Feed Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 More... Rahul Dravid unplugged: 'I'm enjoying Test cricket a lot' August 24, 2011 In the debris of India's 0-4 debacle against England in the recently-concluded Test series, Rahul Dravid was like gold dust. Where every other Indian batsman struggled to cope with swing, seam and pressure, the maestro from Bangalore showed superb technique and a core of steel. His 461 runs in the series was fewer than what he scored in England in 2002, but this was a far greater performance for the difficult circumstances in which they were made. Of his three centuries, two came as stand-in opener. In the final Test at the Oval, he carried his bat through the first innings and was back on the field in 10 minutes to open again. In this freewheeling two-part interview with AYAZ MEMON, taken in England, Dravid opens up about his cricket and his life: how he prepared for the tour, what Indian cricket needs to do to improve its stature, whether easy money is to the detriment of young cricketers, his other interests, and his future. Lack of preparation of the Indian team has been touted as the biggest issue for India's debacle on this tour. You are the exception in this, having enjoyed a hugely successful series with three centuries. People want to know how you prepare for such big tours? Especially, since you are in and out of the side, like not playing the World Cup for instance... That's been a bit of a challenge for me, to be honest, in terms of the long gaps that I've had between matches. But I've learnt to manage that better. Initially, when I was not playing one-day cricket and I had these gaps, maybe, I didn't manage it as well as I could have. If it's a long gap you wonder whether you should keep up batting practice or go for more fitness training. It does help if you have some first class games and a few games to get ready and prepared. This time, leading into the tour of the West Indies, I saw this as a twin-series tour -- we'd had the IPL, so I played the IPL where I hit a lot of balls. After the IPL, it was a question of keeping myself physically fit, so I spent a bit of time at the NCA. More than that, it was important to be refreshed in the mind, go to the West Indies and England, both physically and mentally fresh. I had to hit enough balls. I hit a lot of balls in the IPL, I practised a lot in the IPL even though it's a different format of the game. Still hitting balls, you know, I had that rhythm. The tour of the West Indies definitely helped. I played well there and came to England with a lot of confidence. England's been a happy hunting ground for you right from 1996, your debut. Everyone talks of how you have adjusted to the conditions so well here while others have struggled. Did you do a lot of visualisation or some special mental technique? I have a lot of pleasant memories of touring England. I made my debut here, had a good series then and had a very good 1999 World Cup; so my early memories of touring and playing here have been good ones. And that definitely does help; it gives you that confidence that you have played well on those wickets, in those conditions you have scored runs. I don't think I made a special effort. But I enjoy coming here. I enjoy the country as well, I love London the city, I love walking around. I just love the fact that Test cricket especially is so well-supported here. I enjoy playing Test cricket here because I know you're always going to be playing in front of an appreciative crowd houses which in itself is a fantastic thing for a performer. Touch wood, all my tours here have been good for me. Did you set yourself any targets for this tour? You are on the wrong side of 30, and while sports medicine has improved fitness standards, you would have to say that the best part of your career is behind you... Definitely. No doubt I know I'm closer to the end than to the beginning. I understand it fully. I didn't set targets in terms of the runs that I want to score, but, obviously, I wanted to have a good tour. But you can say that about every tour, every tour you want to have a good one. I've always enjoyed touring the West Indies, I've enjoyed coming here and I wanted to enjoy the whole experience again. And whether I scored runs or not, try and do the things even off the field that over the years I've enjoyed doing in these countries. That doesn't mean runs are guaranteed. I did the same things in 2007 and didn't have such a great tour as a batsman. I've probably come in here with a bit of confidence after the West Indies and, maybe, I've taken that forward into this series. This tour has ratified once again that whenever the going gets tough Rahul Dravid seems to get going better than anybody else. What do you think is your strongest attribute? Patience, concentration, application, obviously technique.... Hard for me to say what my strengths are there are the obvious ones I think I've had a good temperament right from when I was young. I've always had a desire to learn and get better I tend to keep pushing myself and I can sometimes be quite hard on myself. Sometimes I need to watch myself on that. But, in some ways, it's helped, because I've kept pushing, looking to get better, and kept improving. I think that's really important in international cricket. If you want to keep doing well over long periods of time you've got to keep improving because you play amongst guys who are improving all the time, who are getting better all the time. I've enjoyed the process of trying to get better all the time. But, in specific terms, I really don't know. People talk about my concentration, ability to bat for long periods of time. Maybe that helps. But, fact is, I enjoy batting, I enjoy my time at the crease, try and focus on each ball at a time, enjoy that whole experience and the process and then refocus. . . I don't know whether that's a strength or not, but it's something that I've always done. In golf there's something called the `inner game', because you are alone when playing the sport, in the sense there is no rival in front of you, and you are essentially competing against yourself. Is your process internalised, or do you rely on something like simple video analysis, say getting video footage of fast bowlers etc in preparing for an innings or tour? I don't think that video analysis helps too much. At the end of the day, like you said, it's really internal. When I have done well I've found that I've mentally really relaxed, in a good space. These are important things that I need to get in, what you've called the inner game. Getting the inner side of yourself right, not being too nervous, relaxed at the crease, learning how to deal with failure, learning how to bounce back, learning how to be emotionally ready for each and every day of Test cricket. There are lot of ups and downs in Test cricket and you need to be able to keep picking yourself up. It can get hard and when I have good tours I'm generally able to do that quite well. It doesn't always work and there's no process or formula to it. People ask why you aren't like that all the time and sometimes you're just not! It's a confidence thing. Sometimes it doesn't click. You try and do the same routines that in the past have got you that success or that state of mind and it doesn't seem to work sometimes. It is a tough game sometimes. The important thing is