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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Dravid wants Team India to put better show than 2006

Former captain, Rahul Dravid, expects the Indian cricket team to come up with even better performance in the upcoming West Indies tour than the one they demonstrated in 2006.

During India’s tour to West Indies in 2006, the team, under the superb captaincy of Dravid, made a mark in history by winning a Test series on West Indian soil after the long period of 35 years.
Dravid led his side to a triumph in the four-match series and become the only second Indian captain to have won Test series in Caribbean after Ajit Wadekar.

"We won the series there last time around but I hope we will do better this time," Dravid said.
However, the stylish batsman admitted that the Windies will not prove to be an easy opposition in their home conditions.
The former skipper added, "If the West Indies play their full strength side, they will be a tough team to beat. But it will be interesting to see if they have their full side."  
Dravid, widely known as ‘The Wall’, has served his country in 150 Tests in which he scored over 12000 runs at a fabulous average of 52.44.


Are you a super-human? (A Poetry on Dravid)

In everything you did struggles and struggles
You happily crossed all those hurdles
Whatever given to you, taking it happily
Whether a coin of gold, or stones and pebbles

The same process, starting afresh, uncovering new peel
Proving every time, and to everyone, you are a man of steel
Never emotions shown in public, whatever happens to you
Are you super-human, if you don't I certainly feel

Thrown out of ODI team, came back with a bang
Criticized in every way, yet victory song you sang
Every innings a sword hanging round the neck
Yet you always managed to coolly hang

At 35, thrown the door off the ODI team again
No worries to you, no single complain
Going back again, and proving you're the best
You're a super-human, who can feel more than usual pain

Bangalore's true icon, you aren't now the captain
"Dravid shown the boot" Headlines Today give as caption
Yet I know you will come back, silence all
Cause you are no normal being, you are my super-human

You are my role-model, you know how to stay composed
Whatever the situation may be, whoever your anger may have aroused
Just let your work do that talking, you surely know the best
The super-human you are, you won't get too much fussed

========================================
@RG

India's Tour of the Caribbean 2006...in retrospect

With India about to embark on a complete tour of the West Indies in a few days time, it’s a great time to take a brief history lesson. Heading not so deep into the history books we take a look back at India's last outing to the Caribbean Islands in 2006. In that historic series, a young side led by Rahul Dravid had managed to achieve the incredible task of winning a test series against the Islanders in their own back yard. The mighty West Indian side was on the other hand led by the legendary Brian Lara and were a definite force to be reckoned with, especially in their own backyard.

India came into that series on the back of a comprehensive 5-1 win over England in an ODI series at home. The young Indian side, sans Saurav Ganguly, had put together a world record 16 consecutive wins while chasing and were placed 3rd in the ICC ODI rankings. Even though Sachin Tendulkar was missing from the side because of his shoulder surgery, India were considered firm favourites for the limited overs leg of the Tour.


When an excellent century by Rahul Dravid in the 1st match put India 1-0 up and extended their unbeaten run to 17 matches, they seemed to be living up to their favourites tag. But a 1 run defeat in the 2nd match not only put a halt on India’s unbeaten run, but also dashed their spirits as they lost all the remaining matches to go down 4-1. Hardcore fans will remember that 2nd ODI - with 2 runs to win and a run to tie off the last ball , Dwayne Bravo charged in to bowl to Yuvraj Singh, who was batting on 93, and playing one of the best innings of his life. However the basher from Punjab was outfoxed by a full slower delivery from Bravo, which began India's slide in the rest of the ODI series.
Ramnaresh Sarwan was the best batsman on display and was rightly awarded the ‘Man of the Series’ for scoring 273 runs at an average of 91, including 98 in that ‘cursed’ 2nd ODI. Chris Gayle chipped in with a further 260 runs including a century and a fifty. For India Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif were the only 2 batsmen who could make a decent contribution with 237 and 205 runs respectively. In the bowling department Ajit Agarkar and Ian Bradshaw were the leading wicket takers for their respective sides with 9 wickets each.
India's capitulation in the one-dayers cast serious doubts about their ability to compete in the test matches, and the series began in similar vein in St. John, Antigua as India trailed by 130 runs in the 1st innings. The visitors though battled back late in the match and set West Indies a target of 392 on the final day on the back of an excellent 212 by opener Wasim Jaffer. The classy Mumbaiker had made a comeback into the Indian side after a gap of 4 years earlier that year and this ton was his 2nd in his last 3 tests. Having taken 7 wickets with more than 20 overs left, the Indian bowlers couldn’t provide the killer blow as the last wicket pair of Corey Collymore and Fidel Edwards hung on for 19 deliveries to secure a draw.
Rain saved West Indies in the 2nd test at St. Lucia, after being forced to follow-on with a 1st innings deficit of 373. While Virender Sehwag scored 180 off 190 balls (century off just 78 balls), Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif notched up their respective centuries as well to give India a massive total. After rain washed out the 4th day of play, Brian Lara showed his class to score a century on the final day as West Indies batted out 120 overs to save the match.
The 3rd test at St. Kitts resulted in another high scoring draw, but not before giving jitters to both sides. West Indies piled up 588 runs in the 1st innings, thanks to centuries from Darren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan. India were bowled out for 362 but Brian Lara didn’t enforce the follow-on to give his bowlers rest in extremely hot and humid conditions. Finally India were set 392 to chase in 88 overs on a last day pitch, which seemed perhaps worthy of a late push when India reached 260-3 with 20 overs left. But then Lara changed tactics to deploy defensive fields thus bringing an end to India’s pursuit.
The 4th test at Kingston, Jamaica will in all probability be known as the ‘Rahul Dravid test’ in times to come. On a bouncy and unpredictable pitch, in which no other Indian batsman scored a half century, Rahul Dravid played two godlike and match altering innings of 81 and 68. Chasing 269 to win in the low scoring game, West Indies succumbed to Anil Kumble, who took 6 wickets as India won the match by 49 runs.
Rahul Dravid was adjudged the ‘Man of the Series’ for his 496 runs, which was 120 more than his nearest competitor, Wasim Jaffer. For West Indies, the affable Darren Ganga was most successful with 349 runs. Anil Kumble was India’s outstanding performer with the ball as he picked up 23 wickets in the series, though Harbhajan Singh’s 11 wickets in only 2 test matches were also critical in India’s success. Corey Collymore and Jerome Taylor took 15 and 14 wickets respectively.
India head to the Caribbean for a full tour in June 2011 after a 5-year hiatus and it is disappointing to note that a large number of their star players will not be making the series citing injuries or the need to recuperate after a long summer. Once seen as the ultimate destination to prove your cricketing pedigree, the West Indies is now reduced to a tour that players have the option of skipping due to more important engagements. That being said, the summer of 2011 gives a number of youngsters long knocking on the cast iron gates of test cricket an opportunity to make a name for themselves and who knows we might well unearth the next 'Real Master'!

Source : Thesportscampus.com

Monday, May 30, 2011

♥ Dravid with his family : Pics ♥














I am bit older and wiser now: Dravid

I am bit older and wiser now: Dravid 

Interview on Dec 21,2008

Sachin Rested, Yuvraj & Gauti Out, Mukund & Kohli Earn Test Cap


India's Already Weak Line Up Against West Indies in Test Series suffered another blow with the World Cup Hero Yuvraj Singh & The In-Form Gambhir OUT because of injury, Sachin Was rested for the entire Series. Flamboyant Virat Kohli finally gets a chance in test after his brilliant outing in World Cup & IPL and Tamil Nadu Opener A Mukund also earned a spot after a prolific Ranji Season.

Suresh Raina has been appointed captain for the one-dayers and the Twenty20 fixture and Harbhajan Singh, the vice-captain. 

Shikhar Dhawan and Manoj Tiwary have replaced Yuvraj and Gambhir in the limited-overs squad.  


So, in all India are without Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj, Zaheer Khan, Gambhir and Ashish Nehra for the one-dayers.

