Rahul Dravid, The Great Wall Of India - Built Brick By Brick A special article dedicated to 'The Wall' - Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid, The Great Wall Of India - Built Brick By Brick

A special article dedicated to 'The Wall' - Rahul Dravid

 

When Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on 9^th March, 2012, we knew the end was near. He still had playing time available with Rajasthan Royals, and we would take heart from the very fact that there was still some more ‘Dravidian batting’ to enjoy, no matter how short-lived it would be. He continued playing in the same fashion; the same dazzling strokes, the same composure and the same humility with every step he took on the turf. He led the Rajasthan Royals squad with great results, and rightfully commanded the respect of one and all.
It is now 6^th October, 2013, and Dravid has just played his last match for Rajasthan Royals too in the Champions League T20, 2013. His stint with RR now comes to an end as he announced his retirement before the start of the CLT20, 2013. And the funny thing is that it comes at a time when even the Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar announced his retirement from the limited overs format of the game.
Rahul Dravid - the name says it all. A gentle giant of the game, he is fondly called, ‘The Wall of Indian Cricket’, after he was called 'A wall' in a Reebok commercial, owing to his strong temperament and mental strength to carry on. Cricket is called the 'Gentleman's Game'. I have often wondered whether this name was adopted after Rahul Dravid arrived on the scene. He is as humble as one could get. Despite his huge demeanor and stature in the game, he has always been down to earth. And not just that. He has been one of the greatest achievers in the game. Dravid is the second highest run scorer in tests, behind only Sachin Tendulkar. It has often been argued that had Dravid played as much as Sachin has, he may have surpassed the Little Maestro too! He has played the most balls in test matches, taken the most catches, and is the first batsman to score a century in all test playing nations. The list of his achievements is never ending.
He was always the unsung hero. And instead of being angry about it, he liked to bask in the glory of his other team mates. He was always there for the team. He fielded at every position; opened and batted at different slots in the batting order; came in the middle order and kept things from falling apart; he came in the slog overs and adapted his batting style to get quick runs. And he did this with success more often than not. Dravid brought with him a sense of security, of surety. He brought with him a semblance of calm to whichever team he was related to.
Rahul Dravid is the reason I developed a liking for test cricket. He made the defensive technique seem all the more interesting. His batting style is a way of life. Face every challenge head on, stick in there no matter what, and you are bound to be successful more often than not. When he made his debut in ODIs against Sri Lanka on 3rd April, 1996, it wasn’t a great outing for him. But his test debut against England on 20th June, 1996 saw him make a 95 in Lords. That time, one just knew that a future Lord of the game has just been born in Lords. And he proved everyone right too. His hunger was tremendous. He never seemed satiated and always appeared to be game for more. He was a fighter and never went down without a struggle. He just never gave up. A value not seen in many players nowadays.
Even for Rajasthan Royals, he was always the man to look up to. He held fort when the spot fixing scandal rocked the side, and managed to keep the morale high in the dressing room. Apart from doing well himself, he also developed and nurtured younger talent in the side. He always had the back of his team mates, and made sure that the squad was a closely knit unit who would learn to be good individuals over all other things. And it showed in their style of play too. Rajasthan Royals played with honesty. They played with full acknowledgement of their strengths and weaknesses. And above all, they played with a fighting spirit; which I believe is a clear indication of who their captain was – Rahul Dravid!

Rahul Dravid's retirement call may be considered a setback to Indian cricket by many. But it is not. This move by Dravid too, has been well thought of like many of his other moves. He knew it was time to move on and give the talented youngsters waiting in the wings a chance to prove their mettle. Now all we can do is appreciate his call and all the things he has done for Indian Cricket and for World Cricket too.
Dravid has been a role model for millions, and a pleasure to watch on the field for even more people. He built his career brick by brick and built a foundation; laid a cornerstone for the next generation. He has given us a chance to reach newer heights and zeniths. Now it's up to the others to build on The Wall's success and build a fortress out of that wall. So as the fact sinks in that we won’t be seeing Dravid playing on the field again, at least we can take some time out to look back on his glory days and all that he has managed to achieve.
No, Rahul Dravid's retirement is not the end of a legacy. It is the start of a new one....