India vs. England: Rahul Dravid intends a pleasant final outing at Lords

Dravid drives on debut

Rahul Dravid made his Test debut at Lords along with Sourav Ganguly. The match marks the beginning of an entire new era in Indian cricket and even though, that era is past its sunset today, one man remains. Rahul Dravid. “The Wall” will be gracing “the Mecca of Cricket” for one last time and he would love to sign off a wee bit better the way he began. Dravid feels that the Indian side is capable of winning the first Test inspite of the bad result in the practice match. Dravid’s optimism has been previously shared by MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher.

India’s reliance on Dravid’s determined effort will be much more than when he played at Lords for the first time. At the same time, Dravid honestly admits that the pressure would be a lot less. He was recollecting fond memories of the day when he scored 95 runs on debut in India’s tour of 1996. He said, “I waited for years and I knew the significance and the importance of it. I knew it was a significant innings that gave me breathing space. To be able to score runs and establish myself.”

Dravid’s career has seen him score a century in every Test playing nation but he rates England very highly. Not only is it a personal favorite for he made his debut in Test Cricket at the venue but also because the people at Lords understand the game so well. “Lord’s is a place that for me personally is very special – to start my Test career here 15 years ago was very special. It always brings back special memories. Coming back you always feel at home, that this is a place of cricket, a place that truly understands the history and the tradition of the game.”

Dravid is indeed a player who stands in line with the “tradition” of the game. His demeanor reflects the spirit in which the game is played and his skill with the bat reminds one of the good old days. In his first Test when he was inching towards his century, he made the hard decision of walking before the umpire’s decision when he knew he had nicked the ball. This anecdote would only be the first of many to come. When Dravid walks out to play his 154^th Test match on Lords, the ground itself, the entire history of the game and Rahul Dravid would take pride in mutual admiration.