Tribute to Rahul Dravid

I already read so many articles on Dravid’s retirement that I do not know what new I want to write. Many already wrote about his passion for perfectionism, determination, commitment to the game that made him see through hard times. I do not need to add that he is the second most prolific run getter in game’s history and the bulwark of India’s top & middle order for more than a decade.

But, there is so much emotion and pain inside me that I just want to write few sentences for him. What strike me most about Dravid are neither his centuries abroad nor him being called ‘The Wall’ or ‘Mr. Dependable’. I am humbled by his patience, tenacity and his elegant demeanor on and off the field. There were umpteen critics who raised their fingers about his ability to play ODIs initially. He quietly worked on his game patiently and kept practicing to modify his stroke play and ended his career with more than 10000 ODI runs.

When he had very rough time between 2006 and 2008 and when others demanded that he should also retire like Ganguly, he again quietly worked and spoke with his bat. I am so sad to read one news paper heading “Dravid calls it a day after disastrous ‘Down Under’ tour” (recent Australian tour). I strongly believe that Dravid never gives up so easily. His character is such that he would have gone to Australia even next time and scored like he did in England recently. I remember how he failed miserably in an Australian tour under Tendulkar’s captaincy in 1999-2000. But, he worked hard on his technique and gave India the memorable victory in Adelaide under Ganguly’s captaincy when we toured next time in 2003. It happened to be India’s first test win in Australia after 1980-81.

His strokes are neither audacious nor flamboyant as that of Sehwag. His stroke play also cannot match Tendulkar’s elegance. In spite of Laxman’s poor footwork, his strokes many a time look more charming than that of Dravid. But, Dravid’s strokes have the character, tenacity and discipline that reveal his personality as well. Similarly, his catches do not look as effortless as that of Mark Waugh. But, he has the patience and concentration to take more than 400 catches in his international career. As Sambit Bal puts it correctly, 'there is a normalcy about him that is almost abnormal'. He is calm and composed in terms of attitude that enabled him perfect fitness. No wonder, he went on to bat for 173 consecutive innings in both Tests and ODIs without a duck between 2000 and 2004 - longest sequence for any batsman without duck.

How many times I may have cursed him that he is just defending the ball and never attacked the bowlers. I was not amused when I read that he hit only 21 sixers in his entire test career (faced more than 31000+ balls for his 13000+ runs). But, I now feel bad that I should have enjoyed his batting even for the way he sweetly defended the ball, the way he ducked the bouncers making even the best of bowlers like Donald, Gillespie, Mc Grath frustrated.

His mental resolve is what I like the most and want to emulate him for the same. Laxman told that it was Dravid who made it easy for him during the 2001 epic innings at the Eden Gardens. Dravid used to tell Laxman between the overs that ‘it is all for which we have worked so hard and let us not let it go easily’. No wonder that his resolve made India win its first test match in 15 years in Pakistan, the first win in 16 years in England. If there is somebody who can keep his resolve and score a century after 15 years where he missed it by 5 runs at his debut, it is Dravid. And what better ground than Lords for such an achievement.

As Harsha Bhogle correctly put the heading ‘The wolf who lived for the pack’, Dravid was the quintessential team player. He personally hated opening the innings and keeping wickets. But, when it was demanded from him for team-sake, he did it to his best of capability without any murmur. My respect for him only keeps increasing when he says that he wants to simple things like taking his kids to school, spend time with his young family. He is personally such a nice person that is aptly summed up in Brett Lee’s comment that ‘if you cannot get along with Rahul Dravid, you are struggling in life.’

Cricket in future will become even more fast-paced than that of today and very few may remember Dravid’s strokes. However, the future children should still be taught at least to appreciate the discipline, the patience and the class of Dravid. There are always players who are lucky to have played a sport and represented his country. But, there are very few players whom the country and the sport will be proud to be associated with. Rahul Dravid is one such player. As Tendulkar put it correctly, ‘there was and is only one Rahul Dravid’. And Kallis also put it perfectly that ‘the game will be a little poorer without him’. I wish Dravid the best of times ahead. Hopeful that he will have great time with his family, enjoy things that he may have missed during his playing career and continue to inspire us with his deeds off the field as well.