Chairman Of Selectors K Srikkanth told the reporters :
 "I think we will do very well. I think we have an excellent team and I think as you know, I think all the last couple of years indirect or directly there have been teams that has been, we've always had teams, we've always kind of shuffled people so that, we always create a good bench strength."

And I think we have a fantastic bench strength and I'm sure India can easily produce almost two good international teams because we have the talent. We have the potential and I'm very confident that our team will do very well in West Indies and hopefully win the series in West Indies,"
He Also Said “Tendulkar deserved to take rest and then Yuvraj was not well, so we have picked the best available squad. We have analysed every problem… The injuries to the players… That is why the meeting took long,” said the former Test opener.

“We got very good inputs from the coach and the captain was also present. So I am really happy to have picked this squad. I think we will do well in the ODI and Test series,” he said."


Test squad: M S Dhoni (capt), V V S Laxman (vice-captain), M Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Subramaniam Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk).

Limited-overs squad: Suresh Raina (capt), R Ashwin, S Badrinath, Harbhajan Singh (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Munaf Patel, Parthiv Patel (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Manoj Tiwary, Shikhar Dhawan.

Dravid takes break in Shillong after IPL

SHILLONG: Following a Mixed IPL  campaign with the Rajasthan Royals, former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid who was the highest run scorer for RR This Season went to Shillong. It Was a Personal & Quite visit by him
Dravid, Seldom known  as "The Wall" of Indian cricket , arrived in Shillong on  Monday and left for Bangalore on Friday morning. He managed to keep his visit under wraps and the local media failed to get even a piece of it.
"He (Dravid) was here on a holiday and left Shillong this morning," said Dravid's brother-in-law Abhijit Pendharkar, who is a colonel in the Assam Rifles.

Dravid's Festival @ Delhi: Meeting Dravid @ Roshnara Delhi vs Ktk

 Posted on 13/11/2009 after the match between Delhi and Karnataka @ Roshnara Club Delhi.

This was one thing I won't regret doing which RD didn't apreciate, didn't like..Touching his feet was a pleasure, watching him hit the square drive was a priviliege, looking at his perfect pulls was an honour, his humbleness and and his down-to-earth attitude were the blessings, his smile and his life, an enigma, his personality, a charm, his presence, a feeling that perfection in body language, and attitude exists, and so on...its not that you describe in words, these are such traits that make me feel that I'm lesser than him.




Who else of his stature will come to ask for interview once he's said that he will give it? He came himself for it, we didn't have to run behind, while Vijay Dahiya clearly didn't want to give the interview, and so indirectly said bye after running behind him. There comes the difference...he doesn't have an ego, even after performing so well. The game was perfect, his 78 in the first innings were delight, he scored very less in second innings, but it was okay, his presence was wonderful, and so other things didn't really matter much I feel...

After he was out, he was cheering, and was hell dissapointed at the loss of wicket of Thilak Naidu...the reactions showed that every game is important. He never took it as an easy game, he wanted to win, played for win in the end. Lights were offered the first time, he said play, which clearly meant he wanted to go for the extra 2 points. It was really beautiful feeling to be almost part of Karnataka team, cheering for them a lot which they acknowledged...

About the other things, the interview was fantastic, though we were underprepared...we enjoyed every bit of the game. These four days, we had said, are Dravid's Festival@Roshnara Club. The Club people knows us, the staff knows us, the Karnataka team knows us as their allies, the Delhi team knows us as the opponents...



We also saw Ishant and and Kohli...they were gossiping, Kohli was making fun of a senior person from Karnataka dressing room, shows how he is...and also, he was making kids run around, still getting beaten often, and said he'll finish with a six, hit a six around 40 meters of the bowling of a kid. Rakesh also bowled to him, he mishit it cause it wasn't near his scoring area, was almost a yorker.


Rakesh bowled in the nets to Stuart Binny who doesn't know defensive play. There were a lot of friendly people in the dressing room. We robbed Delhi of the home advantage, which Vijay Dahiya was referring to after the match...we were cheering very very hard...and we enjoyed it. Anything for Dravid, Only for Dravid.
The legacy of Karnataka fast bowling continues with Vinay, Mithun, Arvind, and Akhil. All are almost allrounders. Delhi was always on the losing side, except for gritty knocks by Dhawan and Bhatia...we also got to see what home advantage is (umpiring).

Back to the center of attraction, Rahul Dravid is the best person I've met, he is inspiring, and somehow, I, as a budding writer, can't express that in words. Words aren't enough to explain the experience, just one thing, whenever you have an opportunity, experience the experience we had yourself, and it'll stay with you for life. Even critics, if they meet him, will surely get in awe of him as a person. He is a great person truly...forget about being a cricketer for the moment.

Dravid's Festival rocked...
===
RG :: 13/11/2009

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Love at First Sight - Dravid


Love at First Sight - Dravid


Sounds gayish
But hey, my love is the respect and admiration I have for a champion, a soldier who never says "die".

 
Che guevera, fidel Castro, Roger federer, pete sampras ..... these are the fighters I read abt .. when they are written OFF, they keep OFF, they dont speak, they PERFORM ..
DRAVID IS EXACTLY THE SAME AND I WULD SAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF PETE AND FEDERER IN THIS ASPECT... because THE KIND OF RESPONSIBILITY DRAVID HAS TO CARRY, THE FACE HE PRESENTED INDIA TO THE OUTSIDE HAS MUCH MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND BURDEN THAN ANY OTHER INDIAN CRICKETER...

with the kind of image dravid carried as a player , the respect he enjoys from the fans and stalwarts of world cricket, there was every chance that he gets carried away by that

BUT DRAVID STUCK TO THE TASK .. AS FOCUSSED AS HE WAS IN england and SINGAPORE...

and why singapore - i still remember the first ODI rahul capped. the famous richie richardson cap, a young bloke with a millions of dram inside and a passion to rpvoe eerything he has in him,and most importanly, a new face OF/IN Indian cricket.
DRAVID IS THE REVELATION.. HE IS INDEED THE GENERATION X OF THE INDIAN CRICKET... NO INDIAN PLAYER HAD TILL THAT TIME BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS DRAVID IN PACY TRACKS... THE WAY THALAIVAR HANDLES AUSTRALIAN PACE ATTACK AND BOUNCE, THE WAY HE BATTED AGAINST FIREYY PROTEAS IN SOUTHAFRICA WHEN THE REST 10 WERE ALL DOWN ... DRAVID HAS DONE THAT WITH UTMOST CONSISTENCY THROUHGOUT HIS CAREER ...

to sum abt a man who is still marshelling stronger as ever, In India there are 9 players, 1 sachin BUT ONLY ONE RAHUL DRAVID ....THE MAN

----------------------------

Written by :Vivek Raju



Friday, May 27, 2011

Rahul Dravid in West Indies



Dravid has scored in bilks in West Indies. Last time around, he was the captain. Gave India the series win by 1-0. He was MOM in the winning match and was also the MOS. All in all, WI has been an awesome place for Dravid where he averages 70.00 with 1260 runs under his belt.

One of his finest Test performance came at the Sabina Park, where he stood tall against pacy Jerome Taylor & Correy Collymore. Not just once. But in both the innings. He scored two monumental fifties (81 & 68) in the game and put India on the verge of a historic series win.

Apart from this, Dravid has 2 100s in WI. 144* & 146. Watch out for him this time.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

India Tour Of England : A Opportunity For Dravid

India tour of England 2011 schedule, India in England from July 21, 2011 to September 16, 2011, India cricket team played four Test match, five One-day international and one-off Twenty20 games against England in next summer. Read all information & live scores of IND v ENG series schedule, 21-Jul to 16-Sept-2011.




With India currently holding number one position in ICC test ranking, ECB thinks it will be great summer for English crowd to watch the battle between two good teams.
 
The four test matches will be played at Lord's, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston and The Oval. First test match will begin from July 21st, while second will be played from 29th July, third will be from August 10th and final test will be played from 18th August to 22nd August 2011.
India will play only one twenty20 internationals against England on 31st August 2011 at Old Trafford, Manchester. The ODI series will be played at Chester-le-Street, Southampton, London and Cardiff.

It Will Be A Great Chance For Our Dravid to prove his worth in tough conditions in ENGLAND

India in England 2011 Series Full Schedule: 
S.NO. DAY
DATE
TIME TEAMS VENUE
1 Thursday
July 21, 2011
03:30 PM IST
10:00 GMT, 11:00 local
England Vs India, 1st Test Lord's
2 Friday
July 29, 2011
03:30 PM IST
10:00 GMT, 11:00 local
England Vs India, 2nd Test Trent Bridge
3 Wednesday
August 10, 2011
03:30 PM IST
10:00 GMT, 11:00 local
England Vs India, 3rd Test Edgbaston
3 Thursday
August 18, 2011
03:30 PM IST
10:00 GMT, 11:00 local
England Vs India, 4th Test Brit Insurance Oval
4 Wednesday
August 31, 2010
00:30 AM IST +1d
19:00 GMT, 20:00 local
England Vs India, Only T20 Old Trafford
5 Saturday
September 3, 2011
02:45 PM IST
09:15 GMT, 10:15 local
England Vs India, 1st ODI Emirates Durham ICG
6 Tuesday
September 6, 2011
06:30 PM IST
13:00 GMT, 14:00 local
England Vs India, 2nd ODI Rose Bowl
7 Thursday
September 8, 2011
06:30 PM IST
13:00 GMT, 14:00 local
England Vs India, 3rd ODI Brit Insurance Oval
8 Sunday
September 11, 2011
02:45 PM IST
09:15 GMT, 10:15 local
England Vs India, 4th ODI Lord's
9 Friday
September 16, 2011
06:30 PM IST
13:00 GMT, 14:00 local
England Vs India, 5th ODI Cardiff

Rahul Dravid On May 26th


In 1999 Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid added a monstrous 318 for the second wicket in a World Cup match against Sri Lanka at Taunton. Ganguly hit 183 off 147 balls, and Dravid 145 off 129. At the time it was a ODI record for any wicket, but it has since been broken. Dravid added 331- against for the second wicket- with Sachin Tendulkar against New Zealand at Hyderabad the following winter. On the same day South Africa Beat Kenya at VRA ground, Amstelveen, Holland by seven wickets. Klusener bagged his third successive Man of the match award for his five wickets. It was the first ODI to be held in Holland.
___________________________________________________________________
 
In 2007 the first four Indian batsmen all scored hundreds against Bangladesh at Mirpur – first such instance in Test history. They were also very near to break the world record of scoring most runs before the fall of first wicket, but narrowly missed it. Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik added 175 on day one before Karthik retired hurt with cramps. Then at 281, still without the loss of a wicket, Jaffer was also taken off with cramps, and Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar batted till stumps for 326 for 0. On day two Dravid fell, India's first wicket, when they needed six runs to break the opening-stand record of 413 set by Pankaj Roy and Vinoo Mankad. Karthik returned to get his maiden century.

Dravid to be guest at Al Jazira's celebrations

Abu Dhabi: Indian batting great Rahul Dravid will be the surprise guest at Al Jazira Football Club's historic league and Cup double celebrations at Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on June 5.
There to hit soft balls into the crowd for fans to catch and win a prize, Dravid is just one of the pre- and post-match entertainment options during the club's last home game of the season against Dubai Club, before ushering in the club's first-ever Etisalat Pro League and President's Cup trophies. A free night of entertainment with concerts from local and international artists will precede one lucky fan driving away in a Dh1 million Ferrari Italia 458, billed as the biggest give-away in the history of UAE football.
Al Jazira has experienced unbridled success this year both on and off the pitch not only winning silverware for the first time in their 37-year history but enjoying average crowds of 15,000, including the record attendance for a UAE Pro League game of 28,000 spectators.
The club also has 8,000 registered season card holders.

Source : Gulf News

Memories of Rawalpindi

"The people back home deserve a fighting team" : Rahul Dravid sometime in 2006 (not sure but it was either Pakistan Series or West Indies Series)

A message wakes me up in the morning 'Can Dravid bat worse than this?' from a Dravid fan who is too critical. I wake up to remember my most cherished innings in Test Cricket, the Rawalpindi double hundred, 270 to be precise scored by the world's best cricketer ever (no arguments are needed here please, I had read in my mathematics 'Sets' class that you can't have a group of most beautiful women as a universal set whereas you can have most number of planets in the solar system because beauty varies for person to person. Same thing here, for me best is only one).
"Fear is an emotion provided by nature for our protection. It has to be overcome and the challenge faced. Only two types of people are totally fearless. One. you find in the graveyard, the other in a mental asylum. Rahul is someone who takes decisions and accepts responsibility for the same. That is the hallmark of a champion. He is an ideal role model for anybody who wants to reach the top of his/her chosen profession.

B.P.Bam - Sports Psychologist

Let's remember the similarities. Rahul Dravid struggling to make runs, having a hard time. Dropped on 70 (or 71?) (in this case 28). Not looking himself, his usual calm self. He wasn't in either. The team wasn't exactly in trouble, alright. But might have been. Who knows? Last time Sehwag and Dravid put on runs together, in the game Sehwag made 319 and Dravid 130 odd (when he reached his 10,000 Test runs), the batting order collapsed as soon as Dravid was out. Forget speculation. I somehow knew that Dravid will make it up. I started watching it, Dravid was 11 or so, not even a strike rate of 20. The opportunists called critics (not the one who messaged me) would have been licking their tongues and some didn't even care but had put the keys in. The writers for reputed places who are supposed to give an end-of-day report would have had to do a lot of editing, though not really praising. Some youngistaan fans would have had a heartbreak.
"He has always been like Arjuna....with a bow n arrow in hand n a target in mind.....he sees only the eye of the fish...n nothing else!!" Ayaz Menon on Rahul Dravid (ICC Cricket Awards - 2004)

Forget them, Dravid struggled, and still went on to make a 100. The wicket, not as easy as was made out., especially since Dravid loves faster pitches more than slower ones. I remember the 270 innings pretty clearly. After the end of the day, Dravid said in an interview to NDTV that he has to go and take rest, he'll be batting all of the day tomorrow. The next day, he said he has to score tomorrow again. This is called attitude, an sms that would have fetch a thousands of forwards, a quote about cricket which I haven't found anywhere except in my memories. Today, I could see the same attitude. I have to bat the whole day, and he almost did!
Rahul Dravid is one player I could go and watch. Come to think of it, if I wanted someone batting for my life, it would be Rahul. : Brian Lara

The general attitude is when you're having a tough time, go ahead, hit a few balls with closed eyes and it'll be alright. Not Rahul Dravid. I said it's my most cherished innings, the 270, that's the reason. He never showed any signs of giving up despite struggling. VVS Laxman had also said the same thing once, as Lara had.
'All this going around is not aggression. If you want to see aggression on cricket field, look into Rahul Dravid's eyes' Mathew Hayden (not exact quote, but the gist is same).

Thank You Rahul Dravid for teaching me precious lessons of life through your Rawalpindi innings.

Thank You Rahul Dravid for raising the level of an out-of-form batsman to an average of 30 plus. (Sorry Duminy, and almost every other batsman ;-))

Thank You Rahul Dravid for being my idol, I hope I emulate some of what I've learned, I badly need the lessons called life preserved in poetry in motion your art of batting provides.
Rahul Dravid is a documentary, it depcts life, is unbiased, and shows reality. It doesn't want to sell itself, but just wants to be appreciated by the like-minded people who understand the art. It doesn't publicize itself. It exists because it believes in itself, despite no attention, no publicity, no praise (except from the like-minded people). Rest all today is commercial cinema! Despite that, this documentary is commercially successful too. : Raghav Gautam

Of Lights and Limelighted: A Poetry on R Dravid

Some day, all alone, someone will remember,
a support is what we all need.
When there won't be any wall to take comfort,
when there will be captivated birds,
no one to put everything, for them to be freed...

On paper, P & C brings the best of all,
on statistics, experts can still work out:
What is victory is going there,
What is victory is letting others take the limelight,
While you stand upwards, throwing the lights out.

