India skipper Rahul Dravid has come under flak from former all-rounder Ravi Shastri, who says it is time he asserts himself and calls the shots instead of coach Greg Chappell.
"It's time Dravid exerted himself and told Chappell that in future he will call the shots," Shastri said in the wake of India's debacle in the tri-series in Malaysia.
"A coach must only help the captain but the final decision must rest with Dravid. He should decide who should bat at No 3 and not the coach," he was quoted as saying by the Gulf News on Sunday.
The cricketer-turned-commentator said Dravid should be allowed to field an eleven of his choice.
"Dravid should stand up and say that he is the boss and that he controls matters once he crosses the boundary line. He should get an eleven of his choice," he said.
Shastri also slammed Chappell's experiments with the batting order of Virender Sehwag and Dravid, which, he believes, put paid to India's chances in the tri-series.
"It's time Chappell stopped his experiments with the team. I cannot understand how he could send Virender Sehwag at No 4. I will always prefer Sehwag as an opener. If he gets going even three out of ten times, it would bring victory to the team," he said.
He said Chappell's decision to make Dravid open was shocking.
"To ask Dravid, known as the world's finest middle order batsmen, to open the innings, is a big blunder. One must have a solid batsman like Dravid coming in at No 4."
