Rahul Dravid

(1996 - 2012)
 Farewell to an icon
Dravid announces retirement
from Test cricket

Life after Dravid: What lies beyond the Wall?

Dravid: Cricket loses its touch of the pure

Jeffrey Archer, Pietersen bid farewell to Dravid on Twitter

Cricketers pay tribute to the Wall,

say he’s among India’s all-time best

Images: Bye, Bye Dravid!

A career worth remembering

Rahul Dravid: our John Wayne, our Gregory Peck

After Dravid, Indian cricket won’t be the same again

Post-Dravid, the Indian batting is as fickle as a dry twig:

a look at India 2013

Masterful timing?
In the end, Dravid got his timing just right

Will retirement renew brand Rahul?

The lesson of Dravid

In life, be like Dravid the genius of hard work

Memo to Akhilesh Yadav: govern like Dravid batted

The man behind the wall

One of Rahul’s great strengths is
his ability to accept reality: Vijeeta Dravid

Dear Rahul, did you get that letter?

Farewell to an icon
 Dravid
announces retirement
from Test cricket

The 39-year-old second highest run scorer in test

history announced his decision at a news conference in
Bangalore with Indian cricket board (BCCI) president
N. Srinivasan also in attendance.

FP Sports, Mar 9, 2012

T
here were no tears as India batting stal- “Many of my team-mates have become legends.
wart and former skipper Rahul Dravid I admired and learned from them and I leave
announced his retirement from inter- the game with many friendships and that’s a
national and domestic cricket on Friday. But it gift,” Dravid added.
sure felt like the end of an era.
“I would like to thank the Indian cricket fan —
Dravid scored 13,288 runs in 164 tests, includ- both in India and abroad. I have been lucky to
ing 36 hundreds, and became the first of India’s have you watch my game. I also tried to play the
veteran group of cricketers to announce his game in the right spirit and I may have failed at
retirement. He will not be playing any more times but I never stopped trying. That is why I
cricket and the retirement will be immediate. leave with sadness but also with pride.”
He will not play a farewell test against New
Zealand. Last year, Dravid retired from the limited overs
formats of the game after India’s disastrous
“I am announcing my retirement from interna- tour of England, where the team failed to win a
tional and domestic cricket. It’s been 16 years single match.
since I first played Test cricket for India. But I
could not have imagined a journey so long and The stylish right-hander, one of cricket’s most
fulfilling. But now it’s time for me to step aside technically sound batsmen, also has 12 hun-
for a new generation,” said Dravid in Bangalore. dreds in one-day internationals.
“I really did need to move on.”
“All of us have been proud and privileged to
“The life that I’ve lived — playing cricket for 16 watch Dravid play with great commitment for
years and 5 years of first-class cricket before India. Not only has he been great for India on
that. It wasn’t an easy decision. I knew that the the field but he has also been a great role model.
time was right. I knew that deep down I had to I think deciding when to retire is the hardest
move on. I needed to play for the right reasons decision that Rahul has had to make. Thank you
and the only reason I ever played for India was Rahul and we wish you very well for the future,”
to try and win and contribute for the team. So said N Srinivasan, BCCI president.
I didn’t feel the need to come out and play a
farewell match.” Dravid will continue to play in the lucrative
Twenty20 India Premier League, where he will
Critics and fans had called for Dravid and Van- lead Rajasthan Royals, replacing the retired
gipurappu Laxman (37) to make way for new Shane Warne as the captain of the franchise.
blood after India were whitewashed 4-0 in their
last two away series in England and Australia. Former India skipper Anil Kumble was also
Rahul Dravid announced his decision to quit present at the press conference.
Test cricket. AFP
“Let me take this opportunity to congratulate
The third member of the ‘Big Three’ Sachin Rahul. I have enjoyed every run you’ve scored
Tendulkar (38) has struggled for form since and every moment that we shared. You were a
reaching his 99th international century a year superb combination of exceptional talent and
ago and at 38, could soon be expected to limit commitment,” said Kumble. “The numbers
his participation to test matches only. only capture his contribution in part. You are
a perfect ambassador for cricket and a superb
And the first one to give way to the juniors is team-man.”
Dravid.
Life after Dravid: What lies
beyond the Wall?

In a video discussion Firstpost Sports Editor Ashish

Magotra and veteran cricket writer Ayaz Memon
discuss India’s young stars. Are they good enough to
take over from the veterans?

FP Editors, Mar 9, 2012

A
s Rahul Dravid announced his retire- There are still others waiting in the wings… but
ment at Bangalore on Friday, the one are they as good as Dravid? Do they have the
question that almost immediately arose potential to reach that same exalted status?
was this: Who is going to take his place in the More importantly, will the selectors wait that
Indian team? long?

There are plenty of young batsmen around but If we thought that Indian cricket had hits its
how many of them have actually managed to lowest low in Australia, then we might have
push the seniors out of their comfort zone and been mistaken. Dravid is only the first of the
out of the team. Virat Kohli had a very good tour senior trio to hang up his boots. There will be
of Australia but when you look at the numbers the need to manage these retirements; there will
he put up, you realise that he was probably just be a need to think this through.
par for the course.
Thankfully for selectors, Dravid has taken the
Rohit Sharma didn’t get his chance in the Tests first step. But they need to plan well or things
and when he did get a go in ODIs — he flattered could go horribly wrong. In a video discussion
to deceive. He may have all the talent in the Firstpost Sports Editor Ashish Magotra and vet-
world but if he can’t make it count when it mat- eran cricket writer Ayaz Memon discuss India’s
ters, then it doesn’t account to much. young stars… are they good enough to take over
from the veterans?
Suresh Raina was the young man who was sup-
posed to take over from the seniors. He was
even captain of the team but now, increasingly,
he looks like he will play only in ODIs.
Dravid: Cricket loses
its touch of the pure
Rahul was not made for the cricket consumer he was
made for the genuine cricket lover.