Lights aren't in limelight, of course.
But what is a limelight without the lights?
Who will tell the world all this?
Better us few enjoy the light, rather than,
viewing the ones in limelight, of someone else's effort,
RD, on cricket field for me,
you're brighter than any other sights...
----
RG :-) ::: 14 Mar 2010

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Bat and Ball-pen: Rahul Dravid A Digital Painting

Bat and Ball-pen: Rahul Dravid A Digital Painting: " Rahul Dravid: A Digital Painting My first digital painting, did the painting of my idol. It is titled as Limited Overs Specialist and a ..."

Rajasthan Royals: Not as bad as it looks!-- Season Review

With already a lesser purse than others at the auction, they started at a disadvantage. Yet, their achievements have been more than the results suggest. Let's have a look in details.

First, player by player.
Shane Warne: He was retained for a fat sum. People argued it wasn't very wise because nobody would have taken him in auctions anyway and he would've been available for a lot lesser price. That's where the Royals thought differently, they didn't want to give respect to players like 'other franchises' by only speaking good in media and showing a different attitude otherwise. They served real respect by retaining Warnie at a high price. Hats off Royals! He did what he was supposed to do, captain and coach the side in a way they feel they have it in them. Truly, apart from a couple of foreign players, the team was doing pretty well. And his bowling was still pretty good and effective leaving an odd game or two. He signed off as a champion, and for the last Sachin vs Warne, it wasn't even a competition, Sachin was left guessing mostly and scored runs of edges and mishits off Warne. Warne, on the field, is a champion.

Shane Watson: The second retention. He is currently world's best allrounder without doubt. He was supposed to deliver the goods at a higher frequency. His bowling was more or less effective, his batting lacked the fire they needed and a couple more of what he did in their final game would've got RR in the top 2 slots probably. On occasions, he was there, batting and the opening partnership worked well, like 60 or 89 but the lower order failed to capitalize. Great example being 89-0 in 10 against Chennai, and the team managing just 60 more in final 10. Surely, it's not only him to be blamed, especially because he's been carrying the burden of a team that were once champions but now are about 2-3 players. He has been super-consistent in international cricket and surely, we won't judge him by his IPL performances. After all, it's a club game and nation comes first.

Rahul Dravid: It was good that Dravid isn't playing for RC(B?). However, the column isn't on them. Rahul Dravid was his consistent self. Having shown in last 3-4 games what he could do at the top of the order, he opened in all the innings he played. It was a different role than the one he had in RCB with Kallis because he was supposed to be the second-fiddle here. Except for the last game, and a game with Botha, he was the more aggressive partner. He has scored runs consistently, and despite not converting the starts, he made sure the opening wasn't a problem. His 44 and 66 were brilliant, 66 coming in a losing cause when they were 89-0 in 10 overs. That's been the problem of Royals, the middle order and below, but Rahul Dravid did what was expected of him, just with the exception of not converting the starts. He could've done better, much much better. But as is always the case, Dravid's couple of failures will be talked more than his brilliant performances. Following him for years, am pretty much used to it. Also, in an inexperienced line-up, you need to have someone who stops those batting collapses. Plus, the Jaipur pitch for most of the games. 
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,,,


,,,

Though mostly, RR have themselves to blame, especially losing the momentum when they were coming from 3-games winning streak and were 89-0 @ Chidambram Stadium vs Chennai. Two more wins, and they'd have been in the qualifiers. RCB washout also affected a lot. Yet, there is a great season to look in the next year with a new captain. The top contenders being Rahul Dravid, Johan Botha, Shane Watson and Ross Taylor. I'd make a choice between Dravid and Botha, Dravid having an edge obviously. But it all depends on the management, and they may want a long-term captain and so might look at someone younger. 
Full Blog : http://batandballpen.blogspot.com/2011/05/rajasthan-royals-not-as-bad-as-it-looks.html
Removed most part, keeping only Dravid's portion mostly. IF you want to read full, you can read from the above link. 
P.S. For me, Dravid can play for next four years but he had a bit different thoughts!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Behind the Wall = A Fanography

Behind the Wall is a Fanography on Rahul Dravid, a book by the fans for Dravid. Currently, we require fan views on various topics covering his entire career. If you think you can share your views, please message me on fb or reply here, I'll get back with details. Dravid himself knows about the project so it's better we get it going. I hope for some good responses. :-)

Saturday, May 21, 2011

A Royal Send Off To Warne

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WQ5AuI1pOOw/Tdan5oKFKpI/AAAAAAAAAmc/73Boky0gsPI/s320/133167.jpg 

Disciplined bowling effort followed by amazing unbeaten opening stand saw RR crushing MI on their home ground.

Scorecard:
MI: 133/5
RR: 134/0 (13.1 overs Watson 89* Dravid 43*)

"It was good to finish on a high, great way to send off Warney, he is a legend of the game and has been brilliant in our dressing room. It's been an up and down season for us, we've had quite a young side but today we've shown what we can do. It's easy to bat at the other end when someone is going like that. One year is a long time, but if I am fit and still playing well, I would like to come back. I've enjoyed it, I would have liked to be in the playoffs."
- Rahul Dravid after the match 

Friday, May 20, 2011

The T20 Specialist : Rahul Dravid


'Rahul is a test specialist. They did right by dropping him from ODIs.'
'You bet, you are right. He is test specialist. Not fit for ODIs. But yes, he should play T20 World Cup. He is a T20 specialist too.'
'Are you joking?
That is how the world is. Whenever you joke, people take it serious. When we are serious, People take it as a joke.


When I started watching cricket, there existed only two formats. Of course, there were some differences, but for the batsmen, the final aim was runs. Score runs the WAY you can, that will help you. And the way of scoring runs I liked most was proper cricket shots.This worked for both formats, tests and ODIs. Just that in ODIs you need to run better and slog in last few overs.I loved it. Most people did. In tests, try to be patient, wait for the delivery you like and suit yourself. Hit it the way you feel most comfortable. Outside off stump, try cover drive and cut shots. On legs, try straight drive, leg glance. Bouncer at a comfortable height,go for hook or pull. Sounds simple, but it all depend on the decision taken in fractions of a second. The one who thinks faster and more correctly wins the battles. and the team that wins more battles, wins the war. I liked it. Most people did. I found someone who was a master at this. Rahul Dravid it was. The years were 2003 and 2004. he was at his peak. Playing the ballls on its merit. Good delivery, better defense. Bad delivery, great shot. He was good in winning those battles, frustrating bowlers. I loved it. Most people did. If anyone wants to be a good batsman, he needs to have technique of Rahul Dravid. I was almost right. Next couple of years were his. He ruled the world. I loved. Most people did. 'He should leave his legacy behind. He will be the best batting coach ever.' 
I stood by the statement for a long time. Rahul Dravid has proved his worth among all the test playing nations. He had adjusted incredibly well in ODIs. But, Cricket was about to revolutionize. A new format was added - 20-20 over matches would be played at the international level. Different reactions came. '20 overs? Do they want to play gully cricket.', 'Good. Now we don't have to see those boring matches for five days.', 'This will harm cricket.', 'You said same when ODI came. But it benefited cricket.'


If nothing more,, people were excited. Something New! A Revolution. The concept started. The crowd buzzed in. The energy was more. And very soon, they realised, it is a great success. Mind you 'they' mostly include businessmen, not cricket experts. Everyone was ready to come over to see a result oriented game in three hours. 'Now that's worth a try.'


