"It is a very happy feeling that a legend like Rahul Dravid talks highly about me. But I can't just sit back and be happy about it. I have to back it up with my performances."
"I am not someone who likes to be in the dressing room and waste time; I like to be on the field all the time and be counted. That is how I am."
"As a cricketer - or any sportsperson, for that matter - you like yourself to be tested and get better all the time."
"I don't know whether I am mentally tough or not, but one thing I know is that I like the game and spend as much time as possible on it."
"I spent a lot of time with Rahul Dravid, working on my game and chatting about cricket. He helped me a lot in the games I played for India 'A.'"
"Fortunately, I got to play some India 'A' games, and some games where the pressure was a little less, so that I can focus on my skill and my technique."
"200 for a batsman is a big landmark, and I have never been somebody who has chased landmarks, but getting a 200 will always be a proud moment for a batsman."
"Everybody enjoys each other's success. We are always pushing each other to get better on the field and off the field, helping each other out in the nets or in the gym. That's the most important thing."
"I totally enjoyed playing in Australia. I think they play very tough cricket, and the brand of cricket they play is very strong."
"Everybody has different ways of playing the game."
"You need to be mentally and physically very strong to go and perform in Australia."
"You know when you go to Australia you will get sledged. That's the fun of the game."
"T20 may be fast, but still, you never plan for a T20 - the same way you don't plan for the other formats."
"Everyone wants to perform."
"Every player goes through rough patches."
"If you are hitting the ball well, your form, your technique looks good, and when you are not, everything about your game looks bad. That is how it goes."
"Every innings is important."
"I've been successful when I have kept things simple - playing cricketing shots that I'm blessed with or I am good at playing."
"It took me a long time to realise that I need to stay true to my game."
"Every player needs that one or two innings to get the confidence in whatever format to realise that he's good enough to be successful in whatever conditions or at whatever level."
"If you are batting first as an opener, you give yourselves a couple of overs, see what's the wicket behaving, and then try to assess what a good score on that wicket would be, and then you plan accordingly."
"As players, we look to prepare, and if opportunity comes by, we want to do well, both for ourselves and for team."
"Working my way through different formats has not changed my batting approach much."
"Earlier in the shorter format, I was not consistent, so I was not getting noticed. But I always believed that I had the game to do it. It was just about consistency."
"I would be proud if I can score as many runs as Rahul Dravid by the time I retire and serve the country as long as he did."
