A bit of cricket for a change.
I wrote this for my Facebook page, cross posting here for preservation,
- Rahul.
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| RD hitting the winning runs in the Adelaide test of 2004. With some modifications done by yours truly. |
Just Another Brick in the Wall
For 16 years Indian cricket has been used to a familiar sight. It is
that of a batsman coming in to bat at No 3, with a near perfect stance,
concentration etched on his face, head steady, elbow pointing towards
the bowler, assured footwork, bat coming down straight to meet the ball
at perfect angles and the disappointed grimace of the bowler walking
back to his mark.
The description
alone is enough to paint the picture of Rahul Sharad Dravid in the heart
of most cricket lovers. It is a sight that has signified dependence,
solidity and most importantly fighting spirit for a generation of
cricket watchers. That era has now ended.
Rahul Dravid
announced his retirement from all forms of cricket today. For one of
India's greatest ever cricketers, a low-key retirement at the end of a
disaster tour down under is much, much less than what he deserves.
His fans hoped that he would bow out on a high note but in some small
way it is symbolic of Dravid's career as a cricketer. For years Dravid
had an uncanny knack of bringing out his best performance in the same
match where a teammate put in an even better one.
Consider :
* 145 V SL in a World Cup match
* 153 V NZ Hyd
* 180 V Aus in what is probably the greatest test match in history.
* 95 V Eng on debut in seaming conditions
and many more.
What do all these have in common ? There was always a Ganguly or a
Tendulkar or a Laxman at the other end who ended up getting all the
limelight.
Forget the fact that he got his top scores on a
more consistent basis, usually in more trying situations; the
recognition usually went to his more glamorous teammates. Not that he
was one to complain, ever the team-man, he was happy as long as India
was winning.
RD belongs to what history would remember as one
of India's finest generation of cricketers, in the 5 pandavas --
Tendulkar, Kumble, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid, India finally found a
nucleus for a team that could win battles on foreign soil. Dravid's
slow burning brilliance and steady determination complemented his more
adventurous teammates each of whom brought their own unique flavour to
the team.
While Dravid's cricket playing days might be over, I
for one believe he can contribute much more outside the cricket field as
well. I had touched upon his impressive command on the happenings in
the world in an earlier post on the Bradman Oration. To someone as
capable even outside cricket, retirement from cricket is just another
stepping stone in the wall's story, destined to ever greater heights.
10-15 years from now we would look back to today and quote Pink Floyd,
"All in all it was just another brick in the wall".
Here's to 'The Wall' !
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On a more personal note, with
RD hanging up his shoes today all the cricketing heroes I had growing
up are riding on into the sunset. The feeling is indescribable.
Siddharth Vaidyanathan's article when Ganguly retired certainly strikes a chord somewhere.