Spectators were excited. Cricketers were excited. The investors were excited. Why would Cricket experts complain? They were loaded with money too. They pretended. Hence Cricket experts were excited. Media [no need to mention] was excited as usual. Cricket was a business. 'T20, i LOVE IT! It is going to stay. ' Some even went to say, 'Which format do you think will demolish. I think Tests.' Another cricketer went on to say, 'ODI will stay only for two years. T20 will take over.' [The deadline is going to be over.I have not heard that they are stopping ODI matches] 
In 2006, India played its first T20. An unexpected victory! The team was smashed 4-0 in ODIs and 2-1 in Tests, but won the only T20 match. Ganguly wasn't in the scene at that moment. Rahul was injured and missed the T20 game. The only lucky guy was Sachin Tendulkar. The reason I say 'lucky' is that it was his last T20 game, and his fellow mates didn't even get a chance. T20 was certainly different. Most teams [except England] had almost same teams for Tests and ODIs. 'This won't work for T20. We need youngsters.' Eventually there was a WC in 2007, the first T20 World Cup. India had a packed schedule that year. Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, the three musketeers asked to rest and to give youngsters a chance. Everybody was taken aback. Only one question filled the air 'What will they do without the Big 3?"


But they did well, very well. Well enough to grab the trophy. It was the beginning or perhaps the ending. Worldwide there was the perception that T20 are made for youngsters. 'If you are old, stay away.' India followed it. So did many countries othen then Australia and Sri Lanka. 'Young guns. Young guns. they win T20. The older ones are for test.' Where is the rulebook? No response. Nobody listened.  
2008, IPL took over the world by surprise. T20 was in the nation which had millions of cricket lovers. Not sure about cricket, but business was at its best. 'We are adding entertainment to cricket.' Get out of here.No response. Nobody listened. IPL was everywhere. Demand of youth increased. T20 is the future. Few months ago, after India won 2007 T20 World Cup, selectors were convinced. Throw the seniors out. Youngsters can win ODIs for us. Anyway any Tom, Dick and Harry can bat. The pitches are dead. They were right. The young brigade ruled. Soon Ganguly decided to retire, not really satisfied. Probably a boost for the selectors. Ganguly probably one of the greatest ODI opener didn't get a berth in ODI team even after a good IPL. Satisfied or unsatisfied, he retired. And story was over. Not for Rahul Dravid. They tried everything, almost everything to put the train out of the track, but it knew its destination. Rahul's form wasn't great at international level. At domestic level, he scored a 100 almost each game. But somehow he was not able to put his form at the international level. They grinned 'loha garam hai, maar do hathora.' Everyone was chasing him, media, team management, critics, Everyone. They tried to pretend to be generous. 'We see Rahul is a great player to be out of form for so long. WE will give him another chance.' [And if he fails we will do what we did to Mr Ganguly, they thought, grinning.]


Last series for the Wall, people concluded. Of course, they were wrong. The Wall stroked form on the foreign soil, scoring 4 half centuries in six innings. The world was perplexed. The fanatics went wild. The critics were gasped. That was some fantasy! 'How did he manage that?' And his followers said, 'Oh that! That wasn't difficult.' 
Rahul Dravid was back. And so was IPL. Now I had started wondering. He did well last year. BUT...I was remembering my statement 'He will be the best batting coach ever.' NO, Not Now. The cricket has changed. It is no more the same as it was when I made the statement. It is no more about cover drives, straight drives, cuts and hooks. Its anything now. Inside edge [called as Chinese cut], Outside edge [The commentators say it was intended. As if we don't know] Reverse weeps, Switch hits and many varieties of slogs. and occasionally you will see an elegant cover drive. My eyes will lit up. 'I was wrong about T20. Cricketing shots exists...' And the next ball, there will be an ugly mishit slog going for a six. The ball will disappear out of the ground, and so will the glow in my eyes.


What will Rahul teach to youngsters? Cover drive? Cut shots? No, they don't need it. They will make more money by their unorthodox shots. Why learn the real art? The bats are too good. The pitches are batting friendly. Why learn the real art. 'He will never be a batting coach.'  
As IPL 2009 started, I was amazed. Rahul Dravid did it. 66 off 48 when the whole team crumbled. 20 off 18, when all the hitters were sent before him. 48 off 27 when all the so called T20 specialists had strike rate in 60s and 70s. I was giggling, convinced. It was not the runs. He had many. The fact was he did it. The Test specialist over wit the T20 specialists that too with proper cricket shots. It is possible. The chameleon adapted to another format just as it did in ODIs. I didn't see it. But I know it. Every cricket expert said, 'Rahul Dravid is surely an asset. He will go a long way. He has got everything to become a test specialist. Mind you ODIs are not his cup of tea.' I wonder whether he was deaf when media was yelling this. I know he wasn't good for ODI. He knew he was not good for ODI. But he knew more than all of us. 'I can fix it.' He would have said, 'Nobody is good from birth. They work hard and become good.' He did and he was far better than good. The world was gasped. 'The Test specialist did wonders in the ODI format.' He played many roles, all convincingly. And now he did it for T20. I am ecstatic. 'They might call you a test specialist. But I know it, you are a ODI specialist and NOW a T20 specialist.'

Thank you for being or icon, our role model. I bet you will be the best batting coach ever.

Another Article By Our Own AMAN ARORA - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000378443119

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Rahul Dravid's 270 vs Pakistan

Rahul Dravid's 270 vs Pakistan  

An excellent innings from Dravid with beautiful shots....

Rahul Dravid Evinces Interest in Promoting Young Cricketers in Coastal Karnataka

Rahul Dravid Evinces Interest in Promoting Young Cricketers in Coastal Karnataka
Daijiworld Media Network—Dubai (CN)
Abu Dhabi, May 18: Former Indian cricket captain and ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid is keen to nurture the cricketing skills of the young generation in Karnataka, and in the coastal districts in particular. Dravid, who visited Abu Dhabi recently for a cricket promotion event, disclosed this during his meeting with Dayananda Bangera, former Goa Ranji player and proud Mangalorean cricketer who has represented the UAE national team in many international matches.
Bangera, who is a Level 2-certified coach, presently residing in Abu Dhabi, has been keenly taking an interest in encouraging young cricket players. He has a special desire to promote cricket among the young kids in the coastal districts of Karnataka.
“It is sad that we do not see any major cricket talent in the Indian team and Karnataka's representation in national cricket is very disappointing of late. If this continues, the state loses importance in cricket in the cricket crazy nation,” said Bangera.
“Luckily, Rahul Dravid is very keen about promoting and developing cricket among school kids and young players. He is ready to travel across the coastal districts to train young guns and he is very keen to develop cricket in the region. He too expressed his disappointment about the lack of state representation in the national side,” added Bangera.
“Once the IPL is completed, Dravid will put the proposal of promoting cricket in the coastal district before the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which will surely meet the demands and needs of coastal districts, as currently the KSCA is led by young and honest leaders like Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, and Venkatesh Prasad,” said Bangera hoping for a better future for cricket in the coastal districts.
Bangera stressed to Dravid that KSCA must pick potential candidates to train or play at the state level as this will help them to be groomed better.
Bangera added that being an international cricketer will not help coach any teams or players officially. One has to undergo training under ICC and pass out after training at a different level.

Rahul Dravid – The Visionary

He is the chief architect of Team India’s Cricketing Success amongst more visible Demi-Gods, Maharajas, Prince and Captain Cools. He is the man who brought Professionalism to Indian set-up. Despite all his contributions to Team India he was not getting his due recognition and adulation. 50 years from now, I hope he gets more adulation and recognition than Demi-Gods, Maharajas, Captain Cools and Prince, which he truly deserves. Here are some off-the field Cricketing exploits of this gentleman.

Incident - 1
This man got stick for his choice of team selection during the auction of first IPL tournament. The team that was selected at his behest was termed as Test Team. The players he selected during the auction were Kumble, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Mark Boucher, Chanderpaul, Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer and others. Today Kallis is cynosure of all eyes in this IPL – edition 3. Steyn, who had a couple of quite IPL seasons, is firing on all cylinders. Cameron White, Twenty-20 specialist, was a flop in previous editions but now he is the vice-captain of his country’s Twnty-20 team. He is at peak of his prowess. He is yet to play a match in this edition since he was away for the national duties. At this juncture of IPL-3, the Bangalore Royal Challengers are looking ominous.

Incident – 2
He was playing for Kent in the English county. John Wright was the director of coaching there. He recommended John Wright’s name to the BCCI. John Wright was the most successful coach of Team India before Kirsten arrived. He along with likes of Dravid, Sachin, Ganguly, Kumble. Laxman, Srinath and Sehwag laid foundation for the team which is now number 1 in the Test Rankings. 

