The real Mr Cricket :Dravid's 10,000 runs appreciation thread

[Cricketics]

Legend I Call Him.. The Master Of Test Cricket. BEST INDIAN TEST BATSMAN Well Done Sir..

[satishg]

well he is a legend..no doubt abt it..and 10000 was jus a matter of time..RD is still our premier test batsman..and v need him in gud form for the aussie series later this year..

[Ram]

Words cant describe the kind of impact Dravid made on Indian cricket and legacy he is going to leave behind. He is the definition of the word spelt as L-E-G-E-N-D

[Sourav Ganguly]

Brilliant Player, absolute legend.

[ludhianvi]

Congratz. Great player

[fineleg]

Legend I Call Him.. The Master Of Test Cricket. BEST INDIAN TEST BATSMAN Well Done Sir..

Words cant describe the kind of impact Dravid made on Indian cricket and legacy he is going to leave behind. He is the definition of the word spelt as L-E-G-E-N-D

@Dravid: Sincerity, Commitment, Hard work, persistent, focussed

[graphic23]

@Dravid: Sincerity, Commitment, Hard work, persistent, focussed

That is honestly the best and simplest way to describe the man. Congrats Wall.

[Zakhmi]

The real Mr Cricket When Rahul Dravid pushed a ball from South African fast bowler Mornie Morkel wide of mid-on and took off for a run, it wasn't just another single that he was completing. It was his 10,000th Test run, one that he celebrated with uncharacteristic glee, hands raised in celebration, even as he pointedly gestured to his personal support staff, seated at the Anna Pavilion, and said a silent 'thank you' to all those who have enabled him to pursue his single-minded goal, that of being recognised as one among the world's best batsmen. The journey to greatness has been a long one. The year 1990 seems so far away, but that's where Dravid's cricket story begins. It was the final year of college for some, but it was the first year among the big boys for Dravid. Then a slightly freckled, wiry lad, he is today only the sixth man to have scored over 10,000 Test runs. Then a shy introvert, today he is among the country's most articulate sportspersons. Then a murderer of spin bowling, today he wears down the best and fastest of fast bowlers. It has been some journey, but he now stands alongside batting legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Sunil Gavaskar, all of whom will no doubt fondly welcome the latest entrant to Club 10,000. From St Joseph's Boys School to St Joseph's Commerce College (SJCC) is a natural step for most Josephites in Bangalore, but for Dravid it was much more than that. Here was where he would get three degrees for the price of one. It was a great place to study; the college believed in creating well-rounded personalities rather than just bright students; and most importantly, SJCC had a fantastic cricket team, one of the hardest to break in to, even if, sadly enough, that is no longer the case. Many a talented cricketer had made his way into the college after being a star in school cricket, only to then warm the benches for a year or two before getting a look in. This was simply due to the strength of the team and not any senior versus junior issues, as is (or not) the case with Indian cricket these days. But Dravid at 17 had special ability and it was more than apparent when he was not put on the waiting list. In fact, when he was returning from injury once and straightaway included in the XI for a three-day final, his long innings prowess being apparent even then, the lad he replaced was so incensed that he left the college the following year. Single-mindedness has always been Dravid's big asset, and this was something that his friends were exposed to pretty early. It was a two-day fun-trip out of Bangalore, again in 1990, where even as most of the team drank the night away at a cool hill station, Dravid spent the night practicing. No, it wasn't cricket. He found out that the wicketkeeper was a great dancer and decided it was time for some lessons. What the dance teacher didn't realise was that this was no ordinary pupil, who would go away after a while; the lessons went on for the whole night. You can see that his feet movement is near perfect on the cricket field these days and has been so far more than a while. Apart from being consistent, as his Test average of over 55 shows, he's been known for his perseverance, focus and total commitment to his and the team's cause. In the second half of his career, he's added balance. Balance not just at the batting crease but life in general, with his young family now taking up a lot of his quality time. That, perhaps, was one of the reasons he gave up the captaincy, not knowing that he was giving up his place in the One-day team too with that one unexpected action. But he was not running away from responsibility, rather it was a new one, that of raising his little son, that had taken precedence. On Saturday, Dravid, the eternal team man, put all the recent bad blood behind him and turned the spotlight back on himself with an individual achievement that also gave him access to the even more exclusive 10,000-run Test and ODI club, where he joined Tendulkar and Lara as only the third batsman to achieve the grand double. Dravid can, for sure, rest content that he has done more than enough to be described as one of the greatest batsmen in the world. http://cricket.indiatimes.com/News/The_real_Mr_Cricket/articleshow/2910438.cms

[Sourav Ganguly]

Nice article, and he is truly the real Mr Cricket.

[fineleg]

Dravid can, for sure, rest content that he has done more than enough to be described as one of the greatest batsmen in the world. http://cricket.indiatimes.com/News/The_real_Mr_Cricket/articleshow/2910438.cms

:hatsoff:

[Dravid]

:two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up:

[Ram]

Rahul is one of the most self-less performers I have ever seen. His list of contributions to the Indian cricket team is too long to document, but one thing that stands out is his decision to keep wickets in ODIs for the sake of the team's balance. He was already the team's best batsman in tests then and a well established ODI batsman too. He could have easily refused to take up the additional responsibility citing too much load and no one would have complained. Yet, he chose to bear the additional burden. I have rarely seen such high levels of commitment from any player.

[Zakhmi]

Rahul is one of the most self-less performers I have ever seen. His list of contributions to the Indian cricket team is too long to document' date= but one thing that stands out is his decision to keep wickets in ODIs for the sake of the team's balance. He was already the team's best batsman in tests then and a well established ODI batsman too. He could have easily refused to take up the additional responsibility citing too much load and no one would have complained. Yet, he chose to bear the additional burden. I have rarely seen such high levels of commitment from any player.

wonderfully commented reply...I have highlighted some of its interesting parts.

[fineleg]

Rahul Dravid plays the sport in a manner that makes people stand up and salute.

[killerspud]

All hail the WALL - a great cricketer who exemplifies the best values of cricket!!! Well Done Rahul

[Parth]

:hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail::hail:

[talksport]

Dravid is a different guy from OVAL 2007