HomeBCCITribute to Rahul Dravid, a man not every man...

Tribute to Rahul Dravid, a man not every man can be

- Advertisement -

It’s hard to let someone go.

And nothing could be a more unusual way to remember a man than reading his eulogy upon his departure at the gravesite.
For there’s this feeling that when you die, it’s pointless for the world to describe you untruthfully. There’s nothing left of you anyway.
Rock music fans that were around when Jim Morrison’s tomb had a bust erected in his memory read an inscription: “True to his own spirit.”
They knew it meant wild, artistic, unbound.
Michael Jackson’s grave recollects his musical achievements and highlights him as being more than an artist; a philanthropist.
But one wonders whether Rahul Dravid would ever need an inscription?
After all, how could a man who remains, to this day, respectfully unaccepting of the pedestal he’s been placed on make one work as hard as coming up with a by-line?
Maybe by merely looking at a concrete structure, or to put it effectively, a ‘Wall’ would suffice remembering Rahul Dravid.
And that a wall can be commonly spotted- a fortification of brick and mortar that shields lives and inanimate objects– affords Rahul Dravid in some way, a sense of timelessness.
Does it not?
Well, maybe not.
If you were to actually offer a tribute to Rahul Dravid, you’d be careful of not being stuck up with his ‘The Wall’ enigma.
Because nothing could be more dehumanizing than merely suggesting that Dravid was this ‘Wall’ while he was also something more; someone who was fluid, adaptable to change, flexible to situations, and receptive of the challenges he countered.
That his water-tight defense, great powers of concentration, and that ability to hold on to an end for India does afford him the sobriquet.
But that he changed his game, going from being a slow starter in ODIs to eventually finishing with 10,800 plus runs in the format, being a Test purist who struck the third-fastest ODI fifty by an Indian (22 balls), destroys the cages fans have drawn around him, albeit with purity.
So to offer a tribute to Dravid, you would much rather dwell on feats that highlight a batsman who lived for the team just as Harsha once described: “A wolf who lived for the pack.”
And at the same time, you may also want to introspect on an essential.

Rahul Dravid’s cricket begs a question few seem willing to answer

tribute to Rahul Dravid
Dravid was known for his resolve (Image; Pinterest)

Are we getting too caught up with the personalities cricketers come to represent and therefore, treading less on what it takes into being a success?
One supposes there’ll always be a sense of sadness for the fan considering how Dravid departed on a low-note. His final Test knock yielded 25 runs in a series in Australia where he was out bowled six times.
But what may be a greater agony would be to conveniently abstain from all that Dravid’s stood for albeit without words, but with actions.
It would be a failure on the part of anyone who calls himself a Dravid fan to not reflect on the man’s genuine love for facing challenges and that alacrity for hard-work.
Dravid isn’t the runs scored on the 22 yards; he’s the time spent, the balls faced in accumulating them.
Dravid isn’t about plodding runs, rather about accumulating them. Like a silent twinkle in the sky, Dravid is a giant who doesn’t look down on mere mortals whilst having his feet firmly planted on the ground.
No other batsman faced as many as deliveries in Test cricket as Dravid with 31,258. Gavaskar didn’t, Lara didn’t and nor did Tendulkar.
Legend has it that Dravid once stopped a friend who nearly picked up a fight with an observer who had criticized his slow batting approach. Anyone who suggested he wasn’t a fit for ODI cricket may have wanted to rethink the stance upon seeing Dravid in the peak of all ODI cricketing battles: the World Cup.
For a man who played as a centre-half at Hockey, being used to the thanklessness of this role may have helped him endure a mental batting challenge in cricket.
How uneasy and absurd might have been his life wherein the fan would often turn off the TV set in the wake of Sachin’s departure whilst Dravid would still be at the other end?
Yet, when you realize his importance- averaging 65.7 in India’s overseas victories- you erupt with endless pixels of gratitude for a man who kept the Indian flag fluttering despite being someone whose dismissal in Tests brought anticipation for the fan, for the next man in was Tendulkar.

- Advertisement -

In a league of his own

tribute to Rahul Dravid
Dravid was phenomenal as an overseas bat (Image: The Independent)

In all world cup appearances, Dravid averaged 61.4, right behind Sir Viv. Yet, we all remember only Sachin- whose greatness is undeniable- in the light of having played 96′ gorgeous hundreds and 2003′ 97 against Pakistan.
We reserve little admiration for the man who eventually guided India home; Dravid, in his unbeaten 44.
Dravid kept wickets in 73 ODIs, most of them being under Ganguly’s captaincy, with an aim to enable India to afford an extra batsman. Yet, all one remembers mostly is AB De Villiers’ prowess with the gloves or McCullum’s flamboyance.
Not an awful lot is reserved for the quiet, thinking cricketer who operated behind the stumps.
Even in slip-catching, Dravid, safe as the utterly bankable side-protection impact system in modern sedans and promising as a full-bright scholar offered a utility that marked his career with some versatility.
And yet, we are quick to forget the 406 international catches, including 210 in Tests alone and consider criticizing the time wherein he declared India’s score when Sachin was 194 not out in Pakistan.
That the Test match was won and with it, a new credo of the ‘team’ philosophy established: that placed the collective over the individual is seldom reflected on and perhaps never may.
It, in some ways, is a thinly-veiled culture that’s continuing to this day in Indian cricket where in front of the mammoth greatness of Virat Kohli, a lot less is reserved for Cheteshwar Pujara, 3 Test tons in last 30 days of Test cricket.

The Dravid enigma

tribute to Rahul Dravid
Dravid is a popular mentor to young cricketers (Image: HT.com)

And that there seems a sense in appreciating Dravid’s unfluctuating enigma on the 22 yards- stemming from endless sessions in the nets, tweakings in his technique, even preciseness in his bat weight- highlights a man who was more content in being less followed and is still less followed despite possessing real ‘content.’
What Dravid teaches us is far beyond the runs stacked in copious record books. Dravid points to the acceptance of difficulties and the willingness to overcome them. In his final series at England, his penultimate in a 16-year journey, Dravid proved that it is possible to fight alone.
While his India were collapsing at the one end in a heartbreaking series that may have been fully abysmal had the silent guardian not applied himself, Dravid soldiered on. And seemed to need no support in fending off Anderson, Broad, Tremlett, Bresnan.
Generations to come may remember the historic series victory India fetched in Australia after a hiatus of 71 years.

The Batman!

tribute to Rahul Dravid
Dravid is often considered the Dark Knight of cricket (Image; Quora)

But can the Test purist ever possibly forget those 468 bravely-collected runs that compelled the fans in England to wield placards that read: Dravid vs England?
In an age obsessing about movie biopics, defined by Insta followers and the number of likes, it’s beautiful to find Dravid placing his hand on a Prithvi’s shoulder.
It, in some ways proves fiction is but, a fact, in the sense that behind every new Robin, there’s The Batman. Thank god for India, that there was in Rahul Dravid, Test Cricket’s last classic batsman.

- Advertisement -
Dev Tyagi
Dev Tyagi
Dravid believer, admirer of - the square drive, Drew Barrymore, Germany, Finland, Electric Mobility, simplicity and the power of the written word! Absolutely admire contributing to KyroSports

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -