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Just about the time Rahul Dravid was making his name in cricket, a cola commercial showed him practicing hard in textbook style while two female actors gossiped about him practicing because he was new and when he would cement his place, his style would switch from cricket to glamour as the visual showed Dravid with ears pierced and long hair suggesting the same.
Fifteen years later, the man is a legend. At 38, he is still one of the most hardworking cricketers in the world besides personifying elegance and the gentleman part of the game. In other words, nothing has changed. While glamour now plays a big part in cricket, with his younger teammates firmly in its grip, his inimitable style is glamour to the purists.
He is as dogged and poised as ever, he still plays Ranji Trophy with same intensity, adds a price-tag to his wicket by battling for hours, and is the backbone of India’s batting line-up in Tests as lately, to the surprise of many, he has not been a part of the Indian scheme of things in ODIs even if an average of a notch below 40 in 344 matches is better than most present members of the team.
From a humble beginning, was dropped after his first ODI series, and a Test match specialist tag, to more than 10,000 runs, highest aggregate of runs in a World Cup, in 1999, second fastest 50 by an Indian and the third highest half-centuries ever, 83, the Dravid story of ODIs is a perfect case-study of class conquering all.
Coming in at no 3 at the initial parts of his career and then at 5 or 6 as the team needed experience and temperament to handle things, Dravid’s whopping 83 half-tons show his worth. A memorable 50 at Lord’s in 2002 against England or a score of unbeaten 44 at Supersport Park at Centurion during 2003 World Cup come to mind as typical Dravid innings.
On both occasions, he guided a flamboyant Yuvraj Singh in match-winning partnerships after the team had succumbed to pressure. India, in the 90s and early parts of the century had lost too many tight games because they did not finish them and this Karnataka batsman went a long way into filling that finisher void.
ODIs might have all been about Tendulkars or Gangulys but many a wins came because the Wall stood tall doing the finishing act. In the 2003 WC, in order to give the team an extra batting option he played as a wicketkeeper-batsman, not being a natural keeper, it was tough but Dravid, like a true team man, did it with a smile.
A 2007 World Cup debacle did question his captaincy credentials and being dropped some time after that did take a little bit of sheen from a glorious career but making a come back after a hiatus of close to two years meant that he was going out on his terms and would once again show the character of a champion.
Ironically though, his final dismissal, an important 69 at Cardiff was coming down the track to Graeme Swann and trying to hit him out of the park but getting out stumped, a shot uncharacteristic of his legendary technique.
Fifteen years later, the man is a legend. At 38, he is still one of the most hardworking cricketers in the world besides personifying elegance and the gentleman part of the game. In other words, nothing has changed. While glamour now plays a big part in cricket, with his younger teammates firmly in its grip, his inimitable style is glamour to the purists.
He is as dogged and poised as ever, he still plays Ranji Trophy with same intensity, adds a price-tag to his wicket by battling for hours, and is the backbone of India’s batting line-up in Tests as lately, to the surprise of many, he has not been a part of the Indian scheme of things in ODIs even if an average of a notch below 40 in 344 matches is better than most present members of the team.
From a humble beginning, was dropped after his first ODI series, and a Test match specialist tag, to more than 10,000 runs, highest aggregate of runs in a World Cup, in 1999, second fastest 50 by an Indian and the third highest half-centuries ever, 83, the Dravid story of ODIs is a perfect case-study of class conquering all.
Coming in at no 3 at the initial parts of his career and then at 5 or 6 as the team needed experience and temperament to handle things, Dravid’s whopping 83 half-tons show his worth. A memorable 50 at Lord’s in 2002 against England or a score of unbeaten 44 at Supersport Park at Centurion during 2003 World Cup come to mind as typical Dravid innings.
On both occasions, he guided a flamboyant Yuvraj Singh in match-winning partnerships after the team had succumbed to pressure. India, in the 90s and early parts of the century had lost too many tight games because they did not finish them and this Karnataka batsman went a long way into filling that finisher void.
ODIs might have all been about Tendulkars or Gangulys but many a wins came because the Wall stood tall doing the finishing act. In the 2003 WC, in order to give the team an extra batting option he played as a wicketkeeper-batsman, not being a natural keeper, it was tough but Dravid, like a true team man, did it with a smile.
A 2007 World Cup debacle did question his captaincy credentials and being dropped some time after that did take a little bit of sheen from a glorious career but making a come back after a hiatus of close to two years meant that he was going out on his terms and would once again show the character of a champion.
Ironically though, his final dismissal, an important 69 at Cardiff was coming down the track to Graeme Swann and trying to hit him out of the park but getting out stumped, a shot uncharacteristic of his legendary technique.
