The Tragedy of being Rahul Dravid

When I was growing up, in the second half of 90s, Sachin Tendulkar was god. He still is god, many would argue (There are some others who might also argue I am still growing up!) but back then, we saw Sachin achieve the greatness many predicted he would since the first time he played international cricket and go beyond. He was a fearless competitor in an otherwise tame team and singled out the world’s best bowlers for special treatment, not the old warrior who is a sedate presence in the otherwise bunch of strutting youngsters that the Indian cricket team is now. That was Sachin, a performer at the peak of his prowess, now he is a veteran playing out his final symphony.

But I am digressing. While most around me loved Sachin, my adoration was reserved for the quieter, sedate, Rahul Dravid. Dravid debuted around the time I became obsessed with the game of cricket. While many speak of his solidity and consistency, I always thought he was a treat to watch. His on drives, his late cuts, his driving through the covers or through the ‘V’ are first rate not only in terms of technique but also had the stamp of an extremely stylish batsman.

Dravid has, for a while been one of those batsmen who lie at the fringes of the great batsmen of all time. Is Dravid an all time great batsman? Not too many would answer that in the affirmative. What makes a great batsman? Sachin most certainly is one. Lara and Ponting are the only two others who would qualify without any debate for the tag in their generation we look at the past two decades. Steve Waugh was highly respected as a leader and an ambassador for the game but would he qualify as a great batsman. For me, Waugh was someone who primarily thrived on scoring off short pitched balls outside his off-stump. That he scored so many runs is a testament to his hardiness and resilience. But while those are adjectives which fit well with Waugh, words such as brilliant, genius and great might elude him. Sehwag, I sometimes suspect might end up as a great batsman especially after performances like the one in the 2^nd Test in Sri Lanka a few days ago but he has some way to go before a debate on the same is required. Some time in the first half of this decade, Dravid looked as if he would cement his place as a truly great batsman. This was the golden phase of Ganguly’s captaincy and it wasn’t Sachin who led the way as the most shining star amongst the Indian batsman but Dravid. Be it ensuring we did not lose the test series in the West Indies in 2002 or his double hundreds in England, Australia and Pakistan, Dravid was the chief architect almost every time India won a Test match overseas.

But, then came the downfall. As a captain, he tried to lead by example in the first half of his tenure. He didn’t shy from opening the innings in Pakistan and almost set a record breaking partnership with Sehwag. He was for a while, out most consistent performer in both forms of the game. Then, came the downfall. The failure of his team started showing in his form, too. His image suffered a lot when it was felt he wasn’t assertive enough and let his coach run things. By the time, he quit, he was a burdened man who did not seem to enjoy his cricket. He even had to bear humiliation at the hands of his franchise owner, a shameful tale which was ignored by the cricket fraternity and media. In an age, where a new order threatens the old school, Dravid should have been seen as the harbinger of that change. It was he, along with Chappel who advocated a change in Indian cricket. Ironically, he represents the old school in the public eye and is the most vulnerable of our heroes in the last leg of their careers, to be slighted by the Chief selector and the new age private franchise owners.