when you're doing well, and when you're scoring runs, you've got to make it count. I think that's really important. You've got to realise that you're going to hit some rough periods in your career; so, when things work for you, you've got to make it last as long as you can. Do you sometimes feel that you have not got enough accolades? Does that drive you to do better? I've never really worried about that. People keep telling me that, maybe, you don't get the recognition you deserve; but, I think, I've got enough. In my own mind, I'm very comfortable. I think I've got a hell of a lot of recognition. When I look around me and I look at the other cricketers of India who've also done well, the number of guys who play first class cricket for years, there can be no complaint. Outside of cricket, you look around and see so many guys who struggle day and day out and get nowhere near the reward for the effort they put in. Living in India you just see it every day; it's in your face. There a lot more disadvantaged people than you and you can't really be complaining about small things. I'm very comfortable and happy with what I've got. I think I'm recognised and rated for my work by colleagues and peers. A lot of nice things have been written about me in these 15 years and I'm very comfortable. You've got the record to justify more... The record's nice. But I've played a long time as well and you know if you play so many years you're going to put up numbers. The important thing for me is that I've been able to survive so long in Indian cricket. I've faced the challenges, I've faced the questions that have been asked of me, I've faced the hardships. I've gone through some tough times in my career. I've gone through some ups and downs, some really difficult periods as you know. But I've got through that, I've fought my way through. That's what I've really enjoyed. Did it upset you that you were a key member of the one-day team too and suddenly one day you're out, missing even the World Cup in 2011? It's hard to put a finger on this. I had a very tough year in 2008. I gave up the captaincy in 2007 thinking that I would get better in my cricket, my own performance would improve. But it didn't seem to pan out well for me. It was hard especially after going through such a phase from 2000-2006 when I was scoring runs all the time. It was a tough period for me, I began to really doubt myself. And I couldn't put a finger on what was going wrong. I kept trying different things. I tried to do the things, which had brought me success in those early years. But it didn't seem to work. Now, when I look back, sometimes you just have to accept these things. Cricket teaches you that you cannot always be on top. There are going to be times when you have to learn how to face the difficulties. Overall, I think that the difficult period made me a better person. I learnt that it's all right to fail, it's not the be all and end all of life. Sometimes things don't go your way and you don't have to always do really well. I learnt that life does move on and it has not come to an end if I didn't score a 100 or got dropped from the Indian team. Now that you've been recalled to the one-day side, you've announced your retirement! You do want to play one-day cricket, or is this forced on you? I wasn't picked for one-day cricket for about 24 months, so I obviously never expected to be picked again. If I had announced my retirement when I wasn't being picked people might have turned around and asked, 'Well, you're announcing your retirement from what?'' If you are not going to be picked in any case, what's the point of retiring? I am appreciative of the confidence, which the selectors have reposed in me, but I also know that at this stage in my career -- and knowing my body -- I would rather do what I enjoy most. And I'm enjoying Test cricket a lot. This also gives me some time off to spend with my young family. I'm really enjoying that side of life. I know in the last year-and-a-half I've enjoyed the time away from the game. I know it's also good for my body at this stage. I'm not a spring chicken any more. I know if I keep playing constantly I am going to struggle with injuries. I'd rather play a little bit of cricket, but play it well. In the short term I think this is great. It's a vote of confidence and I hope to play well in the ODI series. But, realistically speaking, Test cricket's what I should be preparing for and keep my body and mind ready for.
Rahul Dravid Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 this is good news for the odi series... rahul is going to bat without much on his shoulder... hopefully with a smile on his face.. and i really hope for a ton or 2 from the great man b4 his retirement......
Feed Posted August 29, 2011 Author Posted August 29, 2011 Rahul Dravid interview Part II : 'India must prioritise Tests' More... Rahul Dravid unplugged: 'India must prioritise Tests' 'I've realised that opening's not for me' August 25, 2011 In this second part of the interview with AYAZ MEMON, taken in England, Rahul Dravid talks about captaincy and what makes him the person he is. You've been at times wicketkeeper, sometimes asked to open, in and out of the one-day team... Have you ever felt cheesed off at being used like this simply because nobody else is willing to put his hand up? No I'm not. Sometimes people think I am being diplomatic when I say this, but, honestly, I have always loved being part of teams and doing everything. I've always loved team sports from the time I was a kid. I also played hockey in school. I did try some individual sports when I was a youngster, but I always kept getting drawn back to team sports. When I kept in one-day cricket, at that time, we didn't have [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni, a batsman-wicketkeeper at that stage, and by my keeping we could play that extra bowler or batsman as the situation required. Obviously, after the 2003 World Cup I struggled with the keeping. I genuinely felt at that stage that we needed to invest in a batsman-wicketkeeper and Dhoni came a year later. I knew no one's ever going to ask me to keep again when Dhoni's around [laughs]! Opening is something I've tried to do but I've realised that opening's not for me. I haven't had enough success with it. I know I've scored the odd hundred here and there. But, as someone who prides himself on contributing to the team, I feel, in the long term, I've not made enough of a contribution to justify my actually being in that position. In the short term, if someone gets injured, obviously you need to bail the team out... 'Captaincy was a draining period' You chose to open when you were captain... I tried, but it didn't seem to work out. My performances as an opener were never good enough for me to, and, obviously, once Veeru [Virender Sehwag] and Gauti [Gautam Gambhir] have come in, that debate has been settled. It's not that I'm against opening. It's just that I didn't perform well enough as an opener to justify my being there. To take you back to 2007, a very eventful year in your life and in Indian cricket. You had a disastrous World Cup as captain, but you won in England after 21 years and yet gave up the captaincy.... I had captained for about two-and-a-half years. It was a draining period and I reached a point where I wasn't enjoying the job. Most players would give up an arm and a leg to become captain... Yeah, but I felt if I'm not enjoying it, and won't be able to do a good job, there's no point doing something just for the sake of it. Captaincy was something I loved and I treasured. But I wanted to do it for the right reasons and knowing that I'm fully committed and enjoying that job. I don't know, maybe it was our early knock-out in the World Cup... I thought it was the best time at that time to walk away and try and do what I enjoy, which was batting. 