The swansong of his eventful one-day career will coincide with the denouement of a bittersweet tour. Dravid, however, remains focused on the game, even as he affords himself time for reflection.

Of all the characteristics to propel a team to No.1, earnest endeavour wouldn't often be top of the list.

Rahul Dravid definitely deserves a lot more credit for his performances in ODI cricket. Not many have scored 10,000 plus runs.

Sachin Tendulkar knew something was wrong when he heard a click in his foot. Yet, he scored an unbeaten 122 and was adjudged man of the match. Those were the days when no media releases were emailed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

It has been 11 years since Rahul Dravid spent a summer in Kent playing county cricket but fans here still talk of the senior Indian batsman as one of their own and a benchmark for consummate professionalism.

Brighton. Just the name brings a smile to the face. It definitely put a big yahoo across the Indian squad, which arrived to this sun-drenched seaside town on Wednesday from the rainy, grey climes of London.

Victory brings the warmest glows but the cold light of defeat can bring clarity. The great thing about success is that it is often self-perpetuating, but the trouble is, it can sometimes obscure flaws

Ageing superstars, a shallow back-up pool and the national addiction to instant cricket have left India facing a depressing outlook at the Test level following their 4-0 drubbing by England.

India's last word at the end of a Test series in which they made very few statements was MS Dhoni trying to be heard during his media conference in a committee room at The Oval.

What do you make of England sauntering to 710 for 7 and India sinking to 130 for 7? Have England somehow managed to combine the might of the West Indians of the '70s and the Australians of the noughties?