Incident – 3
After the debacle of 2007 world cup, to rebuild the team he was instrumental in bringing Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad to the coaching team. They made significant contribution towards team’s success. They were later removed citing the poor performance of the team in bowling and fielding and that is a different story. But nobody can deny the need for specialist bowling and fielding coaches in this age and contribution of Robin and Venkatesh Prasad.

Incident – 4
He was also responsible for creating Category D in players pay contract in addition to earlier three categories. Fringe players are included in this pay category. The pay pie is not only shared by big guns and also by deserving fringe players. It was acknowledged by an official in BCCI Top brass. 

There are many more…

∫∫Ω∫∫ Rahul Dravid at Ranthambore To Watch Tigers ∫

Rahul Dravid Recently visited Ranthambore To Watch Tigers along with his RR Team Mate Ross Taylor, Here are the pics of it.Enjoy B-)







Rajasthan Royals Players On Playing With Dravid

Shane Watson


Shaun Tait
 

Jacob Oram

The Ultimate Role Model- Rahul Dravid

Cricket is definitely one of the very few sources of entertainment in India along with Bollywood movies. Moreover, a part of job of any source of entertainment is to teach and inspire people. In India, our lives are connected to cricket and cricketers to a huge extent. India’s loss makes our day hopeless and an Indian victory cheers up our mood. Similarly, we try to inculcate what our favorite cricketer do. We are concerned about their personal lives, what they like, what they dislike, what they eat, what they wear and probably every bit of their lives. Even parents do not mind their kids inculcate positive attributes from cricketers.

Over the years of my watching cricket, one cricketer that has been my ‘Role Model’ is Rahul Dravid. Now when I say ‘Role Model’, it is not just an ‘ordinary adjective’ to describe the achievements of any cricketer or any legend of any field. It has a deep metamorphic meaning. The dictionary describes Role Model as "person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others." Sachin Tendulkar, probably the best to have played the game of cricket and they cricketer who has shared the dressing room with Rahul Dravid for over a decade, chooses no one but Rahul Dravid as a ‘perfect role model’ for the youngsters. In the next few lines, I will try to elaborate why rahul Dravid is ‘The Ultimate Role Model for Youngsters.” 


The first attribute of Rahul Dravid features in the first few pages of every book that parents read to their children in their growing days. It is called ‘Hard Work”. The stories emphasizing the importance of hard work are taught to al, but grabbed by only few Dravids. Now I fail to form my next sentence, as I am confused whether to write, “Rahul Dravid’ is the synonym for ‘Hard Work’ or Hard Work’ is the synonym for ‘Rahul dravid.’ For what ever I know about Rahul Dravid, he has spent most days of his life on nets along with playing international cricket for one-third part of a year. In the past few years, when some of the cricket experts advised him not to practice a lot in nets to retain his form, he did not heed them. Like any other artists, he believes a daily rias [practice] is the only necessity to keep your art alive and strengthen it. This actually paid off. He got a hundred in an international match against England. People were astonished to see a hundred in the midst of quite a poor form considering the standards set by him over the years. They said it came out of nowhere. But Dravid after scoring the hundred said that it was the result of continuous fluid that he lost practicing in nets. Now that is why I ask people to go through all those books emphasizing the virtues of hard work, rather than banking up their luck to turn good and achieving a undeserved success.

For a person like Dravid, ‘Work is God”. Nothing in this distracting world pleases him then the job he has-no fame, no money, the only task he wants to concentrate on is scoring runs and making India win. While his mates get distracted by participating in ramp shows, reality shows or spending time launching various products or simply fining a date for them, Dravid is focused and committed to his priority. He knows how to say ‘no’ to the things, which should not be given importance. For such a reason, it is safe to say that Rahul Dravid is the epitome of dedication, self-discipline and purpose.

“Patience’ is one attribute that Wall of Indian Cricket team has shown since his debut. The quote that first comes in anyone’s mind who knows anything about Dravid is ‘Slow and steady wins the race’. However, in the past few years, with inclusion of shorter versions of game, rules favoring batsmen and deteriorating pitches, batting is no more a skill. Spectators and Commentators feel that batsmen should take more risks in each version of the game to entertain the crowd. Cricket has become a game of untimed, unorthodox ‘fours’ and sixes’ rather than ‘quality fast bowlers’, ‘bouncers’, ‘fast Yorkers’ and orthodox straight drives, cover drives and hook shorts. But the long and short of it is, there is a crowd who still like to seen an even contest between bat and bowl. Still there are experts yelling ‘Run to banega, pehle wicket bacha.” [Runs will be made, first save the wickets]. Word ‘patience’ does not mean that he cannot play shorter versions of the game. In fact, in his last few years, he served as a ‘match finisher’ and did the unusual job with utter perfection. But the ‘patience’ is not only confined to short selection and the way he approach his game, but also in the thought process. He has shown extreme patience and tolerance even in the most intense situations. In the lows of his lives, when he was dropped from the side, had a tough time while batting, he has not repented. This is how a legend considers ‘living a life.’ They know that failures are part of lives and know how to deal with them. That is something, which distinguishes an extra-ordinary person from an ordinary herd.
Another prominent quality that Dravid has is that he knows how to handle success better than many. His achievements do not carry him away. As he said in an advertisement for a shaving product of a brand called Gillette Mach3 Turbo,” Yesterday is over. Each day is different and brings a new challenge.” When he goes to bat, even on the pitches where he has scored heaps of runs, even against the bowlers whom he have dominated over the years, he tries to reproduce the same effort. That is how one should be aspiring in his profession. If you have nine, try to get ten. Nobody will praise you for your work in the past until you perform in the present. Consistency is required for being extra-ordinary.

One last character that Dravid has is inspired from his One-Day International career. When he made his debut in this shorter version of the game, people said he is not an apt player for this format. Many cricket experts called him a one-dimensional player. Instead of saying that ‘I give up’, he worked on his game, improved his range of shorts and strike-rate and rest is history. He went on to score more ten thousand runs in the format of which he is not called a player. What this story says? It simply says that ‘natural talent’ is not the only necessity to perform any task efficiently. If someone is determined to do something, works hard, he can perform it even more efficiently than the one who are born to do the task.
Also, being benevolent and generous helps in whatever profession you are. Again, Dravid acts as a perfect example. He has played cricket in high-pressure situation for over a decade, but has remained a gentleman all these years. He has an emotionless face. He smiles occasionally on victories, takes a sigh during defeats and remains emotionless in situations involving pressure. Rahul has kept a ‘cool head’ over the years not indulging in arguments with any cricketer or umpires after getting a wrong decision. For this, he has won the respect of cricketers with whom he has played with him, just showing the worth of being a good individual enhances your dignity as a professional.

In the end, I will say Dravid is a source house of such positive aspects that any individual will try to inculcate to taste success. He not only can teach youngsters how to play cricketing shorts, but he is a ‘Perfect Role Model’ for the youngsters who want to make something of their lives. He won the ‘MTV Youth Icon of the year 2004’ which I believe is one of the most special award he has won just for the reason that inspiring youth is at of job a celebrity should perform. This is why I say Dravid stands in a different league when it comes to inspiring people and I call him ‘The Ultimate Role Model.”


Article Written By Aman Arora - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000378443119


   

Dravid's Maiden TEST Ton

Rahul Dravid's Maiden Test Ton. He Scored 148 Runs against Proteas..!