Akshaya Mishra, Mar 10, 2012

R
ahul Dravid made old school fascinat- and the pure. He revived, for some reason,
ing. nostalgic memories of another era. With his
farewell to cricket that connection with the past
snaps.
Without him, Indian cricket would lose its last
link to classical cricket. Rahul was not made for the cricket consumer —
the present day fan of the game; he was made
Sachin Tendulkar goes back two decades but he for the genuine cricket lover, the connoisseur.
is more of a modern-day cricketer in approach As he walks into the sunset, be sure, not many
and attitude. Rahul clearly represented another would miss him. But for those madly in love
age, another worldview and another mindset. with the brand of cricket he represented, his
If Sachin played the agent of change in Indian absence would be irreparable. At loss with the
cricket by redefining the art of batting, Rahul manic energy and mindlessness of new age
emphatically asserted the value of the simple made-for-the consumer cricket already, it is
likely that some would stop watching cricket “There can be one and only one Rahul Dravid,’’
altogether. Life won’t be the same for them ever said Sachin about Rahul. This is one great
without the sobering, reassuring presence of complementing another. Sachin should know.
Rahul. Both have shared the burden of the team for so
long, both have been fellow travellers in Indian
The cricket bat in his hands never turned into cricket’s roller-coaster journey close to two dec-
a magic wand, like it did in case of Sachin, ades. There has to be something special about
Virender Sehwag – both exceptionally gifted the man.
players. The two make cricket unreal when they
get going, too simple and too devoid of chal- He faced 31,189 balls in his career, the high-
lenges. Rahul made cricket real — never a walk est by any cricketer. The import of it would be
in the park. As he dug his heels in at the crease, difficult to grasp for many of the recent-day
blunting the deadliest attacks with loads of pa- followers of the game. It speaks of character. It
tience and wearing the opposition down in the takes incredible courage — and skill, of course
protracted war of nerves, he made people real- – to stand there and brave it out. In his 94 Tests
ise it is a tough game. It required application, abroad he averaged 53.03. No small feat this.
technique and grit, not flamboyance. His contribution in winning causes is close to
60 percent. These are the numbers that matter
They don’t make players like him anymore. The in the team game, not the fancy ones like strike
game has taken several evolutionary leaps since rate, which his detractors often used to nail
he took guard for the nation 16 years ago. It has him. Rahul was the ultimate team man — low
turned fast and furious. It has become a product key, reticent, the perennial bridesmaid, but still
of the market fine-tuned to cater to thrill lust of the perfect team man.
the consumer-fan. Players are more a product
of statistics than quality. We are in an era where When he bowed out, it was with great dignity
strike rate of the batters are more important and poise, like his batting itself. His retirement
than their ability to withstand quality bowling; was bereft of drama — he did not wait for that
where greatness is accumulated in denomina- ritual final lap around the ground in front of an
tion of sixes and fours, not in hard-run singles applauding crowd and mushy farewell speeches.
or twos. But he straddled different genres of the It helped that he was a cerebral cricketer, unlike
game with remarkable calm. most sportsmen in the country.

After the IPL-isation of cricket, he should have Was he the greatest in the country? With Sachin
been redundant. It is also interesting that, the Tendulkar not in the picture, he would have
man cut out for Test cricket only, lasted this invited direct comparison with Sunil Gavaskar
long in One-Day cricket. That he was around and come up a few notches higher than the
so long, playing old school cricket, grafting his Little Master. But comparing different eras is a
runs and still walking with his head high, is stupid exercise. Rahul himself would have hated
amazing. There have been several calls for his it. Now, he would be happy to be what he is,
scalp — with his style of cricket, he is always the Rahul Dravid.
soft target for critics. But he survived well, re-
emphasising the point over and over that true For us, he would always be the man who made
value has no replacement and class can have no old school cricket fascinating. After him cricket
substitute. would survive but it would that touch of rare
class.
Jeffrey Archer, Pietersen
bid farewell to Dravid
on Twitter

Here are some tweets bidding farewell to #TheWall.

FP Staff, Mar 9, 2012

D
ravid, better known as ‘The Wall’, News of his retirement immediately spawned a
will no longer be seen playing master flood of tweets from the likes of England nation-
strokes with his willow and delivering al Kevin Pietersen, Television star Piers Morgan
for the ‘Men in Blue’. and well known author Jeffery Archer, all prais-
ing Dravid, and speaking of their admiration
After a glorious 16-year career, Rahul Dravid from him. And of course the accolades from his
called it a day on Friday. He is the first of the most ardent fans, the Indian public, were forth-
three Indian cricket greats — Sachin Tendulkar, coming as well. We have collected a few here.
VVS Laxman and Dravid to retire.
 Cricketers pay tribute to the Wall,
say he’s among India’s all-time best

Former India cricketers and legends say there is no re-

placement in the Indian cricket for someone like Dravid.

FP Editors, Mar 9, 2012

F
ormer players hailed Rahul Dravid, who tremendous concentration and dedication. In
today retired from international as well technique, the man who came closest was San-
as domestic cricket, as among the very jay Manjrekar.
best produced by India and said his contribu-
tion to Indian cricket has been huge. He has scored the highest number of runs after
Sachin and also played the highest number of
Ajit Wadekar, former Indian captain and Test matches after
Coach: Sachin. It’s impossible to have another Rahul
Dravid and impossible to fill up the void.
Rahul was like the Great Wall of China for the
Indian team and it cannot be created again. Some of his greatest innings (notably of 180
He was an absolutely complete cricketer with against Australia) was overshadowed by VVS
Laxman (281) (in 2000-01 at Kolkata). one to take. He probably doesn’t feel he has no
I think it is the beginning of the end of the era, cricket left. He is making way for the youngsters
what was called team of the 90s. We have Virat which is amazing. It’s sort of an example for
Kohli (to fill in for Dravid). But he has a long many others.
way to go.
I know him closely. When I was the coach, he
If anyone should have a role model, it has to be was recognised as the Test cricketer. I was there
this guy. As a captain he was a bit of an intro- as selector when Dravid made debut alongside
vert. He was quiet and did not show much emo- Ganguly. That was a brilliant beginning. I knew
tion. It was the wall that was always there for he had the mettle in him. I was the one to get
the Indian team to lean on. him to one-dayers. I somehow convinced the
other selectors that he will be good in the one-
Nari Contractor, former India captain: dayers as well.

