RAHUL DRAVID : THE UNSUNG HERO

I always think of various things I really wish to write on , but because of being a lazy human, I am unable to do so.

This post is about ONE SUCH MAN, who I wanted to marry as a child since grade 4! Its about the man who I have always wanted to write about, the man who is synonym to the word COMMITMENT, the man who has never been in the LIMELIGHT! THIS POST IS ABOUT RAHUL DRAVID!

Jammy, The Wall, Mr.Dependable are the few names which have been given to him. He might not hit six sixes in one over , or score a double century in ODI, but he’s there when you need a man to be there at the field to score runs and stand strong, when the temperature is 45 degree Celsius and he’s standing there with sweat dripping off his helmet, steady and scoring runs effortlessly for the team. In the early years of my life, when I started to understand what cricket is about, I have admired Rahul Dravid for the man he is ; Calm, Composed, Simple, Down-to-earth, and ABSOLUTELY CHARMING in the way he plays, speaks, behaves and a TRUE GENTLEMAN.

I have been his fan for his cuts, his defence tactics, his skills, and his absolutely adorable smile. The aggression in his eyes when he’s on the field has always left me spellbound. His swiftness, his dedication towards the game made me admire him more as years went by.

If there’s a man to turn to when the team is in trouble, its RAHUL DRAVID.
MY FAVOURITE QUOTES ON HIM :
Brett Lee
"If you can't get along with Dravid, you're struggling in life "
Glenn McGrath
"Dravid has been a class player for a long time now and we know his ability better than anyone. He's not like the other guys who love scoring off every ball, and there's no real weakness in his game either."
Navjot Singh Sidhu
"Rahul Dravid is a player who would walk on broken glass if his team asks him to"

He's not been talked about as much as the others have and not even appreciated like the other cricketers. This humble man, whose presence on the field sends a message across the country , that the match is not over yet, has often been ignored when it comes to his achievements , or his contribution to INDIAN CRICKET.

As of October 2012, Dravid is the third-highest run scorer in Test cricket, after Sachin and Ponting, and is only the second Indian cricketer, after Sachin to score 10,000 runs both in Tests and in ODIs. Wisden ranked him the third greatest Test batsman of all time, after Don Bradman and Tendulkar. In April 2009, he became the only player to score a century in all the ten Test-playing countries. As of October 2012, he holds the record for the most number of catches taken by a player (non-wicket-keeper) in Test cricket, with 210.

Then came that sad day, in August 2011, after receiving a surprise call in the ODI series against England, Dravid declared his retirement from ODIs as well as 20-20, and in March 2012, he announced his retirement from international and 1st class cricket. It was depressing for me, as it was unexpected, and this news about him, the man who was one of the reasons why I loved this game, the man whose newspaper cuttings were all over my notebooks, whose CLASSIC SQUARE CUT used to make me JUMP IN THE AIR, literally, shook me and as I took sometime to register this in my head, I realised how less this MAN has been appreciated.

Irrespective of what he has achieved in his glorious career of 15 long years, this man has this place in my heart which no one can take. His flexibility, by playing at various number in the team , from being a great batsman, to a great fielder, to a wicket-keeper, and being a captain, playing under the shadows of Sachin Tendulkar , Soarav Ganguly, this man has amazed me with his calm-composed and humble self, and his fitness which is never talked about.

Rahul Dravid is one man in the INDIAN CRICKET, who is truly a hero for me atleast. One man, who deserves RESPECT, One man whose retirement day was one of the saddest days of my life. One man, who was a blessing to INDIAN CRICKET. One man whose retirement has created a void in the INDIAN CRICKET TEAM, which is impossible to be filled in the future.

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D.