Hero
It was the summer of 1996. A handsome young man,dressed in immaculate whites,stepped out on to the hallowed greens of Lord's and promptly made an indelible statement for greatness.
I was in school,beginning to discover my love for the game,eagerly devouring all newspaper reports and TV clips; those were the days when cable television was still a rarity, Doordarshan ruled the roost and watching cricket on TV hadn't become a tedious affair where the actual action on the field is superseded by a plethora of inane advertisements.
The young man in question had made his debut on the back of a highly successful first-class career. He was, perhaps, not considered a 'prodigy' who becomes an overnight sensation, but, instead, went meticulously through the grind, to stake his claim for the India cap. That moment finally arrived in June '96. Thus began a journey which was silently spectacular, one which reminded viewers that cricket was indeed a gentleman's game, one which brought back the romance of Neville Cardus's musings.
I have grown up watching Rahul Dravid play, fifteen years now. Starry-eyed adoration, heartfelt admiration for his skills, stamina, perseverance and dedication, admirer of his dignified demeanor both on and off the field, amazement at his almost monk-like levels of concentration,a girly blush at his irresistible good looks, a heartbreak when he shed his 'single' tag - my hero-worship for Rahul Dravid covers all these yet a lot is left unsaid.
There is so much that comes to mind when I think of Rahul Dravid. I have very rarely followed any other sports-person's journey with so much passion. In a strange way, the abundance of things to say and express makes writing this post a bit difficult. But, I'm up to the task. Like the hallmark of all Rahul Dravid innings, this post should be the culmination of an honest effort, no shortcuts, a labor of love.
Should I talk about my favorite Rahul Dravid innings? Well, that is not exactly what I set out to do, number-crunching and stats research. Cricinfo is there for that!
Shall I then talk about my favorite Rahul Dravid moments? Maybe that would be a better idea - his great innings linked to my reminiscences of that time.
Lord's '96 :- Two players make their debut, one immediately stakes his claim for posterity in the annals of test cricket history, the other, a no mean achiever, is relegated to sharing the spotlight and to play the second fiddle.
All newspapers are agog with the feats of the debutantes; in Kolkata specially, the Bengali newspapers are splashed with full page photos on the front page hailing the arrival of the Prince.
Few words are spared for the guy who fell five steps short. I feel sorry for him, I feel it is unfair to praise one to the heavens and barely recognize the equally commendable efforts of the other.
SA tour of 97-98 :- The 'other guy' finally crosses the landmark and what an opposition to score your maiden Test ton against. And his first ton is a big one, which would be his signature for years to come.
Same tour, ODI series. RD hits a fire-breathing, menacing Allan Donald for a straight six over long-on. An irate Donald just loses composure and gives him an earful. One of my biggest disappointments till now is not to have found a video of that shot. Cable television was not yet in my house then as it was considered the primary source of distraction for a school-going me. So all the memories I have of that RD-AD face-off is newspaper and magazine reports. Repeated searches on Youtube have yielded zilch as of now.
Ind vs Pak, Independence Cup 97 at Chepauk : Saeed Anwar smashes the Indian bowlers to pulp to almost score an unthinkable ODI double ton. Unlike today, any target above 250 was daunting and here Pakistan had scored 320 odd runs. The only man who refuses to roll over and die is RD who, in the process, scores his maiden ODI ton in a single-handed fightback, but is ultimately resigned to his fate of the 'tragic hero'.
World Cup 99 :- 461 priceless runs making him the tournament's highest scorer; quite a feat for a player playing his first WC. A breathtaking innings against SL at Taunton, where once again, someone else steals his thunder. In quite uncharacteristic fashion, RD goes hammer-and-tongs after the SL quickies, till SG, too, gets into the groove and knocks up what is then India's highest individual ODI score. RD, in the process, rakes up the highest score by a wicketkeeper-batsman in a WC. Talk about that!
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 2001 : One of the greatest test matches ever played, definitely the greatest that India has been a part of. Cheered on by a vocal hundred thousand, RD and VVS script a masterpiece. RD scores 180 and VVS pips him by playing the innings of his life and one of the greatest of all time. Coming off a lean patch and having lost his favored number three spot, RD grinds it out and gives one of his most expressive celebrations ever after scoring a ton. A very uncharacteristic thing, the outburst and the vigorous shake of the bat indicates that he has paid back the critics and with good interest to measure.
England tour 2002 : RD hits a purple patch. The glorious English summer sets the grand stage for one of those occasions when he didn't have to share the spotlight with someone else. As one newspaper had carried the heading "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" a few days into the series, strangely it had always been his fate. However, this was the series where he outshone and outperformed his more talked-about colleagues. Two centuries and a double ton, and the regal manner in which he amassed those runs, in the land of ultimate royalty meant that he had won the heart of the discerning English crowd too! The Headingley innings goes straight into the history books as one of the truest testaments to classic test match batsmanhip; and the double hundred where the RD juggernaut could only be halted by a run-out.