Like Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare and Sunil He was very disciplined and focused. I never
(Gavaskar) have gone down in history, like told him he needs to work hard on batting or
Sachin (Tendulkar) will go down in history physical fitness. He was a
(when he calls it a day), so too will Rahul go self-made cricketer. He was very confident. He
down as among the very best India has pro- knew exactly what he needs to be doing even in
duced. adverse condition. He is a
role model for any youngster. Leaving aside
Rahul has been next only to Sachin in every- Sachin Tendulkar, if you want to emulate, it has
thing (in the number of runs scored in Tests and to be Rahul Dravid.
number of centuries). He has made runs when
they mattered most for the team. What more Ashish Nehra, fast bowler for India :
would you have expected from him?
When Rahul or Laxman were in the slips as
What many fail to mention (about Dravid) is the a bowler you were doubly confident that the
number of catches he has taken (mostly in the catches will be taken. Dravid
slip cordon). He has alongwith Jacques Kallis and Mark Waugh are
been one of the most outstanding cricketers the finest slip catchers in world cricket.
from India in all respects. His contribution to
Indian cricket has been huge and can never be Standing at first slip, when Harbhajan Singh or
forgotten. Anil Kumble is bowling on Indian pitches you
need a lot of guts to stand in the first slip.
Bapu Nadkarni, former India cricketer: Paras Mhambrey, former India cricketer:

He was a totally selfless cricketer. He has been He was always confident, very hard working. He
very helpful and never said no to anyone and is an ideal role model for the younger genera-
always gave his best. tion.

Anshuman Gaekwad, former India cricketer Sixteen years of career is a fabulous one. I feel
and India coach : he was fit and good enough to prolong his ca-
reer but it’s an individual decision. He will be
It’s a bold decision. A tough decision for any- missed.
 Images: Bye, Bye Dravid!

Rahul Dravid made his Test debut against England in 1996. He made 95. Adrian Murrell/Allsport
UK/Getty Images

Dravid finished as the top scorer in the 1999 World Cup scoring 461 runs. Julian Herbert/ALL-
SPORT/Getty Images
VVS Laxman (L) and Dravid leave the field after batting the entire day, on Day 4 of the 2nd Test
between India and Australia at Eden Gardens. Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT/Getty Images

A disappointed Dravid after India lost the fourth Dravid walks back after scoring 117 runs in the
Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval earlier second Test against England at Trent Bridge on
this year. Hamish Blair/Getty Images July 30, 2011. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Dravid is presented with the Pataudi trophy by Tiger Pataudi on Day 5 of the third Test against
England at the Oval on 13 August 2007. Tom Shaw/Getty Images

Dravid with son Samit and wife Vijeta on Day 4 of the first Test against South Africa at the Wan-
derers in December 2006. Duif du Toit/Gallo Images/Getty Images
A career worth remembering
Rahul Dravid: our John Wayne,
our Gregory Peck

He was ‘Matrix’ once, black-cape flowing in the wind.

He is Gregory Peck now, steely-eyed and almost
expressionless, as he brings justice to his sport
and his team.

Tom Alter, Jun 23, 2011

L
ike John Wayne in his later films, or collapsing, with the youngsters as uncertain
maybe the whole team of ‘The Misfits”, as colts in a big rodeo (shades of The Misfits
Rahul Dravid fought a lone battle – again), Rahul Dravid scores his 32nd century –
scarred and wounded, but full of such pride –
the angles were not quite there, awkward jabs He has never missed a series for personal rea-
and quick shuffles abounding – the face under sons – very seldom for injuries – he wicket-
the helmet rounder now, smoother in its full- kept when the team needed him – he has taken
ness, the cheekbones receding into the eyes catches others would not even have reached –
now – and he is still Rahul Dravid – the Shashi he has always been there – always.
Kapoor to Tendulkar’s Amitabh – or, more
accurately, the Vinod Khanna – in the second And as Gambhir and Sehwag and Sachin and
innings of the First Test (what poetry in that Zaheer and Yuvraj nurse injuries and egoes, he
phrase), he played the way only a champion can is still there – in the middle, doing his job, Gary
play, only a master, only a true Test batsman – Cooper at sundown –
his body leaning one way, his bat the other – a
sudden heave over long-on – and finally the He was ‘Matrix’ once, black-cape flowing in the
ugly swipe which brought the innings to a close. wind –

And as I write, the Windies are attacking, and He is Gregory Peck now, steely-eyed and almost
we have a match on our hands – a Test match. expressionless, as he brings justice to his sport
and his team –
But back to Dravid — ten years ago, he was the
best in the world at the Test level – fluid, calm, Awkward, edgy, almost ill-at-ease –
a rock – then the bat began to come down from
the slips, the feet became motionless, there were But in the shadows of his eyes, he has seen more
dabs and darts outside that ‘wall’ of an off- cricket and more glory and more perfection
stump— Captaincy followed, with remarkable than almost anyone else.
victories, in faraway places such as the Windies
and England… In the slim strength of his upper body, he holds
Rahul Dravid the secret to this beautiful game called Test
cricket…
And then, as IPL began to spread its poison,
captain Dravid was gone. In the still elegant tilt of his body as he makes
room to caress the ball on the off-side, there is
I saw him at Delhi airport just after he had been the harmony of ease and effort which sport is
robbed of his captaincy, he was on his way for truly all about…
the first big IPL press-conference – he had that
look on is face – that focused, straight-ahead, In the always short-haired statement of his
leave-me-alone look – but not a happy look – as sculptured head is the understated determina-
if it was a mask, and underneath was possible tion of a genius…
anger, and hurt, and uncertainty.
And in his square-cut, when he finds the song
It is a story which needs to be told – why Rahul and ‘sur’ even now, is the most definite state-
Dravid was robbed of the captaincy after victory ment of artistic savagery Indian cricket has ever
in England… seen…

He himself is unlikely to tell it – that is not the Let us treasure him for as long he graces the
way he is. game he so loves –

And now, in the Windies, with the next highest Let us win this Test for him – for our Rahul
scorer Amit Mishra, with the stars of the IPL Dravid.
After Dravid, Indian cricket
won’t be the same again

There are some who leave an indelible impression - on

the sport as well as the minds of fans - which cannot
be erased. And Dravid was one such,
says Ayaz Memon.

