Form is temporary, but class is permanent.
There is nothing more befitting to a man of his stature. The Wall, is one of the many names that the man commands, probably the most popular. But what Timeless Steel has done is given him a name that is truer to him, even more than amrit. I use such praise only because, all said and done, Tendulkar still being my favorite player miles ahead of others, Dravid provided me and host of other people in my generation with something that is harder than steel. His Will. His Mettle. His Poise. His Grace. And that Don Bradman Oration.
He was probably the last cricketer of his generation, to have that, oh so wonderful, classical style of playing the game that is followed by so many, and fervently at that in the country of the crazy irrational billion. What makes his case even more strong is his graph, I bet he has more peaks and falls than even the great Himalayas, and that proves his ability to cultivate that leap time and again. Bring that quote of 99% hard work and 1 % genius by the great Albert Einstein, and mix it with Rahul Dravid, what you get is a picture perfect shot, one that should be hung across dressing rooms from Lords to Eden. Perhaps even at places that should inspire people, be it colleges, or streets.
Scratching the book only on surface, you would most definitely find parts that would get you on the verge of tears, tears that show respect and instill that gooey feeling, the one you get when you realize how much work the man has put in, how much he loves the game, and how much he has been trashed and ignored and under-appreciated in the shadow of others.
Most telling were two clear occasions/periods. Forget the innings that he crafted, and leave the cricket on back-burner for this. And dig deep into your memory for these two fine instances. The first, when he had the honour of delivering the Bradman Oration. First, by a non-Australian. Could they have chosen a better speaker. Could the speaker himself have chosen better words. And second, his retirement from international cricket. His brain probably has some fuzziness because of an alien encounter is what I put my finger on, such was his reasoning behind the timing of his retirement, especially owing to the fact that he was probably on the form of his life. But that is exactly the kind of man he is, preferring to stay behind when it comes to limelight, and always putting the team forward.
Talk about innings, 2001 Kolkata is etched in every cricket fan's brain. It was the most phoenix-type innings ever, if there exists such a thing. And I won't stretch this space much, trying to make you remember the frequency at which he delivered this very '2001' year after year for India. But this Timeless Steel does give a good refresher, with an account as good as being a ball by ball commentary, with insights that the common man is not aware of.
Still, the most atrocious innings that the real Man of Steel played was with his captaincy. It is a cake walk to criticize without getting your hands dirty, but what Sidharth Monga with his piece A fascinating captain and the job he fell out of love with does is brings you closer to the real Rahul Dravid and his passion for everything that is cricket *feels a lump in his throat just by writing this last para*
There is nothing more befitting to a man of his stature. The Wall, is one of the many names that the man commands, probably the most popular. But what Timeless Steel has done is given him a name that is truer to him, even more than amrit. I use such praise only because, all said and done, Tendulkar still being my favorite player miles ahead of others, Dravid provided me and host of other people in my generation with something that is harder than steel. His Will. His Mettle. His Poise. His Grace. And that Don Bradman Oration.
He was probably the last cricketer of his generation, to have that, oh so wonderful, classical style of playing the game that is followed by so many, and fervently at that in the country of the crazy irrational billion. What makes his case even more strong is his graph, I bet he has more peaks and falls than even the great Himalayas, and that proves his ability to cultivate that leap time and again. Bring that quote of 99% hard work and 1 % genius by the great Albert Einstein, and mix it with Rahul Dravid, what you get is a picture perfect shot, one that should be hung across dressing rooms from Lords to Eden. Perhaps even at places that should inspire people, be it colleges, or streets.
Scratching the book only on surface, you would most definitely find parts that would get you on the verge of tears, tears that show respect and instill that gooey feeling, the one you get when you realize how much work the man has put in, how much he loves the game, and how much he has been trashed and ignored and under-appreciated in the shadow of others.
Most telling were two clear occasions/periods. Forget the innings that he crafted, and leave the cricket on back-burner for this. And dig deep into your memory for these two fine instances. The first, when he had the honour of delivering the Bradman Oration. First, by a non-Australian. Could they have chosen a better speaker. Could the speaker himself have chosen better words. And second, his retirement from international cricket. His brain probably has some fuzziness because of an alien encounter is what I put my finger on, such was his reasoning behind the timing of his retirement, especially owing to the fact that he was probably on the form of his life. But that is exactly the kind of man he is, preferring to stay behind when it comes to limelight, and always putting the team forward.
Talk about innings, 2001 Kolkata is etched in every cricket fan's brain. It was the most phoenix-type innings ever, if there exists such a thing. And I won't stretch this space much, trying to make you remember the frequency at which he delivered this very '2001' year after year for India. But this Timeless Steel does give a good refresher, with an account as good as being a ball by ball commentary, with insights that the common man is not aware of.
Still, the most atrocious innings that the real Man of Steel played was with his captaincy. It is a cake walk to criticize without getting your hands dirty, but what Sidharth Monga with his piece A fascinating captain and the job he fell out of love with does is brings you closer to the real Rahul Dravid and his passion for everything that is cricket *feels a lump in his throat just by writing this last para*
Must must read !! For all cricket and Dravid fans !!
A Collection of writings on Indian Cricket's go-to Man !!
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