After being included in India's one day international (ODI) squad for the five match series against England, veteran batsman RahulDravid on Saturday announced that he will retire from ODI and T20 cricket at the end of the tour. Dravid though will continue to represent India in Tests.
The 38-year-old former India captain made the announcement through a statement shortly before stumps on the final day of the two-day warm-up game between India and Northamptonshire at the county's ground.
Earlier on Saturday, Dravid's selection for the one-day series against England signalled his return to the shorter format of the game after a gap of two years. The batsman last played an ODI during the ICC Champions Trophy against the West Indies in Johannesburg in September, 2009.
Dravid's form and his ability to negotiate the English conditions have been seen as a key factor for the selection committee to go with the 38-year-old. The right-hander has been the best Indian batsman on display during the first two Tests against England, scoring back-to-back hundreds.
Dravid was surprised on his inclusion in the ODI squad.
"Since I had not been picked for one-day cricket for the last two years, I was obviously a little surprised," he said after the warm-up match against Northamptonshire. "To be honest, because I had not been picked, I had not informed the selectors or the board of my desire to solely focus on Test cricket.
"At the end of this one-day series, I would like to announce my retirement from one-day and Twenty20 cricket and concentrate only on Test cricket. I am committed, as always to give my best to India in this one-day series and obviously the Test series that follows.
"In the short term I am committed because now I have been picked for the series, but in the long term I think it is best for me and Indian cricket that I focus on Test cricket."
Dravid'sODI record is as enviable as his Test career. He has played 339 matches, batted in 313 of them and scored 10,765 runs at an average of 39.43.
He has 12 hundreds and 82 fifties to his credit and his highest score is 153, which he scored against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 1999. His highest in an ODI played in England came during the 1999 World Cup when he hit a brilliant 145 against Sri Lanka at Taunton.
