Dravid - out of the shadows at last
Abhilash G Mudaliar - 25 October 2002

On a typically tepid Mumbai afternoon in mid-October, in the classical style that is his wont, Rahul Dravid flicked Mervyn Dillon through mid-wicket for two during the first Test in the current India-West Indies series. By doing so he went one better than the great Sir Donald Bradman in joining an elite of group of cricketers who have scored Test centuries in four consecutive innings. To those in the know this achievement would have come as little surprise, and if anything it has only been a matter of time.

India's quintessential man for a crisis, the ultimate team player, Bangalore's most eligible bachelor, Mr. Dependable, copybook perfect, the 'Rock' - Dravid is undoubtedly all of them and more.

Still he has never quite been able to achieve the status of superstar that many of his teammates - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman - have at some point in their careers. Perhaps it's his quite, unassuming nature, perhaps his preference for stoic resistance, correct and proper cricket over aggressive and risky stroke-play that has kept Dravid away from the limelight.

Finally, however - and not a moment too late many would argue - Dravid is getting the recognition and the accolades he has long deserved. Even the average Indian cricket fan - always crazy about sensational, runaway hares - is learning to appreciate and respect the effective ways of the dependable tortoise.

The quest for perfection

That he is a copybook batsman and a traditionalist's delight is without doubt. Cricket's version of an actuary, he prefers to derive the nuances of his art from first principles, scorning the use of short-cuts. Yet it was this very quest for technical perfection that threatened to cut a career short and prevent Dravid from establishing himself as one of the truly great batsmen of the modern era. His obsessive pursuit for flawlessness in batting often saw Dravid lose his wicket when perhaps instinct would have been the order of the day.

Never was there a clearer example of this added and unnecessary self- inflicted pressure weighing him down than during Indian's tour Down Under in 1999/00. Dravid would bat painstakingly for over two hours, his sole objective to tire and wear out the bowlers. Even the worst deliveries went unpunished. Eventually, he would be dismissed with no more than 20 or 30 to his name.

Watching him in the nets on the same tour one could scarcely believe that one was watching the same batsman. Long after his teammates were back in their hotel rooms, Dravid would continue plunder local bowlers. At dinner with his teammates at Pizza Hut, he would seek advice on how best to combat Shane Warne. His drive for perfection could never be doubted. Once out in the middle, however, the mental block would take over. Murmurs of an axing grew louder.

For his part, Dravid has never felt himself to be over-analytical. As he told Rohit Brijnath (The Age, October 12, 2002) for him mastery of the mechanics of batsmanship is "important to do justice to [his] talent, to give [himself] a chance to be the best". Every top batsman goes through a rough trot. To his credit Dravid overcame his and much to the joy of Indian supporters and cricket-lovers in general, he is today one of the world's elite batsmen.

A career in the shadows

When he began his career with a superbly crafted 95 at Lord's, Rahul Dravid was overshadowed by a century on debut by Sourav Ganguly. This was to be the start of a running theme that has marked Dravid's career ever since.

Against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the '99 World Cup, the flamboyance of Ganguly once again hogged the headlines as he and Dravid shared in a world record 318 for the second wicket. If not Ganguly then it was an imperial Sachin Tendulkar in full flow against New Zealand in Hyderabad later that same year who stole the limelight after he and Dravid broke the above-mentioned record as they shared 331 for the second wicket.

Elsewhere, a Very Very Special 281 from Laxman "single-handedly" turned the series against Australia in 2001 - Dravid's magnificent 180 all but forgotten, as the two rendered Australia's vaunted attack impotent through an entire day's Test cricket. Even in the very Test that Dravid achieved the milestone of four consecutive Test centuries, the raw spectator appeal of 147 from the new-kid-on-the-block Virender Sehwag won the headlines (and the Man-of-the-Match award).

Admittedly, in each of these instances Dravid did play 'second-fiddle' in terms of runs. But how does one quantify the calming value of having a Rahul Dravid at the other end, shouldering the responsibility of staying at the wicket and leaving you with the freedom to attack the bowling without inhibition? The answer is that one cannot: having Dravid at the other end has been invaluable to the many successes of India's other batsmen.

India finished joint winners of the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy. I wonder how many people realise that India would not have gotten past the first round were it not for Dravid's rescue act. At 5/87 and with only Mohammed Kaif left as a recognised batsman, Dravid set about resurrecting India's innings, guiding Kaif all the way to his century. Eventually, India scraped home by about a dozen runs. Kaif became a hero, while Dravid's flaws as a 'keeper came under scrutiny.

The numbers speak for themselves

Class, of course, is difficult to quantify. Maybe the doubters need something more concrete. How does the following sound? Dravid's average of 55.45 stands third highest in the list of current Test batsmen. Moreover, with an average at home of 48.91 and 59.13 away he is something of a rarity in the annals of Indian cricket. Put simply, Dravid excels even when the 'best' Indian cricketers have struggle.

These numbers would be even better if not for the sacrifices Indian cricket has asked of him. Dravid has batted everywhere from No. 1 to 7 in Test cricket, filling in slots in the batting order not wanted by other, 'more important' batsmen. Without complaint he would try to adapt, even when clearly uncomfortable in the role. Thankfully, the Indian think-tank realised soon enough that by sacrificing Dravid they were only sacrificing the chances of their own team.

Now they have presented Dravid with his next challenge. He is to master the art of wicket-keeping within six months as India search for the right balance to win the World Cup. Already he has blundered and been criticised, and yet quietly he's chugged along. It's this whatever's in the best interests of the team attitude that makes one wish Dravid every success in this, his latest venture.

Commendably, despite the extra focus on wicket-keeping, Dravid's batting has actually improved. During the recently concluded series against England, our Man of the Series could not stop piling on the runs and sharing in record partnerships across the top- and middle- order. In all, he starred in seven century partnerships and averaged 100.33 for the four-match series, scoring over 600 runs.

In batting, one is often torn between the pragmatism of the mind and the impulse of the heart. The ultimate goal of each batsman is to find the ideal balance between the two - only a special few are ever able to even approximate this ideal. For Rahul Dravid, it seems, where the mind always overpowered the heart, this elusive balance is gradually being found.

And gradual is the way it has always been. Dravid has never been one for bursting onto the centrestage. Steady as she goes, he has accumulated the runs and with it the respect of peers and opponents, all with the bare minimum of fanfare and celebration. Can you really imagine a similar lack of euphoria had Sachin Tendulkar achieved the feat of four consecutive Test centuries? It's almost as if Rahul Dravid is taken for granted. Perhaps it's time we toasted him too.

The views expressed above are solely those of the guest contributor and are carried as written, with only minor editing for grammar, to preserve the original voice. These contributed columns are solely personal opinion pieces and reflect only the feelings of the guest contributor. Their being published on CricInfo.com does not amount to an endorsement by CricInfo's editorial staff of the opinions expressed.
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