The Great Wall of India

“Indian people love to give their cricket heroes a nickname. As these things go, Rahul Dravid being known as ‘The Wall’ is pretty much spot on. ‘The Fortress’ could also describe Rahul. Because once Dravid was set, you needed the bowling equivalent of a dozen cannon firing all at once to blast him down. True, he is not a batsman to destroy you in a mad half-hour like Gilchrist or Lara, but he can grind you down and test your patience bit by bit until you lose concentration and forget your plan” – Shane Warne on Rahul Dravid.

Rahul Dravid

It is said that greatness can be measured in terms of humility. I still remember, as a kid, I tagged along with my father to watch a Ranji Trophy clash between Hyderabad and Karnataka at the Gymkhana Grounds. Both sides featured big names and people flocked the ground to get a glimpse of stars like Azharuddin, Sunil Joshi, Anil Kumble etc., to name a few. I remember Rahul Dravid played a fighting knock in that game and steered Karnataka to a thumping victory and later obliged to sign autographs, with a broad smile, ( much unlike the other ‘stars’ ) despite being physically worn-out. I’ve admired Rahul Dravid ever since, although I failed to get his autograph, thanks to the mob surrounding him.

Rahul Dravid has amassed more than 12500 runs in cricket’s most challenging format and yet he delivers every single time without the slightest hint of arrogance. His monk-like concentration has been a vital asset and has oftentimes played a crucial role in disintegrating the opposition psychologically. If ever there was a textbook of cricketing shots, Rahul Dravid’s water-tight defense and world-class technique in batting can be used as a fine example. Although Rahul Dravid bids adieu to the ODI’s and T-20?s after the series against England, he will be remembered eternally for his Test exploits.

Rahul Dravid has been Indian cricket’s unsung hero for a long time. Usually, when a player isn’t recognized for his accomplishments or the value he adds to the team, there is a decline in performance. Fortunately for India, this was never the case with Rahul Dravid as he always was so reliable and unselfish. He displayed his batting prowess under most challenging circumstances and often triumphed in a resounding manner. Personally speaking, Rahul Dravid’s best knock came against Australia in 2004 during the second Test at Adelaide as he scripted an epic 233 in the first innings and later scored the winning runs for India in the second innings with his unbeaten 72. After this win against the mighty Aussies, India got rid of their ‘Heroes at home, zeroes outside’ tag.

Rahul Dravid has often been overshadowed by batting stalwarts in the side like Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and sometimes V.V.S Laxman too. An example would be the Kolkata Test of 2001. He put on 376 with V.V.S Laxman, and while Laxman walked away with the accolades for his historical 281, he couldn’t have done it without Dravid’s constant support from the other end. Rahul Dravid managed to weather the storm during that Test and scored a magnificent 180 and was later run-out (possibly the only way the Aussies could have sent him back that day). Also, Sourav Ganguly’s famous 183 eclipsed Dravid’s fighting knock of 145 against Sri Lanka at Taunton during the 1999 World Cup as India put up a mammoth 373 on board. Its true that Sourav , Sachin and Laxman were an invaluable asset but one gets the feeling that Dravid’s heroics that sometimes made life easier for the ‘big-three’ is often forgotten.

It is known to many that Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their Test debut together against England at Lord’s in 1996. Sourav Ganguly batted at number three in the first innings and went on to make a century while Dravid, who came in to bat at number seven, scored 95 and yet again his spotlight was stolen, unintentionally though. This has been Rahul Dravid’s story ever since.

However, its unfortunate the way Dravid is recalled into the ODI side only when the team is in troubled waters. This happened in 2009 when Dravid’s expertise was needed on bouncy tracks in testing South African conditions. And now, against England, when most of the players in the side are either battling injuries or form, Dravid is being looked upon as a messiah who can infuse stability in the batting-order with his exceptional ability to handle the seamer-friendly English conditions.

The ‘head-honchos’ are known for their apathetic treatment towards such great players. Players are given the respect they deserve only if they agree to toe the line alongside the administration. Rahul Dravid deserves far more credit than he receives. He has been a faithful servant to Indian cricket and to appreciate his existence only when needed is absurd. BCCI’s tomfoolery invites self-destruction. Rahul Dravid’s decision to quit ODI’s and focus solely on Test cricket will certainly be welcomed by many of his admirers since they know that he will be neglected for the shorter-versions when Indian batting begins to sail smoothly again.

We can’t thank Rahul Dravid enough for his tremendous contributions to Indian cricket. A small piece of writing on a social networking website that’s been doing the rounds lately can aptly be used to describe Rahul Dravid -

Gambhir is taking an x-ray, Will you open the innings ? - Okay.

Ganguly doesn’t get along well with Chappell , Will you captain?.. Okay.

Sachin’s out early, Will you get a 100?.. Okay.

RCB didn’t bother to retain you, Will you play for Rajasthan Royals?.. Okay

Dhoni wants to bowl, Will you keep?.. Okay.

That’s Dravid for Indian Cricket !!