Ayaz Memon, Mar 9, 2012

T
here was a sense of inevitability when I runs deep and long and never dries up.
saw a missed call and an sms from Ra-
hul Dravid late Wednesday night. We’ve Impeccable technique, unwavering concentra-
known each other since he made his interna- tion and an unflappable temperament made
tional debut in 1996, but have hardly been ‘tel- him arguably the most difficult batsman to dis-
ephone buddies’ so to speak. The timing of the miss for any bowler from any country for more
call also betrayed some urgency. than a decade. Geoff Boycott, master of ortho-
dox technique, highlighted Dravid’s decisive
I texted Dravid back asking if he was okay to footwork – back or forward – and great sense of
take a call now or the following morning. He balance as the reasons for his success last year
called almost immediately. “I am retiring from in England. “He’s got an uncluttered mind and
international cricket on Friday. Thought I would clear movements,” said Boycott. “I haven’t seen
share this with some people who have been on too many batsmen who can manage their in-
this journey with me for a long while before the nings better in different conditions.
official announcement is made,” he said. “But
you don’t announce it before I do!” he joked. It’s this lack of precise footwork and a skew in
body balance – caused by slowing reflexes —
It was touching. Not many players are given to which probably led to Dravid’s poor run in Aus-
such sensibilities. Professional relationships, es- tralia in the recent series when he got bowled so
pecially between the media and a star cricketer often. But for the most part of his career, such
in India, are often under duress because of the vulnerability was unthinkable. He may have
peculiar demands made on the respective stake- lacked the panache of a Ponting, the ebullience
holders. As a rule, Dravid had kept his distance of a Lara and the sublime genius of a Tendulkar,
from the media, but clearly he is not bereft of but he perhaps more than any other batsman of
sentiment. this era, was a better ‘manager’ of his innings.

I asked him if he had a buy-in from his family Dravid also put a greater premium on his
– parents, wife etc – in the decision. He replied wicket than any of his more considered peers.
that the decision had been reached only after he He earned the sobriquet `The Wall’ early in
had spoken to all those who mattered. “Will you his career for his stringent approach which not
miss the game very much?” I asked him. “It’s only held the Indian batting together but also
been a part of me for as long as I can remember allowed strokemakers like Tendulkar, Ganguly,
so one has to readjust. But life must move on,” Laxman and (later) Sehwag to give full rein to
he said. their talent.

There are compelling statistical reasons of He provided the team both reliability and solid-
course to remember Dravid by. His Test tally ity though he was often upstaged by his team-
of 13288 runs makes him second best in the mates for attractiveness: in the several memora-
history of the game so far, behind only Sachin ble partnerships with Laxman against Australia
Tendulkar with whom he’s played for so many for instance, or making 148 in daunting circum-
years, and batted through so many innings to- stances against England at Leeds in 2002 only
gether. He’s also got a record 210 Test catches, to see Tendulkar make 193 in relatively easier
almost 10889 runs in ODIs, 23794 first class conditions.
runs etc.
Dravid, however, was not bothered about win-
Ever since he scored 95 on debut in 1996, Drav- ning the oohs and aahs of spectators, soldier-
id marked himself out as an exceptional bats- ing on with redoubled resolve, batting with a
man. There were a few early hiccups — more passion that consumed all his attention and
with adjusting to the demands of the limited energies to become a player of exceptional
overs format – but once he had settled in, as ability and achievement. For several phases in
it were, in international cricket, there was no his career – notably between circa 20000 and
looking back. The runs came consistently, and 2005 — he was India’s best performing batsman
everywhere, with the serenity of a river that (especially when playing overseas) and arguably
perhaps the best in the world. for him. Why, he gave up the captaincy imme-
diately after winning a test series in England in
But for the dismal series recently, his overseas 2007.
record, in fact, is quite stupendous.In 2002,
he scored 600+ in England, in 2003-4 he was By common reckoning among peers, former
again in excess of 600 runs against Australia, players and experts, Dravid is amongst the great
in Pakistan in 2004 he made more than 400 in batsmen of all time, worthy of being consid-
three Tests and last year in England of course, ered along with Hobbs, Hutton, the three Ws,
he made 461 in four Test with three hundreds to Kanhai, May, Cowdrey, Merchant, Hazare,
stand out brilliantly like a diamond in coal. Gavaskar, Miandad — to name a handful from
the distant past.
But to assess Dravid only through runs and
catches is to try and comprehend a book opus In the current era, debate about who is the best
only through its contents page, not actually read batsman has largely centred around Tendulkar,
it. Read it chapter by chapter and the book actu- Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting but I think this
ally reveals itself as a magnum opus; of a player debate is incomplete if Dravid (Kallis and San-
and person of rare dignity, commitment, hardi- gakara too) are not included.
ness and achievement.
And so life moves on, though for those who fol-
Not to mention performances, which always low Indian cricket passionately, it won’t be the
seemed to improve under pressure, and a vision same again after Dravid’s gone. I don’t mean to
and love for the game that goes beyond the pure sound mushy: every player must retire at some
statistical or material as his wonderful Bradman stage, and as good, if not better players come
Oration Lecture at the start of the Australia tour along in time. But there are some who leave an
revealed. indelible impression – on the sport as well as
the minds of fans — which cannot be erased.
His singular contribution to Indian cricket is
not merely what the scorebooks say, but what They stay long enough, and do so many wonder-
they don’t: of the selflessness which made him ful things that they come to occupy considerable
agree to keep wickets in ODIs when the team mind-space, in fact become part of your own
needed better balance, of opening the innings identity. Rahul Dravid was one such.
in Tests when there was a crisis, of steering
clear of power-play (and other things that prima Well played sir!
donnas do) to keep the sanctity of the dressing
room even when things were not rolling kindly
 Post-Dravid, the Indian batting
is as fickle as a dry twig:
a look at India 2013
After the departure of the Wall what will the Indian
cricket team of 2013 look like and who are the
potential replacements to fill the giant Dravid-shaped
hole in the team?

