Rahul Dravid: An epic player worthy of his greatness
Even as Rahul Dravid bows out of international cricket with one eye on the future, it is impossible not to think on the lines of if India will ever find such an impeccable composure and technique in one man, in the time to come.
- Siddhartha Gupta
- Updated: March 10, 2012 10:12 PM IST
Even as Rahul Dravid bows out of international cricket with one eye on the future, it is impossible not to think on the lines of if India will ever find such an impeccable composure and technique in one man, in the time to come.
Foreign media has already been swamped by reports of a possible shift of focus in India's stance towards the limited overs format of the game. If that is the case, then Dravid's loss is bound to deteriorate the situation.
When Dravid came into the side, Indians were considered mere pushovers in overseas series, purely because of their inability to adapt to foreign conditions. It was something that could only be tackled with solid technique; something that came naturally to Dravid.
It wouldn't be too far from the truth to say that Indian batting, which was largely based on wrist-work, was given a new dimension by The Wall, one that shown for a few hours on the field and continued to mesmerize all off it, for several days.
On the face of it, one would never realise the determination bound inside the helmet, until it was tested by some of the toughest conditions in the world.
Even as he was dropped after India fell to an all-time low due to the early exit from the 2007 World Cup, Dravid's redemption was imminent, just like his rise to the top, simply because of the focus that never evaded him.
What is worrying though, is the lack of time spent by the upcoming batsmen at the crease. Their tendancy to get out of thier shackles hardly earns them any rewards and despite having scored heaps of runs in the domestic circuit, the tendancy to impress never ceases to expand itself until the ultimate loss; that of their wicket.
In India's 2007-08 tour to Australia, Dravid was handed the task of playing out the new ball in the first two Test matches. In all of the four innings, the least number of deliveries he faced before getting out was 66. The following batsmen were spared from the brunt of the early swing, a job well done.
The series was also host to some of the most intimidating tactics ever but the Wall remained unaffected. At a time when India's brightest prospects lost their cool to petty gestures, it was hard to imagine a young player driven by such discipline. And yet, there was Dravid at the other end - stoic and firm in his stance.
During a phase in which Indian cricket has seen eight straight away defeats, it seems criminal for a player like him to leave his spot empty but with the next Test match not even in the farthest sight, it seems fitting that a man who was never driven by greed has left a wide opening. Nobody is irreplacable in sports. Nobody is a champion forever. Then again, nobody can also be what Mr Rahul Dravid has been to Indian and international cricket.