11/365 Dravid

Today is Rahul Dravid's birthday and it makes all sense to write about him today. If there is one person for whom I watched cricket, it is Rahul Dravid. I used to follow his scores even before he made an entry to Indian cricket team. The day he and Saurav made his debut is still afresh in my mind. I couldn't watch that match as it was telecasted on ESPN and we did not get that channel at our place. Many Indians stopped watching cricket after Sachin, but I stopped it after Rahul. 

He was a perfect craftsman and artist when he was in the middle. Someone who always let his bat speak. I am not sure if at all we will have someone like him to play proper text-book cricket. Many people still think that aggression is to just hit sixes and fours of the bowlers. According to me, real aggression is where you always allow your opponents to believe that they are gaining over you and hold your fort long, longer and longer till the opponents succumb and surrender. Dravid had it in him. He is a real aggressive batsman. He not only scored in flat Indian pitches but proved across the globe. Carried his bat in England and not just that, he came out to bat within a few minutes when asked for follow-on. 

The famous victory over Australia at Kolkata was not just because of Laxman, it was because of Dravid. He was the anchor who could hold the ship!!!...

I wish he had played test for a few more years!.

Happy Birthday, Dravid!.