'Hundred against England in Mohali saved my career' You've had this great surge of runs in the last year or so. Is this a second wind or has something changed? I went through a difficult 2007-2008. If you compare these years to my heydays -- 2002-2006 -- my performances hadn't measured up. In the last couple of years, though, I've had some good series. But you're probably right. I set a benchmark for myself that was really high and people expect that every time. Fair enough. I've set those standards and I've got to live up to them. But it wasn't that bad when I was not scoring heavily. I did score the odd century even at my worst phase. In my last 25 Tests I've got a lot of runs. When I got the century at Mohali against England in 2008, I was really going through a slump. That knock probably saved my career. After that I don't know the exact number, but I think I got six or seven 100s, which is not bad in 25 Tests (10 in his last 28) But, obviously, in between I've had some tough periods, some low periods. And then at this age and this stage expectations are high because of the standards that I've set. Moreover, people don't look at a bad series as just loss of form, they look at it as 'the end'. And it's natural, that's life, that's sport and we deal with it all the time. Whenever I padded up for this series, I knew that if I had a tough one people are going to raise the question of age and energy and so on. But that's what you have to deal with in sport, that's part of the journey, part of life. I have no qualms about that. I just get on with what I have to do, I still enjoy it. 'We have got to give the youngsters experience' There's a whole horde of youngsters coming along in Indian cricket, and, at least playing within the country, seem to be doing very well. Do you see this as a challenge or a threat? Actually I'm excited. I really think there's a good group of youngsters coming through in the batting though the results of this series might speak otherwise. History will tell you that Indian cricket has produced good batsmen regularly that fears of what happens when Sachin [Tendulkar], [VVS] Laxman and myself leave are unfounded. There might be a period of time where we may struggle... You've pre-empted my next question... [Laughs]... but players like Tendulkar, Laxman, Sehwag, [sourav] Ganguly or myself weren't made in a day. It takes time. You've got to give these guys experience. And probably to gain that experience, they're going to take a bit of time. But, I think, in terms of talent and ball-striking ability, we've got it all. There're some great groups of young kids. I'm excited about those guys coming through. I don't see them as threats as such. I believe that if I do what I need to do, score runs and enjoy my game and keep my numbers on the board, I should be fine. I don't really look down to see who's coming behind me, to be honest. I'd rather look ahead than look behind and see what's happening. One important thing surrendered in this series is India's number one Test status. I'm sure like most players you covet Test cricket over all others. So how significant was this ranking in your scheme of things? Did it hurt losing it? I'm not a big rankings-rankings person. But I think being number one was a reflection of two or three years of very good, some fantastic cricket that we played. For me, winning a series is the really important thing. Winning away from home, winning in England, Australia, in South Africa, winning anywhere is as special as being number one. Winning a tough series even more so, and, obviously, if you do well, rankings sort of look after themselves. Everyone will agree that at this point in time there are three or four teams which are bunched together there's no clear number one like the West Indies in the 1980s or Australia of the late 1990s and early 2000s. I think it was great that we held our ranking for as long as we did. Because we played well for two or three years we deserved to be there. Were we far ahead of the pack? Obviously, not. But no other side is. It's all bunched up and each series among the top teams is going to be hotly contested. 'What we need to do is manage our schedules' Yet, there is widespread concern that the Indian cricket administration and players are confused between various formats and therefore not focused enough on Test cricket... It's important that in the long run India realises that there are certain unique demands on the Indian team simply because we're the most sought-after to tour every part of the world. We have the IPL which is there for six weeks.... A contentious subject currently... Well, it's there. What we need to do is manage our schedules. All competitions are good, but we need to manage how we're going to get the best people playing for India and for Test cricket. It's a lot of cricket. I think the advantage which England and Australia have in terms of managing their schedule is a set season. England never tours during their domestic season. Nor does Australia, or very rarely. We in India don't have that. That's something we need to start pushing, we need to put aside some months in the year when we are not going to tour. If people want to come and play, they need to come and play on our terms. When I look at the way England and Australia manage their schedules, the fact that they have that home season makes it a lot easier for them. Since we don't have that, we have to keep playing. Like nomads... That makes it difficult for our administrators to manage the season for us. With the amount of cricket people expect us to play, it's not easy to be consistent. We have to slowly start demanding and expecting our own domestic season. I think that's the way forward to ensure that we're competitive in all forms of the game. I would love Indian cricket to prioritise Test cricket because I think that is the ultimate form of the game. Players still love playing it, there's no doubt about it. If we can maintain the high standard of performance we've had over the last few years I think our respect across the world will be great. Because people will recognise that we have the opportunities to focus on one-day and 20-20 cricket, but we are also ensuring that we don't neglect Test cricket. 