Straight from the heart of a Rahul Dravid Fan.....
As Happy as I am for a man who is leaving on his own terms, & leaving after having achieved everything, I feel sad that we wont see this CHAMPION CRICKETER wear the INDIA CAP again
I am a sports-buff. Infact, was once a budding cricketer during my younger days & always tried to copy 2 players Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid. They were my Cricketing Gods . No one could command as much of my unconditional devotion as these 2 would ! They both redefined INDIAN CRICKET & INSPIRED A WHOLE GENERATION OF SPORTSMEN.
Yet both are as different as Chalk & Cheese !
If Sachin is all about Hand-Eye, Quicksilver Feet & God-gifted power & timing;
Rahul Dravid oozes copy-book class, perfect technique, soft hands, & A SUPER LARGE HEART (something that even the great Little Master does not have in as much abundance)
As every kid would, I used to get sucked into comparisons , Sachin vs Dravid... who was gr8 ?
Then I realised, comparing Mt. Everest with K2 does not make sense , both make the HIMALAYAS !!
Rahul Dravid inspired us to do what was RIGHT, every action to be focussed on GREATER GOOD, taught us to be HUMBLE, YET AGGRESSIVE WITH UNWAVERING FOCUS.
A role-model team-player, selfless leader, brave warrior, wise beyond years, equi-poised, a thorough gentleman, unfazed by pressure, unassuming about his fame, shy even !
For a man who had earned millions by the time he was 25, he had his heads firmly on his shoulders, with the singular focus of bettering his skill, to become World renowned as the
Impregnable WALL. On difficult wickets, seaming conditions, bouncy tracks, RAHUL DRAVID was the MAN FRIDAY , the FAIL SAFE for Team India, the one CONSTANT in a procession of wickets!
His RELATIVE PERFORMANCE INDEX IN "AWAY TESTS" is the BEST amongst all INDIAN BATSMEN ... When Rahul Dravid did well, INDIA won.
And who can forget he kept wickets in the 2003 World Cup in SA , India made the FINALS!
In market parlance, Rahul was the FII Fav, a Heavyweight & an Outperformer on the TEAM-DEX, aka Banking on the SENSEX !~! ;-D
As a captain , he did not work for external praise, never brought emotions in the line of decsions (declaring vs Pakistan when Sachin was on 194 is a shining example). He continued where Dada lefet it & brought in the young brigade (Suresh Raina, Robin Uthapa, MS Dhoni all thrived under him).
The best part of Rahul was that despite his achievements he remained Old-school , his batting always refined. The epitome of poise, grace & measure in response.
One hell of a man, inspirational, & role model. A man we all wish to emulate.
God Bless u Rahul Dravid, ur my real life Hero, A DAVID AMONGST GOLIATHS !
