I will always love him and miss him

As soon as I read the news about Rahul Dravid’s retirement, I suddenly felt emptiness in the world of cricket where classic artists are getting scanty in course of time. I turned my head to the right and saw batsmen are getting out after a quick burst in a Test match. I turned my head to the left and saw batsmen are getting out with an ugly shot selection. In both case none of them went for occupation at the crease.

Yes, occupation at the crease is the factor that made Dravid the most clinical in essaying one of the most successful decades in Indian cricket’s Test history. If we have a look at history of India’s Test cricket we come to know that in most of the times they have been a weaker side. Especially at abroad they were meek surrenders.

The reasons for this were, firstly, their bowlers were weak to take 20 wickets in a Test match and secondly, their batsmen used to get out too quickly after a promising start. In other word, they were too reluctant to occupy the crease.

 In this context, Rahul Dravid, and, in earlier generation, Sunil Gavaskar became so important for team India. They injected stability in the batting order which their team lacked badly. Their cricket revolved around this occupation at the crease and their stroke making flourished the more they spent time at the crease.

No doubt Tendulkar is the superstar of India but in the 90’s Tendulkar wasn’t able to essay the kind of success which was needed to script a golden era like the last decade. Tendulkar’s essence is his free flowing devastating stroke play which has always been attractive to look, but the Indian team needed someone to occupy the crease more rather than dominate the attack and when Dravid emerged the golden era of Indian cricket started its journey. Even the great Tendulkar’s dominating prowess too revolved around the solid and assured batting of Dravid.

Dravid continued to step up to face those tough situations when no hopes were left. He faced challenges after challenges and kept the Indian batting breathing when circumstances were the toughest. Dravid’s bold approach and stubborn resistance has been critical behind India’s transformation from poor travelers to strong contenders in abroad during the last decade.

But sadly that golden era seems to be evaporating at present as there is hardly any batsmen seen who are interested in occupying the crease. There are players to play adventurous strokes but they aren’t enough to provide the cushion against the fury of the opposition’s bowlers in an away series.

The retirement of Rahul Dravid ends an era, the era of warrior batsmanship, the era of classical batting and the era of defensive batting display which Dravid had revolutionized after Gavaskar. To many Rahul Dravid had been boring as he lacked the charisma of Tendulkar, the ‘Bhangra’ of Sehwag or the aggression of Ganguly but for the true cricket followers Dravid will always remain as that artist who always charmed the purists with his technical solidity as even his forward or backward defenses were also a treat to watch.

To me Dravid simply is amongst the best in terms of winning matches. I rate a batsman by his abilities to win matches on trying conditions rather than focusing more on personal landmarks and for the last 16 years I hardly noticed Dravid focusing on making statistical kingdoms but in turn focused more on ‘Bat as long as I can for India.’

Yes Dravid has batted a long innings, he has gifted India those moments which the expected one’s couldn’t gift India, he has delivered India when the expected one’s failed to live up to the expectations.

Everything has to end and every great careers need to halt their glorious journey and the journey of Dravid’s glorious career too has ended today. But sadly, he couldn’t leave the legacy of his batting in the Indian team who are terribly short-lived at the crease in Test cricket.

Rahul Dravid had been the ‘The Wall of India.’ Rahul Dravid had been a genuine match-winner for India, a selfless team man who always was ready to sacrifice himself for the team, the work-ant beyond comparison.

Cricket will always love you and miss you.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar