The Fantastico Indian Cricketer I grew up Adoring - Part II

The Fantastico Indian Cricketer I grew up adoring - Part II

In this part two of ‘The Fantastico Duo of Indians I grew up adoring’ I will write about a player who with his limited talent and selfless attitude served the Indian cricket for a very long time. It was through his sheer hard work and determination that he found a consistent place in an Indian team that was filled with some big names.

Rahul Dravid

Perhaps the most selfless cricketer to have ever played the game, Rahul Dravid was a thorough gentleman both on and off the field. His debut innings at Lords, where he made a defiant 95 was overshadowed by a more enterprising 131 that Sourav Ganguly (he was also making his debut) hit. The trend would find home on several occasions whence good performances by Rahul went completely unnoticed because some other batsman would have played a better or more scintillating innings then him.

Rahul was known for his classical and simple technique and unending concentration which earned him the nickname ‘The Wall’. Dravid could face any bowler on any wicket and he did not have any glaring weaknesses in his game. If he had, he probably worked hours on it rectifying them. The elegant cover drives and late cuts, the flicks and the straight drives, he was a master of every stroke that a purist hopes to see.

Give a difficult pitch and a difficult situation and Rahul would face it heads on. He produced several impactful test match innings but none greater than his 180 on a difficult Eden Gardens pitch where he forged an epic 376 run partnership with VVS Laxman. India, following on, came back from nowhere and defeated the Australians who were riding high with 16 consecutive test wins. Another memorable knock came at Adelaide in 2003 where he hit a double ton and a half century as India defeated Australia.

He also sacrificed and adjusted himself according to the needs of the Indian cricket team. He donned the gloves during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa to give a better balance to the team. He also opened the batting overseas when India wanted a solid opener. He was often moved around in the batting order so that others could occupy their favoured positions. In his second last tour, when India toured England and failed spectacularly Dravid showed the world just how good he was. He scored over 400 runs in the series which included 3 tons against a very good English attack in helpful conditions.

The fact that he scored over 10000 runs in both test and ODI cricket goes to show what a person who is gritty and honest about his job can achieve. The epitome of hard work, bloody minded determination and selfless attitude – Rahul Dravid is the probably most likable and Fantastico hero that you could come across as a kid.