'I'm introverted but quite a positive person' Let's move on to some personals facets. Do you brood a lot? Perception is that Rahul Dravid is a very, very serious bloke... I'm an introverted bloke, no doubt about it. I'm definitely not a brooder. I look at the positive side of things a lot. You can't survive 20 years of cricket and 15 years of international first class cricket without being positive about your game, being a positive person. I may not show that by jumping up and down and by laughing all the time. But I'm actually quite a positive person. I think I deal quite well with failure and I tend to look ahead. But you won't enter a dance show on television? [Laughs] I won't do something like that and I admire the people who do. I think these guys must have great courage to do that. But I have a life outside cricket. I have other interests. So what interests you? I like reading. I like meeting people. I like going out, exploring different cultures and countries. I like good conversation. I've always been like this. Are you interested in the history of the game? I've read a fair bit of the history of the game. I enjoy history generally too. I wouldn't say I'm an expert, I wouldn't win a quiz, but I know my sport and other subjects. I enjoy knowledge and picking up things whether in cricket or some other sport. I find that relaxing. People ask me why I like to read and I say cricket is quite a stressful occupation and you need something to take your mind away from it. Some people watch movies or TV, for me it is reading. I don't read to suddenly become more intelligent! I read I enjoy it, that's all. 'Playing professional sport I'm opening myself to criticism' How much does money or material well-being mean to you? That's a deep question [laughs]. Obviously, money's given me a lot of comforts and is important in a way, but I know it's not the be all and end all of life. There's only so much money you can have. My achievements for the Indian team, my experiences, the job satisfaction I've got playing cricket means more to me than money could ever do. But I do recognise that money is important for you and your family to have a certain quality of life. There is a criticism that there's so much money in Indian cricket that a lot of players are become soft and not achieving or actualising their potential. Do you think that's a threat? I think people have to learn to cope with it. Fact is, this is a new development. It took me 10 years of playing international cricket to think that I would be comfortable in life. The earlier generation took maybe 20 years. Luckily for us, cricket is sport where there's more money coming in, so it's become easier for the next generation which follows us to get the kind of money which will make them feel comfortable at a younger age. It is a new phenomenon because of the IPL and people have to learn to cope. To attribute failure (or success) to just money is to be simplistic. In every generation there are those who achieve their potential and those who fail, whether there was money or not. That's sport and that's life. But I agree this is something youngsters need to be aware of. I think it's a good thing that people are making the kind of money they are today; it's great for them and their families. But there are challenges that come with it, both on the field and off the field. People who cope with it better will have longer and more successful careers, people who don't will fall by the wayside. Do the opinions of your peer group, former players, matter to you? Do you get hurt or flattered easily? I don't get hurt or flattered easily. I have that balance. But I wouldn't say that I've never got hurt or flattered. Over the years I've learnt to keep that balance. I do recognise by playing professional sport I'm opening myself to criticism and for people to comment and pass opinions. I'm making that choice and while I'm making that choice and how I deal with it is up to me. At some stages I find that some criticism does help me and sometimes people are way off the mark. As far as possible, I try not to react. If you don't want to deal with it, walk away and do something else. 'Sachin and I have huge amounts of respect for each other' Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions at 38? Is there a Rahul Dravid grand vision that is unfulfilled? The vision is to keep playing as long as I'm enjoying it and contributing. I've learnt from Sachin a lot in that. The way he's played in the last few years has been phenomenal. The fact that he's focused on the present and doesn't think too much about the future and what's going to happen, or he doesn't talk about or discuss it, is a way that works well. So I've tried to stick to that. There's no internal friendly rivalry between the two of you... let's see who can score more runs in this series kind of stuff? [Laughs] Not really. I think we have huge amounts of respect for each other. I've been privileged to have played in an era that has Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly and Sehwag. It's going to be regarded as some of the great batting line-ups of the game. To be part of that line-up for so long gives me great joy. There's a huge amount of respect for all these guys and what they've achieved and there are friendships. But I don't really go around trying to compete with or compare myself to these guys. Better we compete with the opposition [laughs]. People believe that when Dravid quits, he'll probably delink himself from cricket completely. But you are involved with the Karnataka Cricket Association? I really don't know about the future, Ayaz. But it's a game I love. I can't see myself walking away completely from it. How much I'll be involved I don't know. I have a young family. I don't think being away from them for long periods of time is something I'm going to enjoy. My kids are at that age when people say I shouldn't miss being with them. But I'm enjoying my involvement with the Karnataka Cricket Association too and passing on my ideas about the kind of tournaments we need to hold and the younger players. Whenever I can I speak to Anil (Kumble), (Javagal) Srinath and others. I do follow Karnataka at the domestic and junior level. I have so much that I want to give back to the game. It's vain of me to think that I can ever give back what this game has given me but I'd like to share my experiences. I have some views on the way young players can develop and grow and my platform with the KCA gives me that opportunity without being 'involved involved' -- if they want it. I'm sure anywhere in the country they'll be happy to have whatever Rahul Dravid can give them. Thanks so much for speaking to me.
Rahul Dravid Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 :hatsoff: no one speaks better than Dravid in Indian cricket.
CG Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 I may be wrong but really all the critics have got to dravid.i have never seen dravid celebrate his hundreds like he has in england against better attacks in difficult conditions and his when he was asked during 2nd test on 3rd day about indias chances he did not seem confident of indias chances even though we were leading.i have seen dravid always optimistic but in this tour his body language was different .
Rahul Dravid Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 I may be wrong but really all the critics have got to dravid.i have never seen dravid celebrate his hundreds like he has in england against better attacks in difficult conditions and his when he was asked during 2nd test on 3rd day about indias chances he did not seem confident of indias chances even though we were leading.i have seen dravid always optimistic but in this tour his body language was different . the celebrations being bigger than b4.. is probably cuz, HE HIMSELF was doughting his game.. so getting these 4 hundreds this summer shouldv'e givem him a hell of a lot of confidence.. he is just very happy that he can still do it.. that he is still up their physically as well as mentally....
