As Rahul Dravid, my favorite player is set to play his last ODI today, an era comes to an end. I grew up watching and hearing about this great wall right from my childhood days when I first saw a cricket match back in the 1996 cricket world cup in my childhood neighborhood. Both my parents were no big fans of cricket but luckily the rest of India was. My first childhood friend, 3 years elder to me in the same neighborhood, was glued to the television set at his home throughout the tournament as were his family members, especially the dad. I used to go to his house every single day in the evening so that we could play together outside but used to get pissed off when all h used to do was stay at home and watch India's matches. I couldn't understand the passion back then I was too young..hardly 6 or 7. I had to wait till the next World cup in 1999 to actually get into the spirit of cricket.
3 years down the line, another World cup was held in order to make up for the delayed World cup after a gap of 5 years back in 1992 which Pakistan had won.Maybe it was the childhood nostalgia of 1996, or maybe it was the sheer fascination towards the game, I got glued to the action myself just like my friend had done back in 96, and hence started my great love and attachment with the great game of cricket. India struggled initially losing to South Africa and Zimbabwe in their first two league matches. What followed was a mixed bag as India managed to win their next three league matches and make it to the super sixes. One man stood out for India in the World cup and that man was Rahul Dravid. He scored back-to-back centuries against Kenya and Sri Lanka and got involved with Saurav Ganguly in a record 300+ 2nd wicket partnership, which I still feel was the best ever partnership forged in a ODI match. India went on to make 370 in their alloted 50 overs and defended successfully. This was also the time when Karnataka cricket was making its mark with the likes of Javagal Srinath, Venkatash Prasad and none other than Anil Kumble. India didn't do too well in the super sixes losing to Australia and New Zealand. They did defeat Pakistan though as they always do at the World cups but failed to make it to the semis unlike Pakistan who went on to reach the finals thanks to their strong bowling unit who could swing the ball like anything at a great pace and that was exactly what was required in England. One man however was consistent throughout the tournament and was eventually even named in the World cup 1999 XI as also being shortlisted for the player of the tournament which went to Lance Klusener from SA eventually. Dravid was one of the highest scores in the tournament and when most of the other batsmen in the team including the Great Sachin Tendulkar were struggling, Dravid held his own thanks to his picture-perfect technique. He has the best record by an Indian batsmen over-seas complimenting this fact. This was symbolic of the times to comes where Dravid continued to be India's most reliable batsmen and I would even rate him as greater than Sachin Tendlukar in the longer format of the game owing to the crucial role he played at no.3 which Sachin only had to consolidate coming in next at no.4. Dravid's job was the toughest but he carried it off in style. I think the biggest loss to Indian cricket came in 2008 in the VB series when Dravid was dropped from the ODI team including Saurav Ganguly, a ODI great himself. I fail to understand this move even today as Dravid was still amongst the fittest and best ODI players even though he was well past 30. However as they say everything happens for the good and Dravid created a different niche for himself in the longer format, prolonging his career.
As destiny would have it, owing to the multiple injuries, Dravid had to be drafted into the ODI squad for the ongoing ODI series in England speaking something about the fitness of the man, when all others around him were falling pey to injuries Dravid hold the distinction of playing the longest number of continuous matchs for India. He also played his first and only T20 this series where he scored 3 consecutive and how I miss him in RCB as I thought he was a fabulous T20 player too. As he is set to play his last ODI today and bid adieu to one-dayers, my salute to this iron man of Indian cricket and hope that he makes up for the disappointments of the past by scoring a century on his last outing. You are our hero Rahul, we love you and pray you go out on a high. Just because you didn't get to play too many ODIs in the last 3 years doesn't make you any less of a One-day legend and just because we had a disappointing 2007 World cup doesn't make you all responsible for it as we all know the politics behind Indian cricket. A honest man like you can never survive at such a cut-throat post. Thee is noble like Brutus and we hold no grudge against you. Cheers to you champion!
3 years down the line, another World cup was held in order to make up for the delayed World cup after a gap of 5 years back in 1992 which Pakistan had won.Maybe it was the childhood nostalgia of 1996, or maybe it was the sheer fascination towards the game, I got glued to the action myself just like my friend had done back in 96, and hence started my great love and attachment with the great game of cricket. India struggled initially losing to South Africa and Zimbabwe in their first two league matches. What followed was a mixed bag as India managed to win their next three league matches and make it to the super sixes. One man stood out for India in the World cup and that man was Rahul Dravid. He scored back-to-back centuries against Kenya and Sri Lanka and got involved with Saurav Ganguly in a record 300+ 2nd wicket partnership, which I still feel was the best ever partnership forged in a ODI match. India went on to make 370 in their alloted 50 overs and defended successfully. This was also the time when Karnataka cricket was making its mark with the likes of Javagal Srinath, Venkatash Prasad and none other than Anil Kumble. India didn't do too well in the super sixes losing to Australia and New Zealand. They did defeat Pakistan though as they always do at the World cups but failed to make it to the semis unlike Pakistan who went on to reach the finals thanks to their strong bowling unit who could swing the ball like anything at a great pace and that was exactly what was required in England. One man however was consistent throughout the tournament and was eventually even named in the World cup 1999 XI as also being shortlisted for the player of the tournament which went to Lance Klusener from SA eventually. Dravid was one of the highest scores in the tournament and when most of the other batsmen in the team including the Great Sachin Tendulkar were struggling, Dravid held his own thanks to his picture-perfect technique. He has the best record by an Indian batsmen over-seas complimenting this fact. This was symbolic of the times to comes where Dravid continued to be India's most reliable batsmen and I would even rate him as greater than Sachin Tendlukar in the longer format of the game owing to the crucial role he played at no.3 which Sachin only had to consolidate coming in next at no.4. Dravid's job was the toughest but he carried it off in style. I think the biggest loss to Indian cricket came in 2008 in the VB series when Dravid was dropped from the ODI team including Saurav Ganguly, a ODI great himself. I fail to understand this move even today as Dravid was still amongst the fittest and best ODI players even though he was well past 30. However as they say everything happens for the good and Dravid created a different niche for himself in the longer format, prolonging his career.
As destiny would have it, owing to the multiple injuries, Dravid had to be drafted into the ODI squad for the ongoing ODI series in England speaking something about the fitness of the man, when all others around him were falling pey to injuries Dravid hold the distinction of playing the longest number of continuous matchs for India. He also played his first and only T20 this series where he scored 3 consecutive and how I miss him in RCB as I thought he was a fabulous T20 player too. As he is set to play his last ODI today and bid adieu to one-dayers, my salute to this iron man of Indian cricket and hope that he makes up for the disappointments of the past by scoring a century on his last outing. You are our hero Rahul, we love you and pray you go out on a high. Just because you didn't get to play too many ODIs in the last 3 years doesn't make you any less of a One-day legend and just because we had a disappointing 2007 World cup doesn't make you all responsible for it as we all know the politics behind Indian cricket. A honest man like you can never survive at such a cut-throat post. Thee is noble like Brutus and we hold no grudge against you. Cheers to you champion!
No comments:
Post a Comment