Rahul Dravid: Not a tribute, a realization

Statutory warning: This is neither a tribute nor a soppy tale of how Indian cricket misses one of its past heroes. This is a sudden burst of realization when one is put out of his comfort zone and pushed to a corner to think from a completely different angle. It doesn’t intend to hurt any fanatic but if it does, well, tough luck!

First of all, a belated Happy Birthday to Rahul Dravid. Being an ardent Sachin Tendulkar fan, Rahul Dravid has always featured at the number 2 spot for me. I have never rated him above Tendulkar, and much to the dismay of the Dravid fans, will never do. However, to please their already bruised ego, I would say that although he doesn’t top the charts of my favourite cricketers, I certainly rate him as a GREAT.

Nowadays, the word ‘Great’ is used too frivolously and every new kid on the block is tagged as a future great. But greatness is only achieved over a period of time and it’s stupid to gauge greatness only through the kaleidoscope of numbers and stats. In my limited experience of watching and researching on Indian cricket, I associate the label of Greatness to only five Indian cricketers – Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble.

Although Dravid makes it to the list of greats, he has never inspired me like Sachin Tendulkar or Saurav Ganguly. Because he was the hero of Eden Gardens, VVS Laxman always enjoyed a special place for me but with Rahul Dravid, the relationship status was always “Just Friends”. Even after he retired, it wasn’t necessary to dedicate a write-up to him but when a certain discussion required one to renege in favour of the ex-Indian number 3, yours truly, truly ran into “The Wall”. It was “an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege” that I will never fully write about but there it was - “I ate two slices of bad pizza, went to bed and grew a conscience!”

What do you really write about Dravid that hasn’t already been penned down? His strong-as-oak technique, his performances overseas or how he has been overshadowed by Tendulkar throughout his career?

A lot has been spoken about his flawless technique and impeccable defence but the most startling thing about Rahul Dravid was his unquenchable thirst for improvement and his unflappable attitude. He was perhaps one of the few batsmen who evolved with every series and rarely looked flustered when faced with a tough situation. A living example of the phrase “practice makes a man perfect”, Rahul Dravid’s best trait was that he knew how to improve. He started off being a good player but elevated himself to the category of ‘great’ by sheer practice and patience. He was by no means a natural stroke-player but he moulded himself into a shield that allowed the stroke-makers around him to make merry. He played in a team loaded with stroke-players, yet he didn’t replicate any of them and stuck to his own game.

The great thing about Dravid was that he would struggle, yet never give up. If anyone put a price tag on his wicket, it was Dravid. He simply refused to give in, even in the face of the biggest adversities. Though he was regarded as the player with a zero-glitch technique, he went through a series of technical changes throughout his career. If in the early part of his career he dealt with his head falling off to the off side, and later the back-and-across feet movement gave way to a back-and-back trigger style. And with every adjustment, he grew in stature as a batsman and bowlers all around the world had the same question, “Bhaiya, yeh Deewar tut ti kyun nahi?” Headingley, Adelaide, Johannesburg bore witness to his greatness, and Eden Gardens sealed the tag of “Unbreachable” for the Wall, forever.

Apart from his on-field expertise, what intrigued me about Dravid was his modesty and groundedness. He was a superstar in his own right but it was astonishing how he left the cloak of stardom behind him every time he walked off the field. There was an eerie sense of normalcy about him that made him starkly different from any other cricketer. That’s what made him an everyday superstar for the common people of India. He didn’t have the talent of Tendulkar, he didn’t possess the flair of Laxman, and he couldn’t express himself the way Ganguly did, but his normalcy and controlled demeanour made him one of the most dangerous cricketers around the world. His eyes through the visor of his helmet displayed his aggressive intent, while his willow did all the talking for him.

Even as a commentator, he has been nothing short of a revelation – analytical yet empathetic. Dravid can never be compared to Tendulkar nor does he need to be. He has carved a niche of his own and as MS Dhoni once famously said…

“Don’t even think of replacing Rahul Dravid….He was the man who loved to walk into a difficult situation and not go past it.”