Crookbond Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 I may be wrong but really all the critics have got to dravid.i have never seen dravid celebrate his hundreds like he has in england against better attacks in difficult conditions and his when he was asked during 2nd test on 3rd day about indias chances he did not seem confident of indias chances even though we were leading.i have seen dravid always optimistic but in this tour his body language was different . [ame= Video - Rahul Dravid 180 at Eden Garden - YouTube[/ame] Check Out 1:47
Feed Posted August 30, 2011 Author Posted August 30, 2011 Rahul Dravid : The voice from within More... The voice from within Peel back the great player. Look. See Michael Jordan, not just a competitor but the polished competitor | Rohit Brijnath The grit: Michael Jordan, Rahul Dravid and Rafel Nadal (below in the story) all of them are sportsmen known for their rigour and tenacity. Effort is a voice in the athlete's head. Effort to wake up at 4.17am, which is what Ian Thorpe did every day, effort when confidence is dying and the body hurts. Effort which gives sport a certain nobility. It is Rafael Nadal saying: I fight, I fight, I fight? and you can literally see his willingness to pursue his best self. This clich which suggests a talent fully exhausted - 'I gave 100 per cent' is not easily lived. But it becomes the separation point between athletes. Not just skill, not fast-twitch fibre, not planning, not schedules, but first this voice of desire. 'Who do I want to be? Every day. Peel back the great player. Look. See Michael Jordan, not just a competitor but the polished competitor. Before official practice with the Chicago Bulls, he'd lift weights first at home, till some teammates joined in and it became known as the Breakfast Club. Jordan heard this voice which was echoed by that masochist Lance Armstrong, who said: 'Pain is temporary. It may last...an hour, or a day...but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever. For me this is what India-not every player but some- lacked somewhat in England, the response to this urgent, disciplined voice within. Effort in concentration when the ball was doing some swinging dance; in pushing the body Anil Kumble-like into one more hard over bowled, then another, then 40; in keeping the right body language in the 89th over. Yes, it's bloody hard. It's supposed to be. Failure in England wasn't simply lack of effort for that diminishes England and reduces sport to the simplistic. India unravelled, like a seam in a faded dress, because its cricket is confused. It's as if No. 1 in Test cricket--a grand achievement- had been earned and there it ends, instead of resetting the bar. It's as if a system is infected by the wrong type of greed because the right one is about being unsatisfied. Wherein you say, screw luck, damn conditions, forget injuries-they're sporting staples-every series just has to be won, till this greed infects the system, till suddenly one day you've won 16 Tests in a row and still ask, what about 17? To say this great team has morphed into a poor one is to be glib, the issue really is of understanding how fickle greatness can be. Of course, India's players hear the voice, else they could not have journeyed so far, but you cannot hear the voice selectively-you need to hear it every day. It's why Kobe Bryant used to make, not take, 500 shots in practice. When Jerry Rice, the legendary wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, wasn't at his precise weight, well, then, he'd just get on the Stairmaster and work out to get to that weight. Before a match! I remember an Adelaide night in 2003, sitting in Rahul Dravid's hotel room, listening to a "thud, thud, thud" from next door and asking, what's that, and he smiled: It's Tendulkar. His form hadn't arrived on that tour, but there he was, in front of a mirror, practising his bat-work, hitting the ground with every desperate, practice stroke. This was the voice and Sachin Tendulkar always hears it and in an Indian world, replete with distractions, it is the voice young players have to listen to. India's team can draw up a persuasive litany of reasons for defeat, from scheduling, to bench strength, to overplaying. But what folks like to see, even in the inevitability of defeat- especially in the inevitability of defeat- effort, effort to be better, to learn. Wherein sport becomes not about money (and I'm not saying it is here), or trophies, or even Rice saying "Whenever I stepped into that stadium, I felt like I owed the people something" but something more essential. An answering to the voice when really you're too tired to goddam listen. A voice that keeps you cautious about diet, so when India calls you up suddenly, you're ready; which makes you practise against short bowling till weaving becomes an instinct; which makes tail-enders tell a batting coach at the nets, no, not done, 40 more balls; which makes bowlers remember every ball requires their complete, undistracted, thoughtful selves. Effort is Amit Mishra trying with the bat, it isn't S. Sreesanth, on the Oval's last day, just capitulating with it. I return to great players like an addict because of the promise they give themselves and therefore us: to train, to try, to endure, whatever the weather, the rival, the fever in their body, anything. They might fail, form might abandon them, but it's all we can ask for. It's why the moment of this series for me- and I didn't even see it but was told about it by my friend Sharda Ugra- came at a moment, ironically, of Dravid failure. He's been catching like an arthritic old man and when he dropped one again at Edgbaston, he was embarrassed, furious, he tore off his cap, hurled it to the ground, a quiet man not given to theatre suddenly animated. Because he demands from himself a high standard, because he practises for it. It was lovely picture. A picture of a man in pain who clearly hears the voice.
achilles Posted August 30, 2011 Posted August 30, 2011 Very well written. This article must be read out to all the people, not just cricketers who have lost, for it will help them rise again.
Hell Raiser Posted August 31, 2011 Posted August 31, 2011 Rahul Dravid But he is not a match winner like Inzamam ul haq:hysterical::hysterical:
daryl1985 Posted August 31, 2011 Posted August 31, 2011 Rahul Dravid But he is not a match winner like Inzamam ul haq:hysterical::hysterical: :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: Saw that thread on another forum.
