"If you play a lot of games, you can pile up a lot of numbers."
That comment above puts, in a sentence of his own words, Rahul Dravid's approach to cricket. Dravid didn't care much for big, astronomical figures. He wasn't interested in adding zeroes to his run account or boasting of world records. To him, the team came first. India was paramount. The Indian fan was paramount. He never considered himself to be beyond the game or beyond the team, even. To him, he was a representative of India and strived to add to its glories.
His comment at the Don Bradman Oration in Australia late last year put in a nutshell the reverence he had for the country, its cricket and, more importantly, its diverse people -
"Indian cricket is not all about money and power, it is something else. It is the only dressing room in the world where 15 players speak 15 different languages and yet play together for the love of cricket".
But Beside The Point, what strikes me most is his willingness to lead from the front, time and again, putting Indian Cricket first. Recall the incredible 2001 Kolkata Test against Steve Waugh's rampaging Australians - can there ever be a greater Test victory for the Indian team? Walking in to join VVS Laxman in a situation where even the most optimistic fairytale prince would have given up hope, Dravid, ill and on antibiotics, demolished Australia's well-founded hopes with a classic 180, snatching victory where there seemed to be none. Or in 2003, in Adelaide, once again against Steve Waugh's legendary Aussie team, when Rahul Dravid with his trusted sidekick, VVS Laxman, plotted the downfall of the Kangaroos in their own backyard. Who would have thought that India would ever win a Test match on Aussie soil against that incredible unit! Dravid made the impossible. But again! In 2002, against England on a green turf at Headingley where you'd rather graze cows than bat, Dravid dug in, sweating out over 400 minutes, making 148 runs, putting India first, giving them an extraordinary victory on English soil. Nasser Hussain, the English skipper, was flummoxed! But for Dravid, it was nothing new. Yes, Dravid believed in the impossible. He believed in standing his ground for hours together, tiring the hapless opposition with a stubborn straight bat, hitting the ball onto the ground ball after ball, over after over, session after session, day after day. McGrath, Akram, Lee, Flintoff, Akhtar, Harmison, they all came running in, but the Wall would not be breached. Not until the Wall decided to let go himself! Laxman said his friend suffered from dehydration almost all the time. Well, the reason is all too obvious, isn't it?
But Dravid's credentials at putting the team first go much beyond his batsmanship. They, rather controversially at times, influenced his captaincy as well. On the famous tour to Pakistan in 2003-04, Dravid, as stand-in captain for an injured Sourav Ganguly, declared the Indian innings with Sachin Tendulkar on 194*. Many cried foul and called it 'sacrilege'. Mumbai, almost immediately, went ablaze. Tendulkar himself came back to the dressing room rather sulkily. But that's how it was for Rahul Dravid. The team came first, irrespective of who or what is batting out there in the middle. Dravid won back some captaincy credentials later on though, beating Sri Lanka 6-1 at home in 2005. Dravid then won 14 ODI games on the trot, as captain, to beat the earlier record set by the West Indies for most consecutive ODI wins. But all was to be forgotten as India got pummeled and pasted, pulverized and punished in the 2007 World Cup. India exited at the end of the first round and on arriving at home, Dravid exited the Bangalore Airport through the cargo gate. Angry fans shouted slogans, calling for his axing. Dravid, the captain, was all but over. Dravid, the batsman, though, wasn't done yet. He went on to amass runs on the tour to England and remained India's most dependable, putting Indian cricket first.
Dravid retired from international cricket on the 9th of March, once more, putting Indian cricket first. The team is in crisis. Young talented men are having to be satisfied with a seat on the bench for months together after having traveled nearly half the world across to England and Australia. Selectors are struggling, lacking the guts and determination to phase out the senior citizens of Indian cricket, much in contrast to their Australian counterparts (they threw away Ricky Ponting without a second thought!) But Dravid decided to put his hand up, lead from the front, selflessly stepping aside and setting a much-needed trend for his other legendary comrades to follow. "It's time for the next generation", he said.
Rahul Dravid takes his willow into the sunset. Indian cricket just lost its most selfless servant. The world of cricket just lost its most dignified citizen.