Adelaide 2003 : Steve Waugh's disciple in spirit displays incomparable fortitude to secure one of India's most awe-inspiring victories overseas. So much so that the Iceman himself takes the trouble to fish the ball out of the boundary ropes after the winning shot and give it as a memento the man who came up trumps not once but twice in the match. As RD square-cuts it towards the fence and sets off across the pitch watching the ball go past the ropes, he lets out a triumphant roar like a battle weary soldier and kisses the Indian crest on his cap - a sight entrenched in the minds for posterity.
**********************************************************************************************************************
Other RD moments to be updated shortly!!! There are so many of them and to detail out each one is such a herculean task and this is what has been keeping me from finishing this post. So I decided to skip it for the time being and move on.
*********************************************************************************************************************
It has been a long, long while since I started writing this post. Somehow, I could never get around to finish it, it was too personal, my first hero-worship, a lot of my childhood and growing up years attached, an intangible chain of memories and moments.
And then it happened, in the spring of 2012. An event which henceforth warranted the grammatical usage of the past tense while speaking about the legendary exploits of RD. My hero walked into the glorious sunset, leaving behind a legacy that is as great and honorable as the game of cricket itself.
When the news of his impending retirement hit the media, I was far away in Sweden, heck, not even a cricket-playing nation. It was such a huge shock, I would call my dad and he would console me; after all watching cricket with him was the starting point of my love for the game. It would not be any hyperbole to say that I was shattered and inconsolable, as if someone has taken away an invaluable part of my childhood, something I had held on to dearly for all these years - a source of assurance and stability, of calm and composure, a hope that things will soon be alright even though a storm rages now; hallmarks of the way he played the game.
He was not just a great cricketer, but a great human being, an exemplary role model for any profession, someone who deserves every bit of praise that comes his way and then some more.
Someone whose retirement made old foes (specially those hard-as-nails Aussies) come out in total uncharacteristic fashion to gush about the one player they respected and admired above all. It just goes on to show his hallowed position in the international cricket community.
The English crowd adore him and no surprises then that a lot of his cricketing triumphs have come in England. As I always say, RD will be knighted sooner than later, for he evokes that age-old romance of the game in the hearts of the connoisseurs .
My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity, and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride.
I was in school,beginning to discover my love for the game,eagerly devouring all newspaper reports and TV clips; those were the days when cable television was still a rarity, Doordarshan ruled the roost and watching cricket on TV hadn't become a tedious affair where the actual action on the field is superseded by a plethora of inane advertisements.
The young man in question had made his debut on the back of a highly successful first-class career. He was, perhaps, not considered a 'prodigy' who becomes an overnight sensation, but, instead, went meticulously through the grind, to stake his claim for the India cap. That moment finally arrived in June '96. Thus began a journey which was silently spectacular, one which reminded viewers that cricket was indeed a gentleman's game, one which brought back the romance of Neville Cardus's musings.
I have grown up watching Rahul Dravid play, fifteen years now. Starry-eyed adoration, heartfelt admiration for his skills, stamina, perseverance and dedication, admirer of his dignified demeanor both on and off the field, amazement at his almost monk-like levels of concentration,a girly blush at his irresistible good looks, a heartbreak when he shed his 'single' tag - my hero-worship for Rahul Dravid covers all these yet a lot is left unsaid.
There is so much that comes to mind when I think of Rahul Dravid. I have very rarely followed any other sports-person's journey with so much passion. In a strange way, the abundance of things to say and express makes writing this post a bit difficult. But, I'm up to the task. Like the hallmark of all Rahul Dravid innings, this post should be the culmination of an honest effort, no shortcuts, a labor of love.
Should I talk about my favorite Rahul Dravid innings? Well, that is not exactly what I set out to do, number-crunching and stats research. Cricinfo is there for that!
Shall I then talk about my favorite Rahul Dravid moments? Maybe that would be a better idea - his great innings linked to my reminiscences of that time.
Lord's '96 :- Two players make their debut, one immediately stakes his claim for posterity in the annals of test cricket history, the other, a no mean achiever, is relegated to sharing the spotlight and to play the second fiddle.
All newspapers are agog with the feats of the debutantes; in Kolkata specially, the Bengali newspapers are splashed with full page photos on the front page hailing the arrival of the Prince.
Few words are spared for the guy who fell five steps short. I feel sorry for him, I feel it is unfair to praise one to the heavens and barely recognize the equally commendable efforts of the other.