Binoo K John, Mar 10, 2012

R
ahul Dravid’s expected announcement ous attempts made to remove Saurav Ganguly,
of retirement from international cricket, starting with the one by Greg Chappell, are
without waiting for any grandstanding examples before us.
occasion at a home venue where the stadium
would have risen as one man, was gallantly and When the big guys go, there is a sense of dis-
humbly done. Typical of the man. belief and a sense of the void. When Dravid
walked in at number three we all sat back with
In India retirements never happen, they just a sense of relief for he was sure to stand there,
fade way grumbling. A forced dropping from and the crease was where he sent down roots.
the team is followed by a lot of recriminations To gauge the depth and scale of that void is
and backdoor attempts to get back. The vari- what we have to do now.
The immediate outcome is that the pressure on so far in the big league), Rajasthan middle order
Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman to follow bat Robin Bist (averaging 86.16 this season’s
suit will be immense. Various former Test crick- domestic circuit and a record 1034 runs ) and
eters have called for a change and Dravid’s exit opener Vineet Saxena with a slow double cen-
is only going to increase the clamour for the two tury raising hopes of good defensive technique.
other biggies to follow suit. There is also opener Abhinav Mukund of Tamil
Nadu who scored a gutsy 48 against West Indies
Sachin may get his 100th ton at the Asia Cup who can be tried lower down the order. All this
in the friendly environs of the Dhaka stadium. to add to the existing off-on batting stars like
After that his usefulness to Indian cricket, both Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Rohit Sharma and
one-day and Tests will be questioned. The home Ajinkya Rahane.
series starting in September-October may be
his last because he will see no more boundaries It is a dismal choice we all will admit. Barring
to cross. Or he will have to continue to pretend Virat Kohli, the others will need at least five
that he did not hear the various hints that were Tests on home wickets (where they all have
dropped. been dadas) before we can vouch for them and
send them out to face the might of Australian,
Ditto VVS Laxman. The home series offers the English and South African bowling. At least
last occasion for one last walk back to the pavil- three of them will have to be given time out in
ion and for us to stand up for that great middle the middle in the home Test series.
order bat. 2013 will thus start quite bleakly for
India which fortunately has an away series only Just to get used to the idea read this list. Inci-
in July next year and that too to Zimbabwe. dentally this is not a Ranji Team but India 2013
June: Gautam Gambhir. Ajinkya Rahane, Virat
So with Dravid-Sachin-Laxman not there the Kohli, Tiwary, Rohit Sharma/Raina, Dhoni,
Indian Test team is likely to look as good as the and then the bowlers. An utterly undepend-
U-19 team on its first tour. Virender Sehwag able batting line up which will cross 200 only
looks increasingly like one who has lost his at home. To add muscle to the batting in Tests,
interest in the game. His body language on field Bengal’s Wriddhiman Saha, now a dependable
is utterly depressing and he suggests that he is bat will have to be inducted as wicket keeper
doing everyone a favour by just limply hanging and Dhoni in the team just as a batsman. This
around in the field. This happens to the best of way Dhoni can control the team from mid-on or
sportsmen, some of whom like Pete Sampras mid-off instead of behind the sticks, for which
quit for this reason alone when he easily had India has had a heavy price to pay. Also he
two more years on the circuit and millions to needs to be taken away from wicket keeping in
make. It seems quite unlikely that Yuvraj Singh Tests just like Kumar Sangakara has done for
will play high level cricket again. How much Sri Lanka.
fitness can you regain after radiation treatment
and how long will you last as a player? This is With this team it is unlikely that we can make a
one tragedy which will take us a long time to pitch to reclaim the number one spot. During a
come to terms with. future home series, when our wickets start fall-
ing and the home pitch dadas depart for the pa-
So in year 13 of the 21st century the Indian team vilion in a hurry, we will all recall a man named
will have five batsmen trying to cement their Rahul Dravid. And yearn for him.
places in the team. Look at the names of pos-
sibilities: Cheteshwar Pujara, (a disappointment
Masterful timing?
In the end, Dravid got his
timing just right
After the departure of the Wall what will the Indian
cricket team of 2013 look like and who are the
potential replacements to fill the giant Dravid-shaped
hole in the team?

Anand Vasu, Mar 9, 2012

S
ome are born great, some achieve great- fectly at 39 as it did when he made his magical
ness, and some have greatness thrust debut at Lord’s all those summers ago in 1996,
upon ‘em. Rahul Dravid, if such a thing hair neatly combed, the Board of Control for
is possible, is all three. It’s safe to say William Cricket in India tie knotted to perfection, Dravid
Shakespeare never wrote about cricket but ushered in a hushed, mildly reverential silence
Malvolio’s immortal line from Twelfth Night as he read from a prepared statement, saving
better sums up an international career spanning his best for last. Addressing the Indian fan,
16 years, in which more than 24,000 runs were Dravid said, “The game is lucky to have you and
painstakingly amassed than all the statistics you I have been lucky to play before you. To repre-
can dig up. sent India, and thus to represent you, has been
a privilege and one which I have always taken
In his India team blazer that fits him as per- seriously. My approach to cricket has been rea-
sonably simple: it was about giving everything fair impression of sternness, welcomed his old
to the team, it was about playing with dignity friend to the other world, life after cricket, and
and it was about upholding the spirit of the suggested only half in jest that Dravid’s “ability
game.” to say no will be challenged like never before
because of the unprecedented demands on his
That he was blessed is beyond debate, although time.”
some of his gifts are harder for us mere mortals
to recognise – an affinity for hard work, extraor- That Dravid was nearer the end than ever before
dinary powers of concentration and a constant was not in doubt, but the fact that several peo-
pursuit of excellence for excellence’s sake. No ple were asking why — rather than why not —
Indian wicket, not even Sachin Tendulkar’s has showed that he got the timing of his retirement
been valued so dearly by the opposition in Test just right. Dravid was repeatedly asked what
cricket over the last decade and a half. he would do next, but like bowlers who have
Rahul Dravid probed unsuccessfully outside the off stump,
reporters were left despairing. “I’ve not thought
We thrust the tag of greatness upon him every about it yet,” was all he would say, quickly add-
day, and Dravid knows he has achieved things ing, “I have lived a cocooned life for the past
on a cricket field that may never be matched twenty years, had a set routine. Now my wife
and been part of truly great wins, but it’s not says it’s time to get me into a fresh routine.”
something he embraces. Tell him that he’s Bangaloreans better keep their eyes peeled
great, and he looks down at his feet, shifts his when they’re shopping for vegetables at the
weight uncomfortably — as he did when a room neighbourhood supermarket; the guy with the
of 200-plus media personnel broke into spon- bag of potatoes at the check-out counter might
taneous applause at the end of Dravid’s short just be Dravid.
speech.
At the hour-long press conference gentle half-
Like everything else Dravid, nothing was left volleys were compactly dealt with: Who were
to chance even in the final farewell. The short the best bowlers he’d faced? “Wasim Akram,
presentation ceremony was staged on the out- Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney
field of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Walsh, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan …”
Dravid received bouquets from one-time team- Which was his best innings? “It’s hard to choose
mates Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, who between your sons.”
now run the Karnataka State Cricket Associa-
tion. It was a brief moment for the family relish. In a recent conversation, Dravid told this writer
Vijeeta, who Rahul describes as having been just how much he loved batting in the nets: “It’s
“a virtual single parent,” has done a remark- great playing international cricket, but the pres-
able job staying out of the limelight and shield- sure is huge. It’s not always fun. But in the nets,
ing the kids from the glare of the media. Even it’s totally different. You’re taken back to why
on Rahul’s big day, she was quick to scoop the you began playing the game, for the sheer love
younger son Anvai, with Samit in tow and leave of hitting the ball. In some ways it’s the most
the room when the constant jostling of cameras pure enjoyment of the game for me.”
began to grate.
As he took a final bow, Dravid confirmed that a
N Srinivasan, president of the BCCI, a man year from now, you couldn’t rule out the pos-
known to be ruthless and hardnosed, choked sibility that he’d quietly slip into the Chinnas-
more than once in the course of a heartfelt wamy Stadium late at night to have a bat in the
goodbye in which he called Dravid “actually indoor nets. Dravid might have said goodbye to
irreplaceable” and sincerely meant it. Kumble, international cricket, but his love for the game
whose baritone voice and steely eye give an un- will always remain undiminished, invincible.
Will retirement renew
brand Rahul?
Not only his IPL team, endorsement market experts
believe that Dravid could still be a natural choice for
many brands thanks to his reliability and integrity.