That comment above puts, in a sentence of his own words, Rahul Dravid's approach to cricket. Dravid didn't care much for big, astronomical figures. He wasn't interested in adding zeroes to his run account or boasting of world records. To him, the team came first. India was paramount. The Indian fan was paramount. He never considered himself to be beyond the game or beyond the team, even. To him, he was a representative of India and strived to add to its glories.
His comment at the Don Bradman Oration in Australia late last year put in a nutshell the reverence he had for the country, its cricket and, more importantly, its diverse people -"Indian cricket is not all about money and power, it is something else. It is the only dressing room in the world where 15 players speak 15 different languages and yet play together for the love of cricket".
But Beside The Point, what strikes me most is his willingness to lead from the front, time and again, putting Indian Cricket first. Recall the incredible 2001 Kolkata Test against Steve Waugh's rampaging Australians - can there ever be a greater Test victory for the Indian team? Walking in to join VVS Laxman in a situation where even the most optimistic fairytale prince would have given up hope, Dravid, ill and on antibiotics, demolished Australia's well-founded hopes with a classic 180, snatching victory where there seemed to be none. Or in 2003, in Adelaide, once again against Steve Waugh's legendary Aussie team, when Rahul Dravid with his trusted sidekick, VVS Laxman, plotted the downfall of the Kangaroos in their own backyard. Who would have thought that India would ever win a Test match on Aussie soil against that incredible unit! Dravid made the impossible. But again! In 2002, against England on a green turf at Headingley where you'd rather graze cows than bat, Dravid dug in, sweating out over 400 minutes, making 148 runs, putting India first, giving them an extraordinary victory on English soil. Nasser Hussain, the English skipper, was flummoxed! But for Dravid, it was nothing new. Yes, Dravid believed in the impossible. He believed in standing his ground for hours together, tiring the hapless opposition with a stubborn straight bat, hitting the ball onto the ground ball after ball, over after over, session after session, day after day. McGrath, Akram, Lee, Flintoff, Akhtar, Harmison, they all came running in, but the Wall would not be breached. Not until the Wall decided to let go himself! Laxman said his friend suffered from dehydration almost all the time. Well, the reason is all too obvious, isn't it?
But Dravid's credentials at putting the team first go much beyond his batsmanship. They, rather controversially at times, influenced his captaincy as well. On the famous tour to Pakistan in 2003-04, Dravid, as stand-in captain for an injured Sourav Ganguly, declared the Indian innings with Sachin Tendulkar on 194*. Many cried foul and called it 'sacrilege'. Mumbai, almost immediately, went ablaze. Tendulkar himself came back to the dressing room rather sulkily. But that's how it was for Rahul Dravid. The team came first, irrespective of who or what is batting out there in the middle. Dravid won back some captaincy credentials later on though, beating Sri Lanka 6-1 at home in 2005. Dravid then won 14 ODI games on the trot, as captain, to beat the earlier record set by the West Indies for most consecutive ODI wins. But all was to be forgotten as India got pummeled and pasted, pulverized and punished in the 2007 World Cup. India exited at the end of the first round and on arriving at home, Dravid exited the Bangalore Airport through the cargo gate. Angry fans shouted slogans, calling for his axing. Dravid, the captain, was all but over. Dravid, the batsman, though, wasn't done yet. He went on to amass runs on the tour to England and remained India's most dependable, putting Indian cricket first.
Dravid retired from international cricket on the 9th of March, once more, putting Indian cricket first. The team is in crisis. Young talented men are having to be satisfied with a seat on the bench for months together after having traveled nearly half the world across to England and Australia. Selectors are struggling, lacking the guts and determination to phase out the senior citizens of Indian cricket, much in contrast to their Australian counterparts (they threw away Ricky Ponting without a second thought!) But Dravid decided to put his hand up, lead from the front, selflessly stepping aside and setting a much-needed trend for his other legendary comrades to follow. "It's time for the next generation", he said.
Rahul Dravid takes his willow into the sunset. Indian cricket just lost its most selfless servant. The world of cricket just lost its most dignified citizen.
Knowing you, and your style, you have done this piece well.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading more from you.
Keep it up.
Thank you! Looking forward to blogging more on the World of Sport!
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