PTI
New Delhi, May 9: Captain Rahul Dravid said on Monday it was high time the Indian team justified its potential by setting right its overseas record on their upcoming tour of the West Indies later this month.
With the exception of a 2-0 win in Zimbabwe last year, India have not won a series outside the subcontinent since 1986 when, led by Kapil Dev, they beat England in England.
Dravid said the visit to the Caribbean would be an opportunity to correct that anomaly.
"Obviously it is a big challenge. It is important for us to do well and correct the record outside the subcontinent," Dravid said at a press conference here.
"Every international tour is an opportunity to rectify that. Hopefully we can try and fulfil some of the talents we have." India depart for the West Indies on May 11 and are to play five one-dayers and four Tests from May 18 to July 4.
The captain expected the series to be "not any easy" and said the West Indies were a bunch "similar" to India in certain ways.
"They have good batsmen, and talented, young pacers. They are a developing side. They ran us close in the triseries in Sri Lanka last year," he said.
"They are very much like us, a couple of senior guys and many youngsters. There are similarities." PTI
Dravid Moves to Second Spot in ICC Test Ratings
PTI
Dubai: Indian captain Rahul Dravid has upstaged South African Jacques Kallis to move into second position in the latest LG ICC Test batsmen's rankings.
The twin failures in the final Test against New Zealand at Johannesburg resulted in Kallis dropping a place, allowing Dravid to move a slot next to Australian skipper Ricky Ponting.
Anil Kumble maintained his ninth position in the bowlers' charts.
The 2-0 series win over Stephen Fleming's side took South Africa past the Black Caps to fifth spot in team rankings.
The Proteas are now just eight points behind fourth-placed Pakistan.
Sri Lankan off spinner Mutthiah Muralitharan leads the bowling rankings ahead of South African pacer Makhaya Ntini and the Aussie duo of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
In the all-rounders' list, England's Andrew Flintoff dethroned Kallis from the top spot while Shaun Pollock climbed two places to third, overtaking India's Irfan Pathan and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori.
Watchmaker Citizen to invest USD4 mn, signs up Dravid as ambassador
New Delhi: Japanese premuim watchmaker Citizen on Monday said it would invest about USD3-4 million in the next two years to expand its business in India and has signed up cricketer Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador.
"For the next two years we have earmarked an investment of about 3-4 million dollars for our retail expansion and brand promotion," Citizen Watches India Managing Director Hideaki Nakazaki told reporters here.
He said the company was looking at doubling sales in India from two lakh pieces last year, for which it was on a retail expansion programme.
"Last year we had a turnover of about Rs 600 million. This year we are looking at doubling it. Also, we have set a target of opening 350 retail outlets by the end of the year," he said, adding for this year alone, the company was targeting a sales of 3,00,000 units.
Moreover, the company would also be increasing the number its exclusive retail stores to 40 by the end of the year from the current level of 27 across India.
"This month itself we are adding three more exclusive outlets," he said, adding the aim was to add one exclusive outlet and three in multibrand shops every month.
Nakazaki said Citizen was expecting to have a huge impact on sales after signing up Dravid as its brand ambassador. "In two years of association with him, we are looking double our sales," he said. Dravid is the company's second brand ambassador after actress Kareena Kapoor.
He also said Citizen would be increasing exports to SAARC countries, which was worth about 2 million dollars last year.