A team man to the core, Dravid agreed to the makeshift opener's role, a move aimed at accommodating Yuvraj Singh in the playing eleven, only to cut a sorry figure in both the innings of the Boxing Day Test.

Zaheer, however, asserted that despite his poor show in Melbourne, Dravid continued to have the wholehearted support of his teammates and exuded confidence that the former captain would soon hit the purple patch.

"We always back our players. That's what is more important at this level. He's a great batsman and that's why he's ready to accept that," Zaheer said.

"He is definitely due and we are all behind him," he added.

Far from being the bulwark of the middle order, Dravid clearly struggled in the opener's role in Melbourne, crawling to a 66-ball five in the first innings and managing just 16 of his 114-ball stay in the second essay.