In the winter of 2010-11, India set off on a 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and one T20 tour of South Africa. The tour had everybody in the cricketing fraternity in bated breath as all eyes were on Sachin Tendulkar, who was one shy off reaching his 50th Test century.
But one corner of an eye was also on another batsman, who was coming off a pretty good home series against New Zealand. Barring that series, though, in which he scored two tons, Rahul Dravid was having a below-par 2010 and there were minute whispers about whether the end for him was nearing.
Those whispers started to gain volume when Dravid didn't have a productive time with the bat in the 3 Tests in South Africa, where he scored 120 runs in 3 Tests at an average of 20 and his only real highlight turned out to be stunner of a catch he took at Durban, which, incidentally, was also his 200th.
It was obvious that with runs having dried up and age not on his side, Dravid would’ve thought about hanging up his boots. But the quality that separates champions from the rest is their ability to dig something from their reserves, even if it isn't as much as, they would like when absolutely nothing is going their way. Keeping that thought in mind, Dravid decided to give one final go, hoping to bring out whatever was left out within him.
Shades of his best start to reappear
After India’s triumphant World Cup-winning campaign at home, the team embarked on a tour of the Caribbean. The 5-match ODI series saw India win by a 3-2 scoreline. The Test series that followed saw a steely looking Dravid take the field. He just seemed to be a man who wanted to prove to himself that he still could make substantial contributions to his team’s cause. To India’s cause.
He started the series off with a century in the second innings of the Jamaica test, which helped India win and continued to show admirable determination and concentration, traits which had defined him as a player over the course of 15 years in the international game.
He finished the tour as the leading run-getter with 251 runs in 3 Tests at an average of 50.2
With that confidence under him, the right-hander began his fourth tour of England in July 2011. Throughout the course of his career, the Old Blighty was a place which had given him special moments. Test Debut in 1996, Highest run-getter in the 1999 World Cup, County stint with Kent in 2000, which helped him resurrect his career, three centuries in 2002, Captain of the side that won in 2007. So it was good for Dravid that he was going to a place which he definitely found most comfortable going and playing, after perhaps, his hometown Bangalore.
But right from the opening test, not only was the team under pressure but so was Dravid. England had been playing some exceptional cricket at home in the last 24 months or so and with the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and the rest to counter, India not just needed their WALL, they also required him to be at his very best.
And that is exactly what he gave to the team. His very best. The opening innings of the series saw him achieve a personal accomplishment of sorts as he completed an emotional hundred which he had missed out in 1996, even as the rest crumbled alongside him.
In the hosts second innings, Gautam Gambhir was hit flush on his left shoulder by a sweep shot off the bat of Matt Prior. The team man in him came to the fore once again as he opened the innings in India’s second essay, looking fluent in his 36 as India succumbed to a heavy defeat. The test confirmed one thing for all Dravid fans: While we may not be able to see the flowing cover drive with the old ease or the flick with the same comfort as the past, he still had the resources within him to pull his team out of trouble.
The second Test in Trent Bridge saw the right-hander open in both innings with Gambhir ruled out. In testing conditions, Dravid was once again the lone man standing amidst the constant despair from the other end which included a broken left hand to comeback man Yuvraj Singh, that ruled him out of the series. India lost the test, but Dravid was fighting on.
After a disappointing Test at Edgbaston, India went to The Oval for the fourth and final test, hoping to avoid a 4-0 whitewash. While India couldn‘t prevent that, England couldn't stop Dravid from doing what he did best: score runs.
After Gambhir banged his head onto the ground and left the field in a dizzy state, India were left with no option, but to open with their most dependable team man. With a mountain of runs in front of him, just like how it had been for the entire duration and a batting order that continued to not provide him with any support, Dravid produced an absolute master class in line judgement, footwork, patience and doggedness to score 146 not out and carry his bat through the innings as India reached the 300-run mark for the first time in the series.
With India having made to follow-on, Dravid returned to the middle 10 minutes after his monumental effort only to be given out in dodgy circumstances and what looked like then, end his tour on a low note.
India lost 4-0, but Dravid was adjudged the Man-of-the-Series for his tally of 461 runs in 4 Tests at an average of 76.33
The then England coach Andy Flower had this to say about the right-hander’s performance
“ Rahul Dravid has been a pillar of strength and resillience throught out this series. His outstanding performances have further undelined what a true champion of the game he is. As well as being one of the game’s great batsman, he is also a great bloke and is hugely respected by all in the England dressing room,”.
Time for the double shock
Dravid had done his bit to prove to the team and for himself. In the team’s darkest time, he had perhaps endured his finest hour. All his fans had enjoyed watching him bat even as the team failed to rise along with him.
But there was more surprise in store for him and for everybody back home and in England. Keeping in mind his rich vein of form, the selectors decided to include Dravid in the squad for the lone T20 and ODI series that succeeded the Tests.
If that decision by the five wise men of Indian cricket raised a few eyebrows, the announcement that followed a few hours later caught everybody even more by surprise. The 38-year-old decided to call time on his 50-over and T20 career after the series against England, in order to prolong his Test career, hours after been picked.
Prior to the lone T20, India were in dire straits. With no Virender Sehwag, Gambhir and Yuvraj in the batting order, India had to bring in urgent reinforcements in the form of Ajinkya Rahane and Varun Aaron to bolster a hugely depleted squad.
India’s middle order had the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni while Rahane and Parthiv Patel were left to do the opening duties, leaving the number 3 spot vacant.
Who would fill that spot? On August 31, 2011, that is exactly four years back, the man, who was considered no good to play the format. Yes. Dravid made his T20 debut for India on this day, something that he himself might have never thought about doing, even in his wildest of dreams.
After Parthiv fell for 10, with India at 39 for 1, Dravid walked out to join Rahane. Regardless of who you are and your stature, you still have butterflies in your stomach when you walk out to bat on your debut.
Despite having scored over 10000 runs in both Tests and ODIs, the right-hander looked a tad nervous until the 11th over of the innings when left-arm spinner Samit Patel came to bowl his third over.
The next six balls will never be forgotten by any hardcore Dravid fan and will be played to every critic who thought the right-hander didn't have the capabilities to hit sixes.
10.1: ONE RUN, Dravid looks to go over the leg side, but only manages to inside edge it to third man for a single.
10.2: ONE RUN, Rahane knocks it to long off for a single
10.3: TWO RUNS, Dravid hits that leg-stump delivery to midwicket for 2 runs
10.4: SIX, Dravid gives himself room and whacks Patel over wide mid-on for his first six in international T20 cricket.
10.5: SIX, two-in-two. Dravid launches one more into the crowd, this time over long-on. Harsha Bhogle on commentary said, “ Ask him to jump off a cliff, in the form he is in and he would say here is the parachute, I don't need one,”.
10.6: SIX, a third one in a row, this time over square leg. Who says this man can’t hit big sixes?
Alas, though! That was the last bit of thrill that one could witness from his bat as he was out in the very next over caught by Eoin Morgan off Ravi Bopara for 31 off 23 balls. But boy, was it fun while it lasted!!!
Here’s a video of that magic:
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