Chandan Posted September 1, 2011 Posted September 1, 2011 Read this blog by Sriram Dayanand few days back and thought I must share it with the cricket fans here especially those who admire Dravid and his dedication to Indian cricket. link The Beacon In retrospect, it was on the second day at Edgbaston when it unraveled in surreal fashion. It would only get worse after that. Ground out by the dour Cook and pummeled into dazed oblivion by Pietersen, India disintegrated. Disintegrated into a catatonic state a condition that afflicted them for the bulk of the remainder of the series. And the last over of the day slapped an exclamation mark on their sorry tale. RainaÃÔ six balls of right-arm orthodox irrelevance should have been just that. But his very first delivery proved to be the last twist of the knife on that depressing day. MorganÃÔ apologetic grope outside off-stump lobbed off the outside edge to Rahul Dravid, the lone slip who grassed it. It was illustrative of IndiaÃÔ abject performance all day, but the immediate aftermath of the dropped catch was to provide an image that will haunt for a long time. Dravid knelt there motionless, looking down in horror at the ball, till Dhoni picked it up impassively and returned it to Raina. Just five more to endure, would have been DhoniÃÔ thought. But what about Dravid? What was he thinking? One look at him revealed multitudes. That familiar visage of serene intensity was about to be interrupted by emotions seldom displayed overtly on the field first disgust and trailing it, rage. When Dravid ripped the India cap off his head and flung it down in front of him in anger, the raw emotion was visible for all to see. It was painful to watch his expression of self-accusatory disgust. On a day riddled with mistakes, failings, disaster and capitulation, the last blunder had triggered an emotional response and breached the thick layer of vapid resignation on view all day. The raw feeling in his eyes and actions seared momentarily. He was back in position soon after, frustration still writ large on his face. Eyes glowering. December 16, 2003. When Dravid pounced on a tired and misdirected leg-break from Stuart McGill and slashed it to the cover point boundary, all of India had exulted in unison. The hard fought victory in the second Test match at Adelaide was to instantly take its place in the pantheon of defining moments in Indian cricket history. He had clenched his fist over his head as the ball rocketed off the meat of his blade and let out a roar. Then as he set off joyfully towards his partner Agarkar came the defining image of that Test match. Dravid stripped the India cap off his head interrupting his roar of delight and kissed its crest before being enveloped in a bear-hug by Agarkar. Adelaide and Edgbaston. Dravid and his India cap two moments, doppelgangers of each other. Bound by a common thread the sheer force of his emotions that initiated them. His memorable post match interview on that day in Adelaide is seared into my eyes. Drained and exhausted, he had stood there in his sweaty whites and India cap, struggling to string together coherent sentences. For a man who exemplifies the cultured and perfectly judged thoughts and words in any situation, this was unusual. His words were astonishingly raw and revelatory. Waves of emotion swept across and his eyes gleamed as he tried to articulate the immense satisfaction he felt about finishing the job India having blown opportunities of a similar nature in South Africa and the West Indies in the past. His match-winning knocks in that Test had been transcendent and epic, but here he was, searching for words to describe why he valued the win and the gravitas it carried. More than satisfaction about his own staggering performance, the acute awareness and pride about his teamÃÔ place now in the history of Indian cricket radiated from his eyes. Sport a trifling exercise we tend to attach way too much importance to in our lives rarely throws up moments that truly validate the emotional investment fans make in it. I had looked at his eyes that day in admiration and thanked him silently. Six weeks of torture is what the current tour has been to Indian cricket watchers. Even to neutrals, who had waited, licking their chops at the prospect of an epic tussle. But what unfolded was not a contest, but a bludgeoning. With one team humming on all eleven cylinders and the other creaking tunelessly, offering up their noses for the bloody treatment. And in the midst of all this, there was Dravid. It wasnÃÕ so much the three superb hundreds he scored in four Tests. It wasnÃÕ the extenuating circumstances in which he composed those gems either. Nor was it his willingness to don the wicket-keeping gloves or open the innings. It was much simpler than any of that. It was in his intent. It was in the message he radiated for the entirety of the tour that he was keenly aware of how high the stakes were. It was in the unwavering stance he presented to the opposition that he had come prepared for the epic tussle and intended to play his part in it. It was also in his polite, articulate and straight forward responses to questions from the media where he did not shun the reality of his teamÃÔ situation. Looked them in the eye and unfailingly conveyed how much this was hurting and why it was worth fighting for to the very end. And how it showed on the field. Å¥ravid denies? Å¥ravid defies screamed the headlines. Denial and defiance words that are so inadequate for the beauty of his art. Words that do no justice to the intricate angles and delicacy of his batting. For his batting was bathed in a glow for the entire series. His shots shimmered with grace against a bowling attack that was laying low his team mates at the other end of the pitch. And that nickname that has grated for the entirety of his career. One for the metaphorically challenged. Comparing him to a lifeless edifice whose sole purpose is to prop up and keep out intruders always misses the point. For there is nothing inhuman about his art. There has never been. Right from 1996 as telecasts repeatedly reminded us with footage from his debut the same angles, soft touch and dancing feet. He had shone then, like now a beacon. Yes, it was how human he was that was evident on the field. Human in forgetting that his shoe had laces. Human in the dropped catches ones he used to routinely snaffle in years past. Human in the raw emotion of that moment at Edgbaston when his frustration and anger was laid bare for all to see. Just human, in how much he cared. Yes©¢delaide and Edgbaston©¥ravid and his India cap. Some things never change. ******* July 28, 2011. It was the evening before the second Test at Trent Bridge. Dinner beckoned and we had strolled through central Nottingham in search of a restaurant. Strolled past clumps of Indian fans armed with autograph books and cameras. Ū just saw Eoin Morgan on the street and got his autograph Å¥honi loves this Moroccan restaurant. HeÃÔ been here twice in the past few days they told us. We settled on a South Indian eatery, ordered our food and sat there speculating on what could unfold the next morning. Still amused and curiosity piqued by the autograph hunters, I stepped out after a while to see what was going on. And walked straight into umpire Asad Rauf outside the door of the restaurant. I immediately went back inside to fetch my son, who I knew would be tickled pink see that familiar face from television in the flesh. We had walked up to Asad and said hello, chatting briefly with the charmingly friendly man. Celebrity sighting done for the day, we had walked back, my son still hopping about in excitement from the unexpected meeting with the umpire. Not paying attention to a small crowd outside peering through the windows, I had pulled opened the door of the restaurant and frozen. For I was looking right into the eyes of Rahul Dravid, seated at the table next to the entrance. Commonsense whispered in my ear and etiquette kicked me in the shin, urging me to let him be and walk on without disturbing him. The eve of a Test match and given what had transpired at LordÃÔ, one with a lot riding on it this was not the time to disturb someone whose mind was bound to be preoccupied by it. Yes, the decision was to walk past quietly, till I turned around and saw my kidÃÔ face. He was always Wahul Dwavid to him. A player he was fiercely protective of, someone he adored and looked at with great affection. ŵhey should just call it Rahulpindi, daddy he had declared, watching a DVD of DravidÃÔ 270 in 2004. Ÿhy? Why canÃÕ they learn from just watching