we become what we give ourselves the power to be
You talk of classes and masses in cricket and few names straightaway come to mind are SACHIN,LARA,WARNE,McGRATH..We wait for every catfight between SACHIN-SHOAIB and LARA-WARNE...
Its out and out thing that batsmen are crowd pullers in cricket so we love SEHWAG STYLE STROKEPLAY.
But In between, there is class which exists exclusively for someone...STYLISH, SURE-FOOTED In cricket language,''STRAGHTBAT STROKEPLAY. ''
Its just too many times that his resilient acts brought INDIA Glorious times to celebrate.
And then its no surprise that he has been unanimously given tag THE WALL.The best defence in contemporary cricket.
He is RAHUL DRAVID.
Patience,persistence and practice ....PERFECTION..
Biography: BRINGING BACK Journey of Bringing up to bringing off
There is no any hidden truth. You are what you think. And In childhood, you are what you made to think.
Rahul is proud son of SHARAD-PUSHPA DRAVID.They too are firm believer that he is first intelligent person and then cricketer.
Education has been legacy and rich tradition for RAHUL.Parents are POST GRADUATE degree holders so no wonder that their all 3 kids were good students of education. They are basically from INDORE (M.P), but because of job, they had to shift to Bangalore.
In early days, he used to play HOCKY but it was school coach's advice that made that important shifting in thinking, rest is history.
SETTING FOOT ON:
He made RANJI debut at 18, scoring some 80+ run and showing signs of going places in first go itself. And then consistency personified and paid off, and from making one stride after another through RANJI, DULEEP, and A TOURS. Finally LORDS (DREAM) DEBUT.
His batting technique is THE BEST in business to say the least. Straight from coaching-manual. àla SUNIL GAVASKAR.
Whether its FAST/SPIN bowling or whether he plays in NEW ZEALAND or NAGPUR, He has all ability to score same size of score.He has scored runs everywhere,against everybody for last decade.
And to go with technique, he has temperament with which he has reached soaring heights.
Destiny and denials :
In 96,It was debut for twosome, both played equally well though one (SAURAV GANGULY) stole show because for magic 3 figures where RAHUL was denied for the same, falling mere 5 runs short.
Though this game of destiny of denying deserving credit has been there till today...Whether it was debut or whether it was 180 at Eden gardens where LAXMAN stole the show, or 145 at Bristol in WC'99.(GANGULY scored 183)
TEST(IFIED) TETIMONIALS :
Do you need any more proof than that he hasn't missed a single test match since debut in 1996? It speaks for performance, consistency and fitness dedication.
He has highest 5 double hundreds amongst Indians.Twice he has scored hundred in each innings of one test match.
His average is all time picking up toward 60. He has been considered as one of all time greats who have batted one down in test matches
Few of his unforgettable''s are KOLKATA '01, LEEDS '02, ADELAIDE '03 and RAWALPINDI '04.
One day: blunder to wonder
In one day, for first few years he had constant struggle and finally was dropped. But talk of dravid and talk of dedication,discipline and determination.
Being SCHOLAR student of the game, he made constant improvements and then he chose best possible stage to perform.
In WC'99, he did accumulate highest no of runs in tournament amongst all and even in WC'03 he was important part of INDIAN DREAM RUN with role of WK-BATSMAN that contributed so much to cause.
Few of his ODI unforgettable includes WC'99, WC'03 AGAINST PAKISTAN, ENGLAND, NATWEST '02, AUSTRALIA '03-04 and PAKISTAN '04.
REACHING RICH HEIGHTS :
So achieving so much meant he was amongst best in the business for last few seasons. He would walk in any dream test match team of last few decades.
He was crowned ICC PLAYER OF THE YEAR in 2004.His Test match average is second to divine BRADMAN.(Playing 50+ matches).
Today he is the leader of Indian team and differs in psyche.
He is not an eye for an eye Like SAURAV on field or off-field but follows his own set of rules. No wonder even with only regarding behavior, he has gained tremendous respect for himself and INDIA.
BEYOND BATSMANSHIP:
Being studious, he still has love for things beyond cricket. Whether its books, history or culture of countries his visits.
So no wonder that when he visits SOUTH AFRICA, he wants to know about GANDHI MOMENT, in Pakistan he was keen to know about Heritage and culture of INDIA UNDIVIDED.
And no wonder, with his all round knowledgeable personality, he is being invited to give speech on management at various places across the globe.
Lead-in to LEADING :
It was never in doubt that this man had it in him. And whenever he got occasional chances to lead team, he showed flash of brilliance time and again.
One such example is favoring KARTHIK over KUMBLE for bowling in MUMBAI'04 against AUSTRALIA while defending 107.
And now since he got assured leadership responsibility, along with CHAPELL, they brought some fine performances with fresh attitude and with lot of flexibility in every aspect.
FINAL WORDS:
Rahul Dravid is great example of Descipline, dedication and detemination.His cricketing feats are great proof of that. He is not most gifted cricketer that's why he puts forward great example for us to learn.
He shows us how to maximize your potential, because nothing good comes easy in life. Neither had it come for him. It's not for us either.
And he graph teaches us that success is one thing and retaining it is other.
And with his well cultured admirable behaviour, far from on/off the fiend controversy, he is IDOL for any wannabe, for that matter in any field of career.
Last word
you must know what you are doing. Believe in what you are doing. You are successful.