For Video Click READ MORE

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

A Sketch Of Rahul Dravid

http://images.orkut.com/orkut/albums3/ATYAAABBIiIkJhoEuXFS-vwuO3YhC_yLzgZ1Sr1_LBXbbnkpHUauCUCPIH1m_BS4GUd4jeTW2FTKLaTS6r9k0ExY2cHZAJtU9VBMBj3681a4bJgdWM24VshAFWBxlQ.jpg

The Below One Is By Our FB Fan Page Member DIPTI :-)


Rahul Dravid : A New Profile by Raghav Gautam :-)


An Introduction: What Rahul Dravid is Today
Some are born great, a few others attain greatness. In a few ways, the second is greater than the first. Rahul Sharad Dravid belongs to the same category. He has worked hard for everything he got, a Test Cap after playing five Ranji seasons consistently, an ODI call after having good outings in List-A and A tours, a recall to ODI team after getting dropped, a move up to number 3 in Tests as opposed to 7 where he batted in debut series, captaincy of Team India after being a successful deputy to Sourav Ganguly for years, an ODI recall in 2009 after being dropped unceremoniously, getting to feature in an advertisement campaign with famous sportsmen like Roger Federer (greatest tennis player), Tiger Woods (best golfer), Thierry Henry (one of the finest strikers) for Gillette, making it into MCC Panel, are a few notable achievements.
Rahul Dravid is a big man today. But his feet are on ground, very firm. He had said once 'fans are okay as long as they don't invade privacy'. Never the one to forget his roots while chasing success, he is the ideal role-model for kids wanting to play cricket, as said by Sachin Tendulkar during a book release. But it isn't really limited to cricket. If you want to do anything in life, but aren't as talented as others, Rahul Dravid provides the ideal example. An example of why 'practice makes the man perfect' still holds true, and why you don't need to fly in air to become big, rather you need to grow in stature.
The Humble and Hard Working Beginning
The roots of what we see today had been set in early days for Rahul. His principal backed him when his parents were worried about his academic career. While not having enough time to read, he had some of the most time utilizing techniques which would give Robin Sharma's book a run for their money. He practiced hard, went to school whenever he could. Had to miss a lot of classes, but didn't fall behind academically ever. He had certain habits like studying even when he was aboard an over-crowded bus. He took special care of fitness, with the orthodox methods, and even now is arguable fittest Indian cricketer.
He worked hard for his cricket, and probably harder not giving up on academics. It can be deduced from the fact that for cricket, he never really left his academics, until he had made his mark. He is a student still. He doesn't mind learning. He is probably one of the very few true optimists who would find positive out of everything, and try to imbibe those positives. He is still close to his roots, to his basic teachings.
Early Career
He was born on January 11th 1973 at Indoor, Madhya Pradesh to Sharad and Pushpa Dravid. Cricket and daily life administration ran in his blood probably due to his parents. Sharad Dravid took to cricket due to his elder brother, Col KV Dravid who played big cricket during those times, while Sharad Dravid played till university level. While Pushpa Dravid enrolled for two courses at a time, doing them both nicely, probably sowing seeds of ideal time management skills in her son.
 
Keki Tarapore was the first real coach for Rahul Dravid. His contribution to Rahul's career is immense. He had a continued good run in the domestic and A-tours, while having a few lows. Early in his days, he had developed reputation as someone who is difficult to get out. He tried wicket-keeping when nobody was a wicket-keeper in his college team, and this attribute helped team India, notably in the 2003 World Cup. He also tried his hand at bowling, and was successful especially in one of the A-tours.
Into the Team
He debuted for Indian ODI team on April 3, 1996, shortly after 1996 World Cup. He debuted for the Test team on June 20th in the same year. While his Test career was successful right from the beginning, with a few lows, and a long time for his first century when he kept on making fifties but not able to convert them, he had a kind of disappointing start to ODI career. He was typecast soon as a Test specialist, and therefore, he had to fight hard to be back in team.
GR Vishwanath, the then chairman of selectors had warned him saying it as his last chance, because he didn't want people to call it a biasness giving chances to a state mate. That chance was enough for him, as he went on to become mainstay of middle order, along with Azharuddin and Jadeja in the ODI team. He was most successful batsman in 1999 World Cup, while had a good 2000, in these two years, he scored 6 ODI hundreds, 2 of them in back-to-back matches in 1999 World Cup, only second after Mark Waugh to do that.
His Test career hit a low in 1999, starting from a tour to Australia, by when he was the mainstay of the middle order. He had a few disappointing games when he struck his first double hundred followed by a fifty in the second innings, both unbeaten, against Zimbabwe at Feroz Shah Kotla Delhi to end his run drought. From then, he never had a bad phase until 2007.
In ODIs however, he was supposedly retained on taking the gloves on insistence of Sourav Ganguly while selectors were keen on dropping him. Sounds awkward when he was the best middle order batsman and was more successful than any other in the Indian team during those two years (other than openers Sachin and Ganguly). He scored almost 3500 runs with 6 hundreds and 22 fifties during that period, second only to Sourav Ganguly in terms of runs, and third to Sourav and Sachin in terms of average. He also was India's mainstay in 1999 World Cup.
While he continued to succeed in both the formats from then, the most important points in career were England Series in England, Australia series in India and then Australia, New Zealand Series in New Zealand, West Indies Series in West Indies. In Tests, there was never ever a doubt on his value except for the one low in 1999. He hit purple patches quite often. It might be like if you look Earth from outside, it looks blue cause of 70% presence of water. Same can be said about Rahul’s career. And here, both Tests and ODIs are combined.
 
What has been remarkable about Rahul Dravid is his ability to maximize his talent. The Big Bang theory is evident in his case. The beginning is small, but some burst happens that all keep moving apart and going big, while the center is most powerful. The center comprises the dreams, the humble beginnings, and the hard work, while the growth shows his career growth.
The Final Frontier: The RD’X’
Rahul Dravid got an X factor due to his finishing, and sometimes hitting skills which left even specialist hitters wonder. It started in 2003 with second fastest fifty for India off 23 balls, then went on time and again when needed, reached a peak when he scored 92 runs in less than 20 over left off 63 balls, and then came the IPL. While his team fell like nine pins, he showed the world what a Test Specialist can do. It continued in 2009 IPL where he had the purple cap for a considerable time before he went home as his wife was expecting. Then came back and took RCB to finals. These were few of the instances that made RD, RDX.
2009 IPL handed him a comeback to the ODI squad due to the young brigade’s inability to play short balls in South Africa. He did wonderfully well, satisfied his role, especially in one of the games when he opened with Sachin. Even in the Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, he was there till a better batsman in his minds, Harbhajan Singh, got him run out.
Personal Life: A Boy Next Door
He still visits the same barber for the same haircut he used to have since his college days. He used to drive same Maruti 800 until a few years back. He loves music, and reading. He spends time with his family. He married Dr. Vijeta Pendharkar, a surgeon from Nagpur on May 4th, 2003. He has two sons, Samit Dravid born on 11th October 2005 and Anvay Dravid born on April 27th, 2009. It hasn’t been often that Dravid’s family has been exposed to unnecessary media coverage which shows how he wants his personal life to be, personal. In fact Anvay hasn’t been shown to the media yet. Such is his personal life.
High Points
Top 5 Test Series
These are only top 5 series according to my observation. Many of you will point out Australia in India as one, but for me, performing away from home was one of the main criteria, and when I came to think of it, that series didn’t quite fit in. As also, innumerable others. You may have a different view. A note-worthy point is that all these are away series against different opposition.
1) India in West Indies 2006
Being a captain, he led from the front. He was the player of the series. Brian Lara said after this series, that ‘If I have to put anyone to bat for my life, it’ll be either Kallis or Dravid’. He was brilliant throughout series, and especially in last test when he scored twin fifties on a minefield of a pitch where all including Lara failed. He handed India its first series win in West Indies after 1971.


