Kolkata, Nov 14: Scoring his 36th Test ton, Rahul Dravid took India to a position of strength on Day 1 of the second Test against West Indies. Out on 119 towards the end of the day, the No. 3 batsman was involved in a 140-run stand with VVS Laxman which helped India cross the 300-run mark.

Excerpts from his end of day media interaction:

On his streak of centuries

Yes, [it] obviously feels like I am in some good form. [I’ve] hit a good patch; [I] feel my game is good. I am in a good space with my game and mentally as well, so I’m [trying] to make it count and last as long as it can. [I’ve] been through some tough times so I know very well that if things are going for you, [you have] to make the most of it.

On his form

I don’t know about that but like I said, I feel good. [I] feel like I’m playing well even in the nets and even coming into the game, mentally I feel relaxed; so it’s a good space to be in. It’s a funny game; you never know [when] tough times are around the corner but [as] long as you have a good time going, you’ve got to keep it going.

On his partnership with VVS Laxman

The idea was to try and build a big partnership, try and score some runs and put the team in a good position. It was nice to bat with [VVS] Laxman again. It is always nice to bat with him in any case, but it was nice to bat with him here at Eden Gardens also.

On whether this was the easiest century he has scored at Eden Gardens

Not easy but I think in the context of the game, probably [of] the other three that I have got, obviously the 180 [runs] is the most celebrated one and it was tough conditions and a tough attack. The hundreds in each innings against Pakistan also are very dear to me because in the context of those games, those hundreds in each innings were literally match deciders. So we will see how this one goes and will see what happens in the end. But, yes. Relatively I have to say probably this was the easiest.

On his purple patch

[I] gained confidence after hitting a century in Jamaica; from there I have just carried on. I haven’t made too many changes in my technique or anything. I have worked with Duncan [Fletcher] a little bit; he has suggested a few little things which I think are helping. [It’s] good to have someone like him. He can read a game quite well, he reads batting techniques quiet well. He suggested a couple of things which seemed to have helped me a bit.

On batting with Laxman

We have been batting with each other for so long we don’t really need to say much to each other. We actually don’t talk a lot in the middle; we just say keep going or just relax. He is a stroke player and he plays a lot of shots. He comes in and he looks to put pressure on the bowlers in a different sort of way, not like a Viru [Virender Sehwag] but in a different sort of way. So it makes it a little easier for me at the other end and I can play at a pace I want and rotate the strike and keep turning it over and give it to him. Today we batted well together; we scored nearly at the same pace as well so it was quite good.

On getting out towards the end of the day

I am a little disappointed. I batted the whole day and knew that it was coming to the end of the day. It would have been nice to start fresh tomorrow; it would have been especially nice to play against the new ball. I knew that the next 10-15 overs with the new ball would be a little important and it would have been nice if two set batsmen would have been in the middle. If you have batted a whole day it’s nice to get some fluids in relax and come fresh the next day. With a hundred behind your name it’s a nice feeling to come out and bat.

On hitting a six in the innings

Preparing for the IPL [laughs]. It was just there to hit I guess.

On whether his next target is 40 centuries

No, not really. [I] never thought I would get 36 so [I’m] not putting a number to it; we’ll see what happens. [I] don’t want to think too much about numbers and statistics and runs and averages. [I] just try and focus, prepare well and get ready and get into right frame of mind every time I play. Sometimes it will succeed [and] sometimes it won’t but I find that more often than not, I can make it work.

On the merits of having a settled opening pair of Sehwag and Gambhir

That definitely does help. An opening partnership like Viru and Gautam makes a big difference; they are terrific openers [and] it is great to be No. 3. The way they bat, more often than not they have been giving us very good starts. The way they play, they score at such a rapid pace initially that puts people [opposition] on the back-foot; that makes [it] a lot easier for us in the middle-order to come in and play once they have pushed the opposition on the back-foot already.

On examining his own batting in the context of Sehwag, Gambhir and Tendulkar

Yes, I have my own unique style, and I focus and concentrate on it. It’s not for me to compete with someone else or bat like someone else. What’s best for me I have to work on that and it’s got me success so I don’t want to try and change it too much.

On whether IPL has influenced his batting

IPL is a kind of format where you are hitting shots all the time, most of the time. You are practicing hitting for six weeks […] Maybe a bit does rub off but for me I find I can play at a good and quick pace when things are going well for me. There are lots of phases in my career when I am playing well and everything seems to flow. It’s not about the six-hitting for me, it’s about the ability to pick up length and get fully forward, get fully back and hit those boundaries that I sometimes I miss out on if I am not completely in the right place.

On Sachin Tendulkar missing out on his 100th century

He is going to do it one day. Today was just a short ball and he was unfortunate to find the fielder. There was one fielder on the leg-side and he found him. He batted beautifully […] He is timing [his shots] well. I thought that 70 in Delhi, he was really good under pressure. It’s just a matter of time. Sometimes you get out; it’s one of those things, he is just getting out. Sooner rather than later he is going to get that mark. I don’t really think he is too bothered about it.

On the lack of crowds at Eden Gardens

I remember coming here in the 1990s and playing Test matches here and 100,000 people and 80,000 people watching a game of cricket. In some ways it is a little sad […] That is the way it is all over now. It is becoming tougher and tougher for people to come and watch Test cricket. I think people still follow the game on television; a lot and a lot is written about it and I think people are interested in Test cricket. There was magic [then], not that it isn’t there but there was a magic when 100,000 people [turned up] here. It was electric.