better of a drawn game. <br />Ganguly''s 131 gained the greater attention, but Dravid''s 95, which mixed impeccable defence and devastating retribution on the loose ball - his square cut is as majestic as that of the great Rohan Kanhai - was, if anything, more remarkable, the newspaper said. <br />Coming in at No. 7 with five wickets down for barely 200, he was chiefly responsible for the lower order mustering more than half the first-innings total of 429. Not bad for a batsman who did not play on grass until he was nearly 17. <br />Dravid has played in 60 Tests, scoring 4,733 runs at an average of 51.44, the sort of return achieved by only the most accomplished. With his classical right-hander style, he is a hoarder of runs rather than a rapacious gatherer. But if he does not crush attacks, he can fillet them mighty effectively. <br />The most notable of his 10 Test hundreds was the 180 he scored in India''s remarkable win over Australia in Kolkata in March last year, during which he totally mastered Shane Warne''s leg spin. </div> </div>