SA tour of 97-98 :- The 'other guy' finally crosses the landmark and what an opposition to score your maiden Test ton against. And his first ton is a big one, which would be his signature for years to come.
Same tour, ODI series. RD hits a fire-breathing, menacing Allan Donald for a straight six over long-on. An irate Donald just loses composure and gives him an earful. One of my biggest disappointments till now is not to have found a video of that shot. Cable television was not yet in my house then as it was considered the primary source of distraction for a school-going me. So all the memories I have of that RD-AD face-off is newspaper and magazine reports. Repeated searches on Youtube have yielded zilch as of now.
Ind vs Pak, Independence Cup 97 at Chepauk : Saeed Anwar smashes the Indian bowlers to pulp to almost score an unthinkable ODI double ton. Unlike today, any target above 250 was daunting and here Pakistan had scored 320 odd runs. The only man who refuses to roll over and die is RD who, in the process, scores his maiden ODI ton in a single-handed fightback, but is ultimately resigned to his fate of the 'tragic hero'.
World Cup 99 :- 461 priceless runs making him the tournament's highest scorer; quite a feat for a player playing his first WC. A breathtaking innings against SL at Taunton, where once again, someone else steals his thunder. In quite uncharacteristic fashion, RD goes hammer-and-tongs after the SL quickies, till SG, too, gets into the groove and knocks up what is then India's highest individual ODI score. RD, in the process, rakes up the highest score by a wicketkeeper-batsman in a WC. Talk about that!
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 2001 : One of the greatest test matches ever played, definitely the greatest that India has been a part of. Cheered on by a vocal hundred thousand, RD and VVS script a masterpiece. RD scores 180 and VVS pips him by playing the innings of his life and one of the greatest of all time. Coming off a lean patch and having lost his favored number three spot, RD grinds it out and gives one of his most expressive celebrations ever after scoring a ton. A very uncharacteristic thing, the outburst and the vigorous shake of the bat indicates that he has paid back the critics and with good interest to measure.
England tour 2002 : RD hits a purple patch. The glorious English summer sets the grand stage for one of those occasions when he didn't have to share the spotlight with someone else. As one newspaper had carried the heading "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" a few days into the series, strangely it had always been his fate. However, this was the series where he outshone and outperformed his more talked-about colleagues. Two centuries and a double ton, and the regal manner in which he amassed those runs, in the land of ultimate royalty meant that he had won the heart of the discerning English crowd too! The Headingley innings goes straight into the history books as one of the truest testaments to classic test match batsmanhip; and the double hundred where the RD juggernaut could only be halted by a run-out.
Adelaide 2003 : Steve Waugh's disciple in spirit displays incomparable fortitude to secure one of India's most awe-inspiring victories overseas. So much so that the Iceman himself takes the trouble to fish the ball out of the boundary ropes after the winning shot and give it as a memento the man who came up trumps not once but twice in the match. As RD square-cuts it towards the fence and sets off across the pitch watching the ball go past the ropes, he lets out a triumphant roar like a battle weary soldier and kisses the Indian crest on his cap - a sight entrenched in the minds for posterity.
**********************************************************************************************************************
Other RD moments to be updated shortly!!! There are so many of them and to detail out each one is such a herculean task and this is what has been keeping me from finishing this post. So I decided to skip it for the time being and move on.
*********************************************************************************************************************
It has been a long, long while since I started writing this post. Somehow, I could never get around to finish it, it was too personal, my first hero-worship, a lot of my childhood and growing up years attached, an intangible chain of memories and moments.
And then it happened, in the spring of 2012. An event which henceforth warranted the grammatical usage of the past tense while speaking about the legendary exploits of RD. My hero walked into the glorious sunset, leaving behind a legacy that is as great and honorable as the game of cricket itself.
When the news of his impending retirement hit the media, I was far away in Sweden, heck, not even a cricket-playing nation. It was such a huge shock, I would call my dad and he would console me; after all watching cricket with him was the starting point of my love for the game. It would not be any hyperbole to say that I was shattered and inconsolable, as if someone has taken away an invaluable part of my childhood, something I had held on to dearly for all these years - a source of assurance and stability, of calm and composure, a hope that things will soon be alright even though a storm rages now; hallmarks of the way he played the game.
He was not just a great cricketer, but a great human being, an exemplary role model for any profession, someone who deserves every bit of praise that comes his way and then some more.
Someone whose retirement made old foes (specially those hard-as-nails Aussies) come out in total uncharacteristic fashion to gush about the one player they respected and admired above all. It just goes on to show his hallowed position in the international cricket community.
The English crowd adore him and no surprises then that a lot of his cricketing triumphs have come in England. As I always say, RD will be knighted sooner than later, for he evokes that age-old romance of the game in the hearts of the connoisseurs .
My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity, and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride.
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