Headingley (Leeds): Ganguly's ploy of making his deputy Rahul Dravid double up as a wicket-keeper in One-day Internationals is beginning to show astonishingly good results.

Dravid has got rid of five top-order batsmen of England and Sri Lanka by way of catches or stumping in the first two games of the NatWest triangular series, and the Indians are over the moon at his tidy work behind the stumps.

"Rahul has been a revelation," gushed captain Ganguly. "He is beginning to look good enough to command his place as a specialist wicket-keeper in the side."

It is high praise from a man who is said to have coaxed his vice-captain to take over the additional role of a 'keeper, besides that of a dependable middle-order batsman.

Ganguly may have another reason to go overboard about Dravid as the latter picked up a stunning catch to get rid of England's Marcus Trescothick off the skipper's bowling in India's opening match of the series at Lord's on Saturday.

It was a measure of Dravid's confidence that he was standing up to the wicket against Ganguly's medium-pace bowling, and smoothly intercepted an intended glide from the buccaneering Trescothick at a critical stage of England innings.

Dravid was helped in his wicket-keeping technique by former India stumper Kiran More, who worked with the batsman before the England series.

Dravid has on and off kept for India and his outing against Sri Lanka was his 14th in his 173rd One-day International. The clamour for him to don the gloves in the One- dayers has only gained a decisive voice in recent times.

"Indeed it was at Hyderabad (against Zimbabwe, earlier this year), where Dravid would have begun to keep wickets on a regular basis. But looking at the wicket, we decided against it," Ganguly revealed.

And Ganguly must own up to taking quite a few liberties in terms of making choices on behalf of Dravid's career in recent times.

Ganguly has shifted Dravid's batting order wantonly in recent times, even asking him to open in Tests. "It just gives us a better balance in our batting," Ganguly said.

"We can play an extra batsman and it provides depth to our line-up."

But despite all the bonhomie expressed in public, it must be said Dravid could have had his reservations in taking up the responsibility of a wicket-keeper, at least initially.

Coach John Wright disagreed with it and said Dravid was only too happy to lend his weight on team's behalf.

"The thing about this issue is, as long as you are doing a good job behind the stumps, you are praised. No sooner you drop a critical catch in a critical game, you would be vilified," former India captain Ravi Shastri said.

This is a cross Dravid must wear in order to promote India's cause and also lengthen his One-day career, which has faced threats from promising youngsters in recent times.

Dravid, barring any unfortunate injury, now must stand behind the wickets till the next World Cup in South Africa in February-March 2003.

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Thatscricket Special: English Summer