PTI, Mar 11, 2012

N
ew Delhi: The curtains may have come their commercials and promotions, he added.
down on ‘the Wall’ but Rahul Dravid
could become even more visible on the “They (sponsors) were already planning, but
small screen in the upcoming IPL season as his his retirement will surely accentuate that,” Iyer
team Rajasthan Royals looks to cash in on the added.
emotional quotient post his retirement.
In the past Dravid has endorsed a host of
Not only his IPL team, endorsement market ex- brands, including Bank of Baroda, Britannia,
perts believe that Dravid could still be a natural Hutch, Reebok, Sansui, Citizen, Pepsi, Karnata-
choice for many brands thanks to his reliability ka Tourism, Castrol, Max New York Life, Kissan
and integrity. and Gillette.

“We are planning to shoot an advertisement However, in the last few years he was not been
with Rahul Dravid along with other team mem- much active in the endorsement market.
bers of Rajasthan Royals. He is a very good
cricketer and an association with him will defi- “Cricket is largely about youth and Dravid has
nitely help us upgrade our brand,” Supertech not been visible in the brand endorsement
Ltd CMD RK Arora told PTI. market for quite some time now. Till about 7-8
years back, he was the biggest endorser after
Real estate developer Supertech is one of the Sachin Tendulkar,” Collage Sports Management
sponsors of Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL team Director Latika Khaneja said.
captained by Dravid in the fifth season of the
Indian Premier League. He may be able to make a comeback like
Srikkanth, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, she
According to RR’s Chief Executive Officer Ra- said.
ghu Iyer, Dravid signifies reliability and integ-
rity. “He will be a natural choice for brands which
are looking for someone who symbolises
“After the news of his retirement, definitely the strength and trust,” Khaneja added.
emotional quotient has gone up and it will defi-
nitely have a positive rub off on Rajasthan Roy- Ending a glittering 16-year career, Dravid on
als as fans would like to see him play cricket. It Friday announced his retirement from interna-
should augur well for Rajasthan Royals team in tional cricket with 13,288 Test runs, the second
this IPL season,” Iyer said. most aggregate in the game’s history.

RR’s sponsors, including TCS, Ultratech, King- Dravid’s brand endorsements are managed by
fisher, Puma and Supertech would want to use Twenty First Century Media.
his image along with other RR team members in
The lesson of Dravid
In life, be like Dravid
the genius of hard work
Hard work has a sort of mortal, doable quality to it.
But to do it over 16 years in international cricket
needs a certain kind of genius.

Ashish Magotra, Mar 9, 2012

T
he word ‘genius’ was never used to define The contrast couldn’t be sharper. He would
Rahul Dravid. come in and look to defend the first ball, let it
hit the middle of the bat and slowly build his
innings… the others would walk in looking to
Mainly because, for much of his career, he smack the leather off the ball – Sehwag with
often shared the field with players like Sachin disdain, Tendulkar with authority, Laxman with
Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and his wrists and Sourav Ganguly through the off-
Virender Sehwag – all players with an ethereal side. In a partnership, Dravid was always the
quality about the way they played their cricket. proverbial anchor – trying to keep the others
All hands and eyes, all flash and fire, and, com- firmly in the grasp of reality. But for them, it
pared to them, Dravid seemed staid. Still does. was easier to take the flights of fancy that Drav-
id could only dream of.
He spent more time in the nets than the others, ment: is it nature or nurture? While Dravid’s
he worked on his fitness, he worked on the little team-mates often colluded with nature, the
things that came easily to the others, and he right-handle was clearly nurtured to an exalted
worked on keeping his head above water… why status through the self-effacing quality called
he even worked on his wicket-keeping to stay in hard work.
the ODI team. But hard work has a sort of mor-
tal, doable quality to it. We can all work hard – In his book Outliers: The Story of Success, Mal-
if we have the motivation and the belief… that’s colm Gladwell addressed the subject of genius
all it takes. by featuring the work of Anders Ericsson, who
became famous for the 10-year rule: the notion
But to do it over 17 years requires the kind that it takes at least 10 years (or 10,000 hours)
of genius that not everyone is born with; the of dedicated practice for people to master most
genius of hard work. We can all work hard for complex endeavours. Dravid had 17 years and
a while but after some time, we start to falter. he sure made the most of it.
We get bored. We get distracted. We want to do
the extraordinary. We want to play beyond our Dravid doesn’t inspire the impossible. But what
limitations and that is often where we go wrong. he does do is stretch the limits of the possible
to a point where the thin line dividing the two
For many of Dravid’s contemporaries, the nets starts to blur. And THAT is his genius. He didn’t
were a place to try out new things, to hit the big start off as a man blessed with greatness but
shots, to build confidence before a big match. each year he seemed to add a new chapter to the
But for the Bangalorean, it was a drill – some- legend in the making. And THAT is his genius
thing that had to be done as a matter of course. too.
Throughout he would make tiny adjustments,
trying to get as close to his sense of perfection When kids walk in to meet their coaches for the
as possible, because he needed to be at his best first time, they often harbour dreams of becom-
to survive. The difference between the Dravid ing the next Tendulkar or Sehwag. Who wants
that we saw in England and the one we saw in to present a straight bat to everything? You
Australia was minute – a matter of his feet not might hear Gavaskar praise you but the crowd
moving a few inches more – but that’s all it took will mostly boo. And nobody likes to be booed.
to make him crash and burn.
But their coaches will point them in the direc-
He realised that, which is why every waking mo- tion of Dravid. ‘Be like him – he is a genius of
ment was spent thinking about the game – his hard work,’ they will say. He wasn’t blessed but
technique and the opposition. It was the kind of he had his sights set on a goal.
focus that bordered on the maniacal but it was
also the kind of focus that made him loved and And in the end, he can proudly say – he got
respected. People could see he wasn’t frivolous. there. He isn’t the bridesmaid any more, he
He was the serious kind and he took the game isn’t second best. He’s first among equals and
very seriously. he’s pretty much earned the right to be called a
genius through hard work and you can’t say that
In cricket as in life, the debate over what leads about too many people right now, can you?
to genius has been dominated by a simple argu-
Memo to Akhilesh Yadav:
govern like Dravid batted

