Looking fit as ever, Rahul Dravid was the first to arrive on Friday afternoon at the National Cricket Academy where the Indian ODI squad has assembled for a four-day camp. And straightaway, he got down to business.

Coach Gary Kirsten started Dravid off against a tennis ball, with booming serves from 18 yards away. Against the bowling machine, Dravid was circumspect but did not miss a single opportunity to put the short ball away. As for the bowlers running in, he was solid as usual, and even hit a few deliveries over the top for good measure.

With Dravid making it back to the one-day squad after two years, all eyes were on him on Friday, as will probably be the case when India travel to Sri Lanka for a tri-series also involving New Zealand.

But while he was grabbing the eyeballs, Sachin Tendulkar — also returning to the team after a spell on the sidelines due to injury — eased himself back into action after an international break stretching back to India’s final one-dayer against New Zealand in March this year.

First up, he danced down the track to smash Harbhajan Singh over the top; next ball, he patted down with a dead bat, giving no indication of how he would go about his task once the real action starts. He’s played the sheet anchor in the recent past, providing experience and stability at the top to allow youngsters to carve out the big shots. But with Dravid back in the fold, and the absence of Virender Sehwag at the top, it isn’t hard to imagine him playing a shade more aggressively than he has done of late.

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