him? he had asked exasperatedly watching the Rainas and the Yuvrajs contort themselves into inhuman knots trying to fend off rising deliveries. ůo one, no one can play that better he would say proudly whenever Dravid rocked back to cut a fast bowler to the point boundary. I took one look at that incredulous face and fearing for my sanity if I didnÃÕ do what I was about to, leaned over and interrupted Rahul conversing with his dinner companions for the night. Apologized profusely and explained the situation to him. He looked around me at the googly-eyed creature bouncing up and down like on a pogo-stick, just said Å¢bsolutely? got up from the table and walked over and took my sonÃÔ outstretched hand. I stood quietly, watching that friendly and caring face talk to my son whose normal exuberance was suddenly replaced by shyness. Watched him enquire about our trip from Toronto. About what grade he was in school. Watched my sonÃÔ face glowing as he shook his hand the whole time. Watched him thanking my son warmly for his best wishes for Trent Bridge. Charles Barkley, the NBA superstar was a legend for his bullish and aggressive play which also had a silken touch to it. Barkley was also famous for some of the most shocking displays of boorish inanity on the court. And in 1991, he plumbed the depths. Playing in New Jersey and harassed throughout the game with racist abuse from a man in the crowd, Barkley snapped. Muscled through, got close to the heckler and spat on him. And missed but found a little girl in the path of his mouthy projectile. The scandal was instantaneous and Barkley was skewered and roasted in the national media for his atrocious act. Soon after, all hell broke loose as Barkley was taken to task in a zillion editorials and talk shows across the country for not being a ÅÈood role model for children. The Republican Party waded in opportunistically, and as is their wont of shrouding revisionist conservative ideology under motherhood and apple-pie theories, took him to task for not upholding ÅÇamily values? Now, there was another significant aspect to BarkleyÃÔ personality. He was funny in fact very funny and extremely witty at times. Added to this, he had the ingenious knack of dispensing nuggets of prescient wisdom amidst his goofy banter (Å«ust what America needs. Another unemployed black man he said on retirement). He now lashed out at all the criticism being poured on him, at ÅÂll the deadbeat dads who want me to raise their kids for them? Barkley had long argued that it was parents and teachers who should be role models, not over-paid professional athletes. Å¢ million guys can dunk a basketball in jail, should they be role models? he had asked. And he was to stoke the fire further when he made his famous Nike commercial that was titled Ū am not a role model? I had always sided with Sir Charles on this issue. Firmly believed that it was not prudent for parents to even consider athletes on television as role models for their children. And found the right-wing tirades against Barkley reprehensive and misleading. Now I stood there in the Nottingham restaurant, looking at those friendly eyes trained on my sonÃÔ face as he held his hand. And like every single time I had looked at those very eyes behind the visor of his helmet or in the shadow of the brim of the India cap, I found my resolve in siding with Barkley being tested to the limit. ------------------------------------------------
gaurav92 Posted September 2, 2011 Posted September 2, 2011 Rahul Dravid : The Wall Well, though this article is about Rahul Dravid, as you go through it, you might find references and comparisons to other great Indian Cricketers, most notably Sachin Tendulkar because time and again we have seen that when some columnist talks about Dravid, he invariably makes a mention of Sachin and i am no different, though vice versa may not be true. You can find enough material written about Sachin without mentioning any other cricketer. And if you find me biased, Please excuse me for that. Not so long time ago, A young Rahul Dravid made his tryst with Destiny when he debuted at Lords in England(i say not so long time ago because it seems like yesterday when i was at my Maternal grand motherÃÔ home to spend my summer vacations and i saw him bat for the first time). Time Really flies by. Rahul Dravid struck an instant cord with me. What better place could destiny choose for the arrival of My GOD of Cricket on International cricket circuit than the Mecca of Cricket itself!! And now 15yrs later, he continues to do what he does best, that being, guiding Team India to glorious Test victories on foreign soil pretty much single-handedly and maintaining a low profile. The Three Muskeeteers Dravid is probably the most ÃÖnder-talked about Cricketing Great. He never mind living in the shadows of The Great Sachin Tendulkar- The God of Cricket and The Maverick Sourav Ganguly- The God on Off-side as said by Dravid himself. His stint with getting over-shadowed started way back on his debut itself. Since then, its been a trend. Whenever Dravid excelled, someone over-shadowed him be it Sachin, Ganguly, Laxman, Sehvag or anybody else. And this has happened on more than one occasion. What people donÃÕ realise is that on all such occasions, there were different people on one end, but there was one person consistently on the other end. Silently going about his work, Dravid carved his own Legend in the Tales of Indian Cricket. When he first started, Dravid was tagged as a Test Specialist, and probably he was, because that was his natural style of playing. He wasnÃÕ a gifted talent like Sachin but he adapted to the needs of the current style of cricket. He wasnÃÕ Born Great but He became Great. Before being dumped from Indian ODI team unceremoniously after the 7 match ODI series against Aussies in 2007 in favor of promoting the úoung Guns? he had gone on to score 10,000 + runs in One day Cricket. But that still doesnÃÕ deter people from saying that he is a test player. As they say, First Impression is the Last Impression. We Indians by default are extremists and our minds are not flexible. We just donÃÕ want to see how this man went against his natural play and adapted himself to the needs of ODI cricket and actually developed as a Finisher batting at Position 5 or 6 for India. He even donned the wicket-keeping gloves for the sake of the team. While some people call it a compromise to salvage his place in the team, i choose to call it ôacrifice because it seems so out of place to say that a man who went on to score 10,000 runs and who was the vice-captain of the side was actually trying to salvage his place. But in Indian Cricket, there are no points for Adaptability. Once a Test Player, always a Test Player. Even the IPL team which was assimilated by him in the first season was termed as a Test Team. Though everybody forgot that the same team went on to play finals in IPL-2. But nothing matters. People still love to mock Rahul. The other day, when RR was playing against MI at their home ground and trounced them by 10 wickets, at one point, Rahul was batting on 17 and Shane Watson on 71. A guy in my Hostel Common Room made this interesting observation and the other guys felt it their National Duty to laugh at it. I felt really annoyed and wanted to ask him, where the hell were you the day when RR had 84 runs on board against CSK and Dravid had scored 66 of those?? Ironically, IndiaÃÔ 2nd fastest 50 in ODI has been scored by Dravid. But i guess his Credentials regarding Faster Format of the game will