Rahul Dravid has been so consistent over the last five years that critics and fans have been forced to put him on a pedestal and call him the ’’wall’’. You can call him the wall, pillar or ceiling; it would not matter. Rahul Dravid’s batting prowess would remain the same.
DRAVID AS A YOUNGSTER
Ever since Rahul Dravid made his rather phenomenal test debut at Lord’s, he was cut out for greatness by the fans and purists of the game. In a country filled with batting greats, it was assumed that Dravid would carry forward the legacy of Vishwanath, Gavaskar and Amarnath. But it seemed that fate had some other ideas........
Very soon the right handed batsman was accused of being too ’’slow’’ and it was suspected that he lacked that ’’killer instinct’’ which a Tendulkar would possess. By 1998, he was virtually on the verge of being written off. Then came the tour to New Zealand. The critics did not expect too much from Dravid as his poor run of scores had disillusioned them. But Dravid once again proved that the old adage of ’’form is temporary but class is permanent’’ still holds true. He played enormously well and played some crucial knocks on that tour that shut the mouths of self-proclaimed cricket critics.
DRAVID AS A TEAM MAN
After the huge match-fixing scandal post the 1999 world cup, Sourav Ganguly was appointed as leader of the Indian team with Dravid as his deputy. Together, the two men seemed unstoppable and conquered one barrier after another. It was during this period that youngsters like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were finding their feet in international cricket. Dravid’s contribution in shaping the careers of these lads is equal to that of Ganguly.
When India lacked a true wicketkeeper-batsman, it was Dravid who put his hand up and said that he would do the job. He did it in a most mesmerizing and impressive fashion. His untiring determination ensured that his skills with the willow did not go for a toss after the strain that his double role put on him. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Ganguly, whose personal form went out the window after leading the country took up all his time and energy.
DRAVID AS A LEADER
Rahul Dravid was appointed Indian captain in 2005 after Ganguly had a very public fallout with new coach Greg Chappell. In one-dayers, Dravid has done an admirable job: he won the home series against Sri Lanka, drew the series with the Proteas and won in Pakistan as well. It is in test cricket that questions have surfaced. His results, though not bad, are not brilliant. My opinion? Give the man some time to sort things out. It would not have escaped Dravid that he lost the test series in Pakistan and could not even salvage a victory over an inexperienced English side.
The positive aspects of his leadership have been numerous. The arrival of younsters like Sreesanth, RP Singh, Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla and Munaf Patel has meant that the Indian side has been pumped with the adrenaline of youth. He has also shown that no one is indispensable. Oh, did I forget? It is largely due to Chappell and Dravid that Pathan has gone from a bowler to an all-rounder in the space of four months. Truly amazing! Keep up the good work man!
DRAVID AS A ROLE MODEL
For thousands of Indians, Dravid is the ultimate role model. He was selected as the Youth Icon Of The Year by MTV over industrialists like Anil Ambani and tennis sensation Sania Mirza. For a dreamy-eyed 15-year-old like me, Dravid and his flawless technique are an inspiration.
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