When Rahul Dravid threw a chair in disgust inside the Indian dressing room

Even the calmest players lose their composure

If ever there was to be a poll on the calmest cricketers to have played the game, MS Dhoni will find few challengers for the top spot.

There have been very, very few instances when the former India captain lost his cool, either on the playing field or away from it, always maintaining a strict poker face and successfully managing to hide his emotions.

Perhaps, on an Indian list of such players, who tend to not lose their temper, could be Rahul Dravid, who right throughout his career, did not have to make too many visits to the match referee's office for actions of indiscipline on the field.

However, it is virtually impossible for anyone to keep his emotions intact at all points in any spectrum of life.

Dravid may not have had any public spat during his career, but there was one incident which was found out after his retirement.

On one of those muggy summer days in Mumbai, in 2006, India were playing England in the final Test of a three-match series, they led 1-0. Chasing any fourth innings total anywhere around the world is a tough ask, it becomes even harder in India with the ball playing weird tricks.

England did not have Ashley Giles in their ranks, but had an impressive Monty Panesar and underrated, even somewhat unknown 37-year-old off-spinner Shaun Udal.

Needing 313 runs on the last day, India found themselves precariously placed at 75 for 3. Andrew Flintoff knew that he needed to either remove Dravid or Sachin Tendulkar early to gain the upper hand.

Opening proceedings after the interval, he ran in and in the third delivery got one to angle away from the Indian captain, forcing him to play at that, the ball took the edge and Geraint Jones did the rest.

It was the death knell India did not want because if there was one player who could bat a whole day and save a game it was Dravid.

His wicket, almost began a procession for the Indians as Udal began to run through the Indian batting line-up and the hosts were dismissed for 100.

Every loss, in any sport, hurts. But there was something more painful about this defeat.

A couple of months earlier, India had batted for the best part of two days in Pakistan, and saved the game, although the weather did play its part.

The generation of Tendulkar, Dravid and others had performed exceedingly well when they had their backs to the wall. But this time, the same line-up had failed to do so.

Dravid was not amused and in a rare instance, when he just could not control his emotions, threw a chair inside the dressing room, which remained privy only to the players.

None outside knew about it until an unusual source revealed it after Dravid had announced his retirement.

Writing for ESPN Cricinfo, Vijeeta Dravid gave an account of the incident:

"He has dealt with all that goes on in cricket because he can separate the game and the rest of his life and put things in perspective. No matter what was happening in his cricket, at home he is husband, father, family man. He has never said, "Oh I've had a bad day." He wouldn't speak about his work unless asked. Other than dropped catches.

"Only once, I remember, he returned from a Test and said, "I got a bit angry today. I lost my temper. Shouldn't have done that." He wouldn't say more. Many months later, Viru [Sehwag] told me that he'd actually thrown a chair after a defeat to England in Mumbai.

“He'd thrown the chair, Viru said, not because the team had lost but because they had lost very badly," she wrote.

Udal in that game finished with match figures of 5 for 67. He never played for England again.