always remain doubtful. and i will never understand why. Because the stats tell me that He scores just 2runs/100 balls slower than the ODI specialist Sourav Ganguly. Even in IPL, he is the 13th highest run-getter, with a strike rate better than the likes of Kallis, Ganguly, Gibbs, Duminy and Graeme Smith, and an average better than Gilchrist, Yusuf pathan, Yuvraj, Uthappa and many other so called Specialists of Faster format. He was the highest run-scorer for RR this season for GodÃÔ sake. I guess its just a Taboo that Rahul has to live with forever. Not that he minds it, but i do being his Staunch Fan. I wonder why he dont deserve to be in the ODI Team or Why He didnÃÕ deserve to touch the WC Trophy or Why He didnÃÕ deserve to be retained by his IPL Team or Why He doesnÃÕ deserve as much money at the auctions as the èods and the èuns or Why He doesnÃÕ deserve the worldÃÔ attention or Why the commentators, expert columnists, fans, media, and franchisees shouldnÃÕ go ga-ga over Rahul Dravid. Why?? May be because he is not entertaining because to be entertaining, you need to dance on the wicket(like Kevin Peterson) or down the wicket, because he is not vocal or expresses his emotions in public, he is not flashy, he doesnÃÕ give tantrums, He doesnÃÕ give you stare in the eyes with Cameras taking close shots of your face, he doesnÃÕ have hook-ups with bollywood heroines(the only thing he hooks beautifully is a bouncer), or may be because He doesnÃÕ pull of his shirt, may be because he is not surrounded by controversies. May be his biggest sin was playing in the era of The great Sachin, because in any other era, may be 10 years before Sachin or 10 years after Sachin, it would have been DravidÃÔ era, or may be his biggest sin is that He manages all those runs in IPL and Tests with just 19 sixes each. If only he had learnt to hit 6′s, If only he was as Lucky as Dhoni, If only he had learnt not to be a Gentleman both on and off the field, if only he was flamboyant enough to be in news for all the right or the wrong reasons, He would have been something else. May be then he would have been a hit amongst the Media and the Corporate franchisees. But Thank god he is not all of that because then he probably wouldnÃÕ have been my God of Cricket. Now Dravid is just Playing Tests, 14-20 innings in an year, always under scrutiny. One failure, and people want to hang his boots till death. Unlike other players who have the chance to redeem themselves in the ODIs and T20s if they fail in tests. Unfazed by all these questions and scrutinies, Dravid is still silently going about doing his job, that being guiding India to Famous Test wins on Foreign Soil. Soon he will be standing at the same place where he started his journey in International Test Arena for the 4th and probably the last time. Another circle will be completed. From there on, how long Dravid will extend the arc, nobody knows. But sooner or later He will hang his boots and so will Sachin Tendulkar. They Both will Walk away helding their heads high. One with all the glory and Spot-lights, other will just silently walk away into oblivion. Rahul could never manage to be in media spotlight even when he was active in ODIs or even still when he is active in Test cricket. How can we expect him to remain in limelight after his retirement(Probably with Sachin around, Media has enough on plate. They donÃÕ feel like talking about anyone else. Thats why Sachin completed his 50th 100 in Test matches and everybody rejoiced, but Dravid completed 12,000 runs in the same match and nobody realised). One will remain etched in memories of crores of Indians with the list of all the records and the Tag of èod Of Cricket? other will just vanish. But one thing makes me wonder. Would Sachin be able to amass all those glory and records had Rahul not been there? Case Study: India vs England at Leeds in August 2002. A deadly Pitch and some furious bowling. Rahul Dravid and Sanjay Bangar put up a brave front. Bangar went on to score 90 odd runs while Dravid made a fighting 148. But in the Same innings Sachin scored 193 runs. Inspite of which, it was Dravid who was awarded Man of the match award because everybody realised that the amount of Grit, Courage, Struggle and Sweat that went into those 193 was not even half of what went into those 148. The above was a Prime example of how Dravid usually makes it easier for the later batsmen to score runs. Because by the time Sachin or Sourav arrived, the bowlers were already tired and frustrated, the bounce and movement had decreased and the dew had evaporated. It is well known fact that Sachin never prefers to leave his no. 4 Spot(except probably for a night-watchman). Even after being a regular opener in ODIs, he would never volunteer to bat as a makeshift opener in Tests if need be. He always prefers Top 3 batsmen to take the shine away from the ball, and who better than Dravid to do that job? I wonder if Dravid was not there to score those 148, could Sachin still have gone on to score those 193?? May be.. May be not. We will never know but Dravid has played not one but many such innings. As they say, In a Temple, Even èod lives behind and protected by õhe Wall? If there was no øall to weather the storm as Dravid himself puts it, i donÃÕ know how much greatness could the èod have achieved. It would always remain an unresolved debate whether DravidÃÔ brilliance at No. 3 had anything to do with SachinÃÔ mountain of runs? Would Sachin still have got those many runs had Rahul not been there at No. 3? There is no Genius who is genius enough or a Super computer which is advanced enough to estimate or compute DravidÃÔ contributions in SachinÃÔ Greatness. And we will never know. But i dont care. The Writing is on The 'Wall' For me Rahul Dravid is My God of Cricket. When i stand outside the õemple of Cricket? i wouldnÃÕ care about the èod sitting inside. IÃÅ rather bow to the battered and bruised øall outside and walk away. Currently, Cricket has become a dirty Game of Slogging, edges and ugly unorthodox 6′s and 4′s. They play all sorts of weird looking strokes which resemble more like Tennis, Golf or Baseball shots. There is also one Helicopter Shot. Few people call it Gully Cricket. I call it Ugly Cricket. Thank God, I have Rahul Dravid. His Drives are still awesome and his Hooks, Pulls and Square Cuts are still Pure Divine. IÃÎ watching Cricket as long as Rahul Dravid is playing the shots. Love You RD. But more than that, I Respect you for all that you have done for the Cricket, Team India and for me. You are a Hero. May be unsung, but still a Hero. http://www.sportskeeda.com/2011/06/29/rahul-dravid-my-god-of-cricket/
mrinalmech Posted September 2, 2011 Posted September 2, 2011 He was always a good ODI player. One knock that stands out for me was the 99 in the first ODI against Pakistan in 2004. Also it was in the same period he had made the 22-ball 50 against some team. I remember seeing that too. don't exactly recall the opposition.
gaurav92 Posted September 2, 2011 Posted September 2, 2011 He was always a good ODI player. One knock that stands out for me was the 99 in the first ODI against Pakistan in 2004. Also it was in the same period he had made the 22-ball 50 against some team. I remember seeing that too. don't exactly recall the opposition. Against NZ in Mumbai Also his 63 ball 92 against England at bristol was a treat to watch He also made a 24 ball 50 against Winides in 02-03 series. He has played some absolute stunners in his career :hatsoff:
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