The end of a momentous era!

It’s said that all good things must come to an end and this is true even for our lives. But the fact of the matter is that one hardly accepts it the way it should be. There is always a feeling that makes it very difficult to accept the reality soon enough. A legend Rahul Dravid recently announced his retirement from all forms of the game of cricket recently and it was a hard pill for many to digest. Though he had retired earlier from international cricket,there was still a glimmer of hope for his fans in the form of the IPL and Champions league. But, since that hope too ended now,it is time to bring out the pens and offer our tributes for this giant of the game.

The name Dravid evokes a sense of sheer respect, and it is not just for his remarkable statistics, but also for his demeanour on and off the field. He epitomised hard work,perseverance,sincerity,selflessness,dignity, and a charm which can be associated with very few sportsmen. This man is worth more than mere statistics and offers a lesson for everyone on how to lead a life. His is a story where dedication and hard work triumphed over natural talent. He was not a gifted player like a Tendulkar or a Lara, but built a stupendous career brick by brick through sheer perseverance and optimum use of the talent he had. When he made his debut against England in 1996,not many gave him a chance and wrote him off as a one dimensional player, never suited for the limited overs version of the game and was even dropped from the ODI’s. But Dravid was unwilling to accept this and worked diligently on his game and developed into a whole new player who could play as the situation demanded and made a spirited comeback to the ODI team and the fact that he amassed over 10,000 runs in that format, and that too without batting in a fixed position stands testimony to his greatness.

As time progressed,Dravid became synonymous as the WALL for his impeccable technique and for being the most difficult batsman to dismiss. After the match fixing saga, Indian cricket had reached its abyss and it was the group of Dravid,Sachin,Ganguly, Laxman and Kumble who lifted the game from the depths and restored a sense of pride for the countrymen. Always dubbed as lambs abroad, the Indian team showed tremendous improvement under the captaincy of Ganguly and the main man responsible for this was Dravid, and his overseas record,which is better than his home record amply suggests this.

Dravid was always an affable man who was firmly grounded all through his career and never let success enter his head. If cricket is called a gentleman’s game, Dravid was the true gentleman. Never the one to believe in sledging of any kind,he answered every sledge directed at him with his bat and the respect for him grew to such an extent after some years that the opposite teams would hardly venture to even think of sledging when he was batting! Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden had once said "If you want to see aggression on the cricket field,look into Dravid’s eyes". Perhaps,nothing more needs to be said other than this. In these days,we see so many cricketers indulging in sledging,abusing and the like in the name of aggression,but aggression should always be in deeds and Rahul is the perfect example for that.

If there is one thing that Dravid will always be remembered for,it’s his selflessness for the team. He was one player who was always willing to do anything for the team’s cause. He donned the gloves to keep wickets in ODI’s so that India could have one more batsman, he would open in tests whenever any opener was injured or out of form,he would bat anywhere in the batting order to suit the team. How many such players do we get these days? Once a player establishes himself in the side,He hardly moves out of his comfort zone, and here we had a player who was willing to walk on broken glass if the team asked him to! Certainly, he is one player who commands the utmost respect and the spirit with which he played the game was truly commendable. He was always the go-to man of Indian cricket.

The problem for Dravid was that he played in the same era as Tendulkar and was almost always overshadowed by his presence. Everytime, he would get dismissed early in tests, he would have to bear the loud commotion from the stands, because in would walk the GOD! Well, how many would have withstood this for long? The weak minded would have been shattered, but not Dravid. He was made of real steel and never once did he try to hog the limelight or feel neglected. He did his job to the best of his abilities,constantly improving himself and was more than happy being overshadowed by other more flamboyant players. Though Sachin is like a God in the cricket circles,the contribution of Dravid to the team is no less than him and though unsung,he will always be a hero.

There are a whole lot of things that can be learnt from Dravid,the player and Dravid, the person. He is one of the players who proved that sky is the limit if one works hard. He built a solid reputation by toiling hard,sweating out long hours in the nets and the records speak for themselves.One of the genuinely amiable person on the cricket field, he proved that nice guys dont always finish last! One with a very articulate mind,he was the centre of all praise after his Bradman oration in Australia, where he opened his thoughts on a wide range of issues and he is surely one man who can take Indian cricket to greater heights if he involves himself. Dravid leaves behind a legacy which is very tough to emulate . As pointed out earlier,he is not a player who can be analysed in mere statistics or records. Records and statistics are meant to be broken and overtaken,but it is the impact that a player leaves which can never get upstaged. Dravid was a shining lotus in the murky waters that cricket has become and will remain the perfect role model for people in any profession. Harsha Bhogle recently remarked that he would be happy about his career if people give as much respect when he leaves as they did for Dravid! I’m sure a majority of the people would echo this sentiment.

Dravid,the man has left indelible footprints in the sands of time and he left the game better than he found it. Hats off to this genial giant of modern day cricket. The name RAHUL SHARAD DRAVID will remain etched in our hearts forever! The wall has become a monument now. Congrats on a glorious career . Kudos.