JOIN USCrisis man prepares for ODI swansong
For someone who has scored over 10,000 runs in one-day internationals (10,820 in 343 ties at an average of just under 40) to go with over 12,000 in Test cricket, it will be a low-profile exit. But then knowing Rahul Dravid, this is how he would have liked it.
Recalled for the second time in two years for the shorter version, Dravid will walk out in coloured India clothing one last time, having announced his retirement from the limited-overs game after the final one-dayer against England. Undoubtedly, that decision was prompted by the selectors’ astonishing move to call the 38-year-old back from limited-overs wilderness.
Given the precedent -- Dravid was summoned in late 2009 for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and the Champions’ Trophy in South Africa after the youngsters’ chinks against the short-pitched stuff were exposed -- his inclusion this time wasn’t out-of-the-box thinking, what with the Indian batsmen looking clueless against the English attack in the Tests.
Whether it was seam, swing or spin, Dravid passed the test with distinction even as his colleagues struggled to compile decent innings on a consistent basis.
While lesser but flashier mortals have attracted more plaudits, Dravid’s less flamboyant style hasn’t endeared him to people fed on a steady diet of instant gratification. “Rahul Dravid has been superb not just against spin, but against all our bowlers this summer. Personally, for me, he’s been a joy to watch,” remarked England off-spinner Graeme Swann in a glowing tribute to the Bangalorean. “He was always the one guy I enjoyed watching bat. If someone had to score runs against us, I quite like it being him.”
Despite having spent most of his career under the giant shadow of Sachin Tendulkar, the Bangalorean has carried on uncomplainingly, no matter how he was treated by those who mattered. It’s his single-minded attitude to the team’s cause that sets him apart.
Termed a liability in one-dayers, the right-hander was forced to wear the big gloves to keep his place in the side. Instead of frowning or sulking, however, Dravid re-jigged his game to become one of the best finishers in the middle-order. By the time he was dropped from the ODI squad following the home series against Australia in 2007, he had 10,000 runs to his credit. Not bad for someone who was thought to be unsuited for the format!
“He is going to play his last game?” asked Swann in mock surprise when told about Dravid’s retirement. “That’s very good news for us. We don’t have to bowl to him when we tour India. He has played exceptionally well this summer. Right from the first ball he faced at Lord’s, he looked like the in-form player. He is a lovely timer of the ball and it will be a big loss for India when he stops playing but bowlers around the world will be happy that he won’t be playing anymore.”
Belting the cover off the leather didn’t come naturally to Dravid, but there have been a few instances when he has surprised himself by smashing the ball all around the park. Him taking on a fire-spitting Allan Donald on his first tour to South Africa in 1996, and hitting the fast bowler over his head for six, is perhaps the best example of his ability to switch gears. As recently as in the T20 international against England in Manchester, the veteran slammed Samit Patel for three consecutive sixes to exhibit his power hitting.
But it isn’t in Dravid to whack the ball out of sight just for the sake of it. If the job can be done without taking too many risks, then he is more than happy to do so. Completing the task at hand is more important to him than playing to the gallery.