As Akhilesh Yadav take guards for a new inning as

Chief Minister, he can draw inspiration from
a self-effacing but top-performing man who
retired yesterday.

Venky Vembu, Mar 10, 2012

B
arely hours from now, it now appears humility, and dedication to the larger cause
near-certain, Akhilesh Yadav will be of the team that secured for the “other Rahul”
elected leader of the Samajwadi Party’s an enviable reputation as Indian cricket’s Mr
legislature party, formalising his ascension as Dependable. Dravid’s batsmanship was far from
the State’s youngest Chief Minister. flamboyant, but his contributions in the team’s
cause were greater than those of other, more
The imminent ‘coronation’ of the “dehati dy- flashy teammates who walk with a swagger.
nast” (as Ramachandra Guha alludes to him)
is not without its moments of Mahabharat- Of course, the cricketing analogy runs only so
esque palace intrigues. Opposition to Akhilesh’s far in politics: the playing field, for all the in-
anointment has come from within the family tense animosities that it witnesses, is a much
and the party’s old guard. The political patri- more forgiving arena than politics can ever be.
arch Mulayam Singh’s younger brother Shivpal And Akhilesh is padding up at about the age
Singh and party heavyweight Azam Khan gave that Dravid is retiring. But if he gets it right
voice to their inhibitions, but appear to have and taps into his ‘’inner Dravid’, Akhilesh has
been persuaded by the offer of some blandish- the capacity to change the idiom of politics in
ments to support Akhilesh’s elevation. India’s largest State – and move it away from
the ‘politics of identity’ that parties, including
In many ways, for all its reaffirmation of Indian his own, have traditionally fed (and fed off). By
politics’ oldest malady – scionitis, or the perpet- decisively presenting a modernist face of his
uation of dynastic rule – Akhilesh’s ascension party, Akhilesh has already severed the umbili-
has the potential to alter the idiom of govern- cal cord that might have tethered him to the
ance and change the rules for how the family backward-looking, luddite image that his father
business of politics can be run. Already, in the reinforced.
way he managed his election campaign, with
sobriety rather than high-on-media-hype flashi- In the days immediately following the election
ness, Akhilesh has trumped the other ‘Dilli dur- verdict, when celebratory Samajwadi Party
bar’ dynast – Rahul Gandhi – and established workers have been running amok and reviving
that bottom-up ‘pedal power’ politics finds memories of the party’s ‘goonda raj’ history,
greater resonance among the dirty, unwashed Akhilesh has so far been less than inspirational.
masses than the ‘parachute artist’ politics of Beyond the proforma pronouncements warn-
leaders airdropped from on high. ing partymen to abide by the rule of law or face
punishment, Akhilesh hasn’t sought to establish
In his countless media interactions since the his authority over his out-of-line partymen in
spotlight has been trained on him, Akhilesh the way he did during the campaign. Faced with
Yadav has thus far demonstrated an endearing a first-ball bouncer, he has made a hash of it.
self-effacing quality that one associates less with
politicians and more with, say, a Rahul Dravid, But if he can get his eye in quickly, and settle
who even in retirement on Friday, exemplified down to offer good governance in a State that is
rare grace. crying out for it, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav
can be guaranteed a long inning, a great career
As Akhilesh takes guard for a new political in- and much critical acclaim – almost as good as
ning, he can do worse than borrow from Drav- the one that ‘The Wall’ ended yesterday.
id’s cool temperament, discipline, heads-down
The man behind the wall
One of Rahul’s great strengths
is his ability to accept reality:
Vijeeta Dravid

Among other things, Rahul Dravid’s wife speaks about

how her husband’s ability to compartmentalise things
allowed him to enjoy life.

FP Sports, Mar 12, 2012

M
ost of us know little of Rahul Dravid Test and said, “I got a bit angry today. I lost my
outside the confines of cricket. We temper. Shouldn’t have done that.” He wouldn’t
know he is well read, we know he can say more. Many months later, Viru [Sehwag]
give a good speech, we know he is pragmatic but told me that he’d actually thrown a chair after
not many can really say what lies beyond the a defeat to England in Mumbai. He’d thrown
public face of one of India’s finest cricketers. the chair, Viru said, not because the team had
lost but because they had lost very badly,” she
So when his wife, Vijeeta, decides to give us a added.
rather unique insight in Dravid’s life — we just
stand and listen. After all, who can know Dravid Dravid always seemed like someone who was at
better than his wife. In an article on ESPN- ease with himself. Even when India lost in the
Cricinfo, Vijeeta gives us a glimpse of the inner first round at the 2007 World Cup, he seemed
sanctum. to have accepted fate. He was disappointed no
doubt but he knew that at that point, nothing
Among other things, she speaks about how else could have been done. He was already look-
Dravid’s ability to compartmentalise things al- ing forward.
lowed him to enjoy life despite being part of the
high-pressure cauldron of Indian cricket. “One of Rahul’s great strengths is his ability
File photo of Vijeeta and Rahul Dravid. AP – and he has had it all along – to accept real-
ity. He believes you cannot complain about
“He has dealt with all that goes on in cricket anything because there is no end to complain-
because he can separate the game and the rest ing. And he knows there is no end to improving
of his life and put things in perspective. No either. He always looks within, to gain, to learn
matter what was happening in his cricket, at and to keep working at his cricket,” said Drav-
home he is husband, father, family man. He has id’s wife.
never said, “Oh I’ve had a bad day.” He wouldn’t
speak about his work unless asked. Other than The only hope that was can have is that the next
dropped catches,” Vijeeta said. generation can learn from Rahul’s example.

