Rahul Dravid is a gem of a personality. He is always cool minded and very humble when he talks to the media. No doubt, he is a great example for his peers and should be for other players around the world esp. Aussies.
On the other hand, Younis Khan and Inzi are quite cool minded people as well but anger is part of human nature just as laughter is. Apart from the incident in Toronto, Inzi has shown great temperament and where could he show better than in his batting.
What traits would you say Inzi has which are similar to Dravids?
Is he better captain or similar captain as Dravid? Is he similar or better than Dravid in front of media? Is he as good as batsman or better batsman than Dravid?
Yes there may be some traits which are similar but I don't think Inzi has many traits which are similar to Dravids.
Not one word wrong, no chance of anyone misquoting him, at his dignified and diplomatic best…sheesh, i felt weird and goose-bumpy after reading that…
like some one said earlier, forget cricket, people can learn life lessons from this guy…
Somewhere in Sydney there is a guy who occasionally rides his motor-bike proudly wearing a Rahul Dravid India one-day shirt. In Qatar there are a bunch of expat Indian workers whose prized possession is a bat signed by the Indian team courtesy of Dravid.
The India captain is not only a fine batsman, a good leader and a popular cricketer, he’s also a solid citizen; a man of his word. When in 2004 I asked him in Pakistan if I could have his one-day shirt at the end of the series for a mate of mine in Sydney he not only graciously said, “Yes,” he also had it cleaned and presented it to me neatly wrapped in a plastic bag. When I asked brother Greg if he could obtain a bat signed by the Indian team for a mate of mine in Qatar who wanted to reward some of his workmates, it was Dravid who did the needful.
This is the generous human being most people don’t see off the field. On the field there is plenty of opportunity for fans to watch the Indian captain; they don’t call him “The Wall” without good reason. There was a time when Dravid seemed too obsessed with technique and in those periods he would forget the main object of the exercise was to score runs. In these periods of inaction at the crease his scoring was often becalmed and he was vulnerable to good bowlers.
Eventually it was this flaw that cost him the number three spot in the famous 2001 series against Australia. When he was demoted to number six he didn’t sulk or become bitter, he first played a significant contributing role in the series turning partnership with WS Laxman. Then he set about correcting the flaw in his approach and by the time India next played Australia he was carving out a wonderful double century and hitting the winning runs in the second innings at Adelaide Oval from the number three spot.
Such is the determination and pride that drives Dravid. He always had those qualities but what this intelligent cricketer realised was that cricket matches were won by accumulating runs at a reasonable rate and wickets Were lost when the scoring slowed to a trickle. Since that turning point in his career in 2001 he has been in a ding-dong battle with Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting to be recognised as the best batter of the period.
It was no surprise to see Dravid in the thick of the dogfight for a first innings lead in the recent Mohali Test, nor to see him still at the crease when the winning runs were collected for India to go one up against a determined England side.
Captaincy has made no difference to Dravid’s batting; if anything it has made him more determined and aware of what needs to be done for India to win. His captaincy is as you would expect, thoughtful and pro-active; he’s always on the look out for an opportunity to gain the upper hand in a match. It is indicative of Dravid’s intelligence and diplomacy that throughout an eventful and at times trying period as captain of India, where some extremely tough decisions have been taken his behaviour has been exemplary. As a cricketer Dravid strikes that happy balance between competing hard and still retaining his integrity. His approach on and off the field has won him many friends all round the world.
**Rahul’s career a proof that nice guys don’t finish last
**I had just completed my book “Out of My Comfort Zone” last year, and I thought a foreword penned by a cricketer would add to the book. I also decided that it should ideally be an opposition player because I felt that any Australian would paint a picture of me that might have been flattering but not entirely truthful. The first player who came to mind was Rahul Dravid. He was one of the most respected names in the game, he was honest and articulate, and in many ways played his cricket the way I did – not too flamboyant, mostly steady.
I called him, gave him a stiff deadline and asked him if he would be able to write it. Being the nice bloke that he is, he agreed immediately, and within a couple of days sent a wonderful piece for the book.
Rahul is the kind of person who young cricketers can look up to not only because of his success but also because of the way he conducts himself. His remarkable career is proof that nice guys don’t finish last. He believes that one can be ruthless on the field even while maintaining decorum. He is also a player any captain would like to have when the chips are down, and it’s obvious that challenging situations and tough oppositions bring out the best in him. Finally, he is a complete team man who goes about his work quietly with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency.
Rahul, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have together defined India’s batting for the last decade and India is fortunate to have had three of them playing together for that long. I am not getting into the comparison game because all three are very different, but the variety this trio brought to the team ensured that India became a more successful unit, particularly post-2000. But while Tendulkar’s aggression and charisma and Ganguly’s elegance invariably got noticed, Rahul’s steady but crucial contributions were often overshadowed.
It’s only now that people are recognising that he has probably played more critical knocks than his great contemporaries. The pieces of the jigsaw are now falling together and when we look back at the last decade as a whole, we recognise the value of a technically correct, mature player like Rahul.
Besides his exploits as a batsman, Rahul has always struck me as the ultimate team man, as I said. It was not ideal for him to have to keep wickets in one-dayers, but he took it on as a challenge and even though he was made to continue for almost two years after the 2003 World Cup, he did not complain or create a fuss. It is a testimony to his fitness and versatility that he kept for over two years and made the most of a tough situation.
There have been a few lows in Rahul’s career as well, particularly as a limited overs player. I remember having dinner with him in Bangalore in 1998. He had been left out of the one-day side, and he asked me whether he should change anything in his game in order to score quickly. I had told him to stick to the basics and be patient because I knew that he was too good to be out of the side for long.
Today, Rahul has hit a new level in his game. He is comfortable in his own skin, and knows his game well. Like me, he’s got there at around 33, which in this day and age is not quite the twilight of a batsman’s career. With improved fitness and recovery techniques, today’s 33-year-old cricketer is as fit as a 28-year-old used to be. Rahul may have played two-thirds of his career, but he still has a fruitful one-third ahead of him.
He has also got the captaincy at the right time. Sourav did a very good job at the helm, and gave the Indians an edgy, aggressive attitude. Rahul has the advantage of leading the side after having the luxury of concentrating on his batting and today, he is 100 per cent sure of his own game as he handles the responsibility of leading the side.
As I mentioned earlier, I am aware that many people see Rahul and me as similar cricketers – I am flattered because it’s good to be compared to a guy who has an average of over 57! The game can make great demands on players like Rahul and me. Justin Langer is also a similar kind of player, and while critics expect the odd trough from more attacking players, they tend to be a little harsher on us.
However, with a body of work that will now cross 100 Tests, Rahul not only has the numbers to prove that he is an all-time great, he also has played more match-winning and match-saving knocks than many of his peers.
I am happy to share that I also own a rahul dravid t shirt and sweater which were worn by him in the last 4-5 years :).
Just wanted to tell you all about it.
