Rahul Dravid - The perennial second best man

The final of Champions League T20 was a perfect script for a tournament that has been long looked upon as a poor cousin of Champion’s League Football. Tournament failed to ignite the attention of viewers over the previous four seasons. It returned to India after travelling to South Africa last year. And it turned out to be a keenly anticipated fixture this year among the Cricket fans. Mumbai Indians, the better team on the night emerged the winners in the end.

Rahul Dravid- The quintessential gentleman.

It was also the last time when two legends were appearing in colored jersey. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid had been the back bone of Indian cricket for last two decades. Innumerable times they defied the odds and brought glory to their country.

Though Sachin Tendulkar would continue to appear in Test matches, it was the last time Rahul Dravid stepped on a Cricket field as a player.

Rajasthan Royals have been the most loved team of T20 Cricket. They have no stars but a bunch of spirited cricketers trying to make a mark on world stage. First under charismatic Shane Warne and later Rahul Dravid, the Cricketers from the franchise flourished.

However, their spirit and confidence hit the rock bottom when few of their players found guilty in match fixing racket during IPL 2013. They needed something out of ordinary to be back on track and play the brand of Cricket they are famous for. And who would have been a better man than Rahul Dravid to pull them out of the crisis and inject e fresh lease of life in their broken hearts.

Rahul Dravid, the quintessential gentleman of the game is an epitome of determination, spirit and dedication. He has never been the one who play for the stands. He is always been the one who played in the shadows.

As a starter he was leveled as a Test Cricketer who was not meant for limited overs game. He was deemed as too slow to fit in the colored jersey yet he went on to score more than 10,000 runs in the shorter version.

He’s been a part of some of the greatest matches and performances in modern day Cricket. Who could forget his epic partnership with Laxman against Australia at the Eden Garden’s. Test is widely remembered as Laxman’s test but he may not have achieved it if not for the contribution from the Wall.

The decade of 2000 changed many things for Indian Cricket. One of them was the improved success rate in the away tours. Though India’s struggle continued to find a solid opening pair but it was the calm presence of Rahul Dravid at the number 3 that allowed the other batsmen to play with flair.

India’s struggle against the fast swinging ball is well documented. In 2002, when India travelled to England Dravid struck three centuries and changed the way India performed in away tours for next eight years.

It was the time when he used to find himself in the middle with hardly few runs on the board. He would bide his time, dig it in, take the shine out of the ball and play some beautiful on drives in between. By the time he would finish, the task for next batsmen was much easier even if it means he didn’t score many runs himself. He has done it innumerable times. There has always been a Dravid’s inning behind every Tendulkar’s special and Laxman’s magic.

Initially considered a misfit in One Day games, he was highest scorer in 1999 World Cup. Who could forget Ganguly’s 183 against Sri Lanka in the same world cup or a Tendulkar’s 186* against New Zealand in Hyderabad? But how many remember Dravid’s score of 145 and 153 in the respective matches? He remains the only player to be involved in two 300 runs partnerships in ODI.

India’s tour to Pakistan in 2004 will forever be remembered for Sehwag becoming first triple centurion for India. However, as it turned out it was Dravid’s 270 in final test when no other batsman scored a century in the whole match helped India clinch their first series win in Pakistan.

For long Rahul Dravid has been the perennial second best man of Indian Cricket. Every time he played an innings of great significance there has been an innings marked as impact innings from one of his more famed colleagues. Yet he was not the one who would bog down by it. He knew his limitations and always player under them, never got distracted by what was happening on the other end.

Whenever India played, a mere sight of Sachin Tendulkar on the batting crease was enough to give goose-bumps in the stomachs’ of millions of Cricket fans in the country. However, it was the presence of Rahul Dravid at the other end that gave every one the assurance and belief.

It was for this reason it would have been a perfect ending had Rahul Dravid lifted the Champion’s League yesterday night. A man who once said- “Cricket must respect its fan”, was betrayed by his own team mates. It takes immense belief in one’s own abilities to come back even stronger and carry forward the legacy of his team.

Rajasthan Royals were clearly the best team in the competition. While the likes Rahane, Samson and Tambe deservingly hogged the limelight, there is this one man who stood behind them every moment they needed him. From bring his team out of the adversity to molding the stars of tomorrow and for serving his nation throughout his career, Rahul Dravid deserved one final glory.

Yet it ended with Rahul Dravid remain stranded in shadows, being the Second Best.