“Only once, I remember, he returned from a Read the full article here.
 Dear Rahul,
did you get that letter?

An ardent Dravid fan recounts how she snuck off to

Bangalore to hand deliver a fan letter to him... with
memorable consequences!

Arlene Chang, Mar 9, 2012

U
nassuming. Simple. Boy next door. in — with his parents and brother — was called
‘Srishti’ (a Sanskrit word which means uni-
verse).

This is a description of what my original “type” Of course, I would know that! The first time I
of guy is. That is what Rahul Dravid embodies ever wrote him a letter I was adamant that I go
to me. So, yes, Rahul, fits the bill, oh so per- and hand deliver it (this after wanting to be the
fectly. silent fan for a few years, which is why I never
put pen to paper earlier). And, while it was an
It’s no surprise then, that when 17-somethings adventure neither me nor a cousin I coaxed into
around me were fawning over Azharuddin’s tagging along will ever forget, it was also cause
swagger, Sachin’s raw talent and Saurav Gan- of one of the most memorable thrashings I have
guly’s off side shenanigans — I was smitten by received in my life.
the quiet, paavam, Dravid.
The story goes thus.
At a time when Ajay Jadeja was considered the
eye candy of the Indian cricket team, my friends While on vacation with my family in the Ban-
and cousins wondered why I would leave him galore-Mysore belt, I was determined to hand
(this after even having received a letter from deliver the letter I wrote to Dravid professing
him in reply to my correspondence congratulat- how much I loved his game and the person he
ing him for a particular match performance) seemed to be and being a foolish, smitten teen-
and chase after Dravid. ager at the time, I was struck with the not so
bright idea of lying to my parents to go do exact-
“He has so many craters on his face”, a class- ly that. I dragged a cousin into the ploy with me
mate once told me. “He is so slow in scoring. and we went in the pursuit of Rahul Dravid.
What IS it you like about him?” said another.

I never had a solid answer to that (and I hadn’t

analysed or realised what my original type was
back then) but I just knew that for me, Dravid
was different. Unostentatious, level-headed
and so committed to a game that I at the time,
watched even Ranji matches of.

This was almost 15 years ago. Much water has

flowed under the bridge since then. Today, I
don’t even watch T20 cricket matches anymore.
But, Dravid is the embodiment of any and all
the romantic charm that cricket has ever had for
me.
We first headed to Chinnaswamy stadium be-
In my mid to late teens, at the time I followed cause I had heard that Dravid practices there
cricket religiously, I kept a scrap book on what whenever he is in Bangalore — and I knew, that
could be called ‘Everything Dravid’. All news- at the time, he was in Bangalore. At first, the
paper clippings, every photo I found of him in guard there refused to let my cousin and myself
every angle possible, match schedules (even in, but after much pleading and speaking in
local Ranji and promotional matches), appear- Hindi and some broken Kannada we managed
ance mentions and even pictures of his fam- to get entry into the stadium stands. But, by the
ily — Sharad and Pushpa Dravid; and brother time we were allowed in, Dravid was gone.
Vijay. I knew that his mother was from Nagpur
and a professor of architecture, that his nick At this point, my cousin became chicken and
name was Jammy, that he lived in Indira Nagar reminded me that it had been many hours into
in Bangalore and that the home that he lived the day that we were pursuing Dravid and the
consequences of it once our parents got to know My cousin who came along got a scolding and I,
would not be pleasant. I felt cheated that he predictably at the time, got a thrashing — all for
wanted to back out without me having tried my the pursuit of Dravid.
best. But, I somehow persuaded him to allow
me one last try. I said we should go to Indira Despite the stick, I never for once — then or
Nagar and find his house. even now — have regretted that Bangalore
adventure. It is what the life of 17-somethings
Hesistantly, he agreed and we took an auto to across generations, countries and times is all
the area. Since I was too embarassed to look like about. Adulation, adoration and an assault on
a starry-eyed fan if I asked people around for di- the hormones.
rections to ‘Rahul Dravid’s house’, we landed up
going around in circles for more than an hour Of course, then, one might not necessarily have
before finding the house. But, when we reached, realised.
I was so excited that I refused to get off — “what
if someone saw me!” I thought. Almost a decade and a half later, the adulation
and adoring of Dravid continues. The assault of
So, I told my driver I’d give him a tip to drop hormones, of course, has waned (and it began
the letter I wrote in Dravid’s mailbox. The auto when I realised that Vijeta has won that race).
driver tried to persuade me to do it myself, “You But, my Dravid experience was best described
have come so far and searched for the house for by my auto driver that day.
so long, you should do it,” he told me. But, I was
too excited and nervous to even get out of the “I have never had such an enjoyable sawari
auto. (passenger) before, Madame. Please call me
whenever you come to Bangalore and I will
So, the auto driver and my cousin had to do the come pick you up. I will never forget you,” he
needful. had told me.

As they were in the midst of the act, the front I will never forget that experience either. And,
door slowly opened and revealed Dravid and I’m damn sure, neither will my cousin.
before I knew it I was hurrying my cousin and
auto driver back into the auto. They came, I may not have my ‘Everything Dravid’ scrap-
started the auto and I passed out. book anymore, I may not be his “biggest” fan
any longer and I may not even watch cricket as
There were some fleeting memories that fol- dedicatedly. But, Dravid is still my “type” of guy.
lowed, but, my next distinct memory was re-
turning to the hotel where my parents were And, my type of cricketer. Dedicated, modest
waiting, fuming. and a true teammate.
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