2) India in Australia 2002-03
He was the Man of the Series. It was the series when after 22 years; India had won a Test on Aussies soil. He lead India, well supported by Laxman, Agarkar, Kumble, and Sachin, to gift India this win after making a double hundred in the first innings while India were buried under a huge score of around 550. And then, when Agarkar and Sachin ran past the Australian batting order, he remained unbeaten with a 70 odd in the second innings, with Agarkar, the other hero of the match at the other end. He was tremendous throughout the series.
3) India in England 2002
This was a magical series. He was yet again the player of the series, jointly with Michael Vaughan after a drawn series. It was one of Dravid’s best series, especially when the conditions weren’t the best. It was his second series in England after a successful debut series, where he scored his first double ton away from home in the form of 217. It was said that he could only have been run out in that innings. He was simply brilliant throughout the series.
4) India in South Africa 1996-97
This series saw him hit his first hundred after a series of fifties. A hundred at Johannesburg where light stopped India from winning the game was a brilliant effort. Especially when it wasn’t the Johannesburg of the T-20 era. He almost won the game, along with Mohd. Azharuddin scoring a brilliant 148 when he was the last man out.
5) India in New Zealand 1998-99
India had lost the first Test of the 2 Test Series. He had a bad test. India was down, and Simoun Doul, along with Dion Nash and Chris Cairns were on fire. Those were the days when New Zealand had a terrific home advantage, and India bounced back into the series with the help of Rahul Dravid who scored a terrific 190 at Hamilton in first innings, and followed it up with an unbeaten 100 at a quick pace chasing target of 415. India didn’t win the match, New Zealand won the series. But it wasn’t won the way it was thought will be. India showed a fight, lead by Rahul Dravid.

Top ODI Performances
These are a few of the pinnacles of his ODI career. It’s difficult naming the best, simply because his ODI career has been a dedication to team, and at times you watch his 30s and 40s and say they are definitely match winning innings.
1)  World Cup 1999
It was one of the pinnacles for the gentleman who was told to be a Test Specialist. He was clearly the best batsman of the tournament, scoring almost in every match. He scored two back-to-back tons, only second after Mark Waugh to do so.
2)World Cup 2003
Again, World Cup brought out the best in him. It was a brilliant attempt. When you look at it, he didn’t get to bat against two easy opponents. He was made to bat lower. But when the situation was tough, he completed the act of rescuing team. The crisis man was there at the crisis. Also, he gave momentum at the end in a few innings. He was also the wicket-keeper, and very safe behind the stumps.
3) Natwest Series 2002
It is famous for Sourav Ganguly’s bare dare reply to bare-dare act of Andrew Flintoff, and for a very famous partnership between two young chaps, Yuvraj Singh and Mohd. Kaif in the final. However, there was one man who performed in every game (that is except the final), and brought the series to a level before Yuvi and Kaif stole it from the English, and it was Rahul Dravid.
4)23 ball 50, 34 ball 58, and 63 ball 92
These 3 innings in particular showed why Rahul Dravid is clearly the most adjustable batsman. And why he being typecast into a Test Specialist is more of an exaggeration. He played an excellent finisher at times, and 34 balls 58 and 63 balls 92 had Dhoni, the current best finisher seeming like crawling at the other end. As of 23 balls 50, it is second fastest fifty by an Indian, currently jointly shared by Kapil Dev, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. RD is the odd one out there, anyone will say. Well, he plays according to the needs, and that he has proved time and again.
5) ODI Top Score 153
Sachin at the other end made his the then best 186, while Rahul Dravid also made his best of 153. He was also the wicket-keeper of the team, and 153 was the highest score by a wicket-keeper until Dhoni broke it scoring 183. While all eyes were on Sachin, as usually is, Dravid scored the only 150+ winning score where the scorer didn’t get the man of the match.
Fielding and Catching: The Smart Mover
When he entered the arena, he took some stunners at close-in positions, also having the presence of mind at times to get some brilliant run-outs, though not spectacular looking. One example is when he was fielding at short leg, and made a quick throw to Nayan Mongia before shifting the ball from his left to right arm. Later, he took to wicket-keeping in ODIs, and Slip-fielding in Tests. He has the maximum catches by a non-keeper in Tests. Mark Waugh describes him as someone who is not a natural athlete, but definitely a smart mover, and one who has a concentration unmatched in the game.

Awards and Recognition :

1998: Arjuna award
1999: Ceat Cricketer of the 1999 World Cup
2000: Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2000
2004: Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy Winner (Awarded for ICC Player of the Year)
2004: Padma Shri
2004: ICC Test Player of The Year, MTV Youth Icon of the Year for 2004
2006: Captain of the ICC's Test Team



Test Match - Man Of The Series Awards :

#
Series
Season
Series Performance
1
India in England Test Series
2002
602 ; 10 Catches
2
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India in Australia Test Series)
2003/04
619 Runs ; 4 Catches
3
India in West Indies Test Series
2006
496 Runs ; 8 Catches
Test Match -  Man Of The Match Awards :

S No
Opponent
Venue
Season
Match Performance
1
South Africa
Wanderers, Johannesburg
1996/97
1st Innings: 148 (21x4); 1 Catch
2nd Innings: 81 (11x4); 1 Catch
2
West Indies
Bourda, Georgetown
1996/97
1st Innings: 92 (8x4, 1x6)
3
England
Headingley, Leeds
2002/03
1st Innings: 148 (23x4)
2nd Innings: 3 Catches
4
The Oval, London
2002/03
1st Innings: 217 (28x4); 3 Catches
5
New Zealand
Motera, Ahmedabad
2003/04
1st Innings: 222 (28x4, 1x6); 2 Catches
2nd Innings: 73 (6x4); 1 Catch
6
Australia
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
2003/04
1st Innings: 233 (23x4, 1x6); 1 Catch
2nd Innings: 72* (7x4); 2 Catches
7
Pakistan
Rawalpindi
2003/04
1st Innings: 270 (34x4, 1x6)
2nd Innings: 1 Catch
8
Pakistan
Eden Gardens, Kolkata
2004/05
1st Innings: 110 (15x4, 1x6); 1 Catch
2nd Innings: 135 (15x4)
9
West Indies
Sabina Park, Kingston
2006
1st Innings: 81 (10x4)
2nd Innings: 68 (12x4); 1 Catch
ODI MATCHES :
Man Of The Match Awards :
S No
Opponent
Venue
Season
Match Performance
1
Pakistan
Toronto
1996
46 (93b, 3x4)
2
South Africa
Kingsmead, Durban
1996/97
84 (94b, 5x4, 1x6); 1 Catch
3
New Zealand
Taupo
1998/99
123* (123b, 10x4, 1x6)
4
New Zealand
Eden Park, Auckland
1998/99
51 (71b, 5x4, 1x6)
5
West Indies
Toronto
1999
77 (87b, 6x4, 2x6); 4 Catches
6
Zimbabwe
Bulawayo
2001
72* (64b, 7x4, 1x6)
7
Sri Lanka
Edgbaston, Birmingham
2002
64 (95b, 5x4, 1x6); 1 Catch
8
UAE
Dambulla
2004
104 (93b, 8x4); 1 Catch, 1 Stumping
9
West Indies
Dambulla
2005
52* (65b, 7x4), 1 Catch
10
Sri Lanka
Vidharba CA Ground, Nagpur
2005/06
85 (63b, 8x4, 1x6); 1 Catch
11
South Africa
Mumbai
2005/06
78* (106b, 10x4)
12
Pakistan
Abu Dhabi
2005/06
92 (116b, 10x4); 1 Catch
13
West Indies
Sabina Park, Kingston
2006
105 (102b, 10x4, 2x6); 1 Catch
14
England
Edgbaston
2007
92* (63b, 7x4, 1x6)

 

Biographies

Rahul Dravid has 2 biographies written on his career:
  Rahul Dravid - A Biography written by Vedam Jaishankar (ISBN 817476481X). Publisher: UBSPD Publications. Date: January 2004.
  The Nice Guy Who Finished First written by Devendra Prabhudesai. Publisher: Rupa Publications. Date: November 2005.

Endorsments :
  Reebok: 1996 - present

 Pepsi: 1997 present

  Kissan: Unknown

  Castrol: 2001 - present

  Hutch: 2003
  Karnataka Tourism: 2004
  Max Life: 2005 - present

  Bank of Baroda: 2005 - present

  Citizen: 2006 - present

  Skyline Construction: 2006 - present

  Sansui: 2007 - present

  Gillette: 2007 - present

Social Commitments:

  Children's Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA)

  UNICEF Supporter and AIDS Awareness Campaign

NOTE :  This Article is Written By RAGHAV GAUTAM & Edited By SATHYA.

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