Friday, March 9, 2012

The Great Wall Of India : Rahul Dravid

One of the emotional cricketing moment for me since I started following Cricket Religiously. It started in the Summers of 1996 and Dravid retires in the Winters in 2012.

Many people walk into your life but few leave foot prints. Dravid was one of them. Its hard to see those people leave, with whom you have grown up in life. Dravid's career consided with my growth from a Teenager to the Man I am now. Full of high and lows. But moments to cherish for.

Dravid, along with his peers Sachin, Ganguly & Laxman, has given our generation some of the lasting memories in Cricket. Nothing can replace the sight of Ganguly taking his shirt off at Lords after that famous win, Sachin hitting Six of Shoaib Akhtar in that World Cup mactch in 2003 , Laxman playing that knock from heaven at Eden Gardens and Dravid raising his arms in the middle of the Pitch at Adelaide in 2003.



The T20 Generation will never the know worth of Rahul Dravid.

If it wasn't for the injury of Sanjay Manjerakar and Temper of Sidhu, we wouldn't have seen Dravid debut at Lords with that fluent 95. When he came on the scene in that summer of 1996, he was soon crowned the title of 'The Wall'. Back in late 90s one of the media person asked how it feel to be called  'The Wall', and he replied "I don't mind it but I know someday same people will write that they see cracks in the The Wall". He was right.

"I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride".


Often overshadowed by his dynamic peers, what made him special was his selfless approach to the game. Always giving himself to the Team's demands. Be it keeping wickets in ODIs, opening the innings in difficult conditions, resigning as Captain after 2007 World Cup debacle, declaring the team inning with Sachin at 194 not out and now retiring from the game when he feels that younger generation should take lead.

In his famous speech at Bradman Oration he said "One of the things that has always lifted me as a player is looking out of the team bus when we travelled somewhere in India. When people see the Indian bus going by, see some of us sitting with our curtains drawn back, it always amazes me how much they light up. There is an instantaneous smile, directed not just at the player they see - but at the game we play that, for whatever reason, means something to people's lives".

I wish I was there at the Press Conference to wish him Goodbye , with a smile.

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