By IANS
London : Team India skipper Rahul Dravid defiantly declared “we got what we came for” while refusing to apologise for what was labelled by experts as “ultra defensive tactics” in the third Test against England at The Oval.
Dravid faced criticism for not forcing England to follow-on on the fourth day of the Test, allowing the home side to claim a draw.
With the series wrapped up 1-0, the captain told a news conference: “I know my bowlers and team and I could not force too much from them.
“In the end, we came here to win the series and that’s exactly what we did.
“I’m so proud to have captained this team. Everything we have achieved here is down to team effort and it is a fitting finale for some of our older players who won’t be playing here again.
“It will be fantastic when we are older and we can look back at a time when we came to the home of cricket and came away with a series win – it’s amazing.”
Man of the match Anil Kumble is one of those who won’t be returning to play Test cricket in England.
“This is a very special moment, winning a series in England for the first time in 21 years. This is definitely my last Test in England and it will be nice to go home with this memory. We deserve it,” the leg-spinner told the media.
“I have really fond memories of playing Test and county cricket in this country but none better than making a hundred at The Oval and winning the series. It is a great way to finish my career here.”
The veteran, who made his maiden Test century in the first innings, also revealed that former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, the highest scorer in Test history without a century to his name, sent him a congratulatory message.
“It was lovely of Shane to send me a message,” revealed Kumble.