This is what I wrote on Facebook Today:
I used to hear from my dad and grand dads, about the pace of 60's and 70's, from the Windies. I will tell my offsprings and theirs', about the blades of 90's and 00's, from the Indies. One of those blades, retires today. The Wall, Mr. Rahul Dravid- You will be missed. You gave the country a lot; that cannot be defined. Thank you for standing in the middle!!
True, to the realization, when I was browsing the channels after a day's fight amongst colours and booze, I was throttled with the news, followed by several memorable matches and years that this man has given to the Indian as well as World Cricket fans.
Clubbed into the 10,000 runs getting players' Hall of Fame, Mr. Dravid have been an inspiration to many hopeless, in several occasions, when he pushed the brakes to the India Wicket Slide. Also considered the member of the emminent Fav Four Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman, spelled doom, any day.
The most mesmerizing part of this quadra, was that, inspite of the Master Blaster (Tendulkar); the other three played with their own natural flair and dominated every niche that the Wisden for Batting wanted. To personify them, compared to Marvel Comics superheroes, I would put down the following, that defined their powers:
1) Sachin Tendulkar: He plays like me: Sir Donald Bradman. His powers lay within the name. His bat spoke every turns and indefinite corners of the spherical cricket field, devastating bowlers at will. s long as he was present in the field, Indians know that the match can be won.
2) Sourav Ganguly: On left side, there is first God and then there is Ganguly: Rahul Dravid. The Indians knew that with a fighter in the middle, this match will not go down the drain. The tantalizing square drives and the cork screw sixes off the spins, made Ganguly the most beautiful batsman to watch. He inspired several comebacks and still people say: He left the game too early!
3) V.V.S Laxman: Stylish: Geffrey Boycott. He controlled situations when India stared at a follow on! Poeple knew, we still have Laxman. Infact, it is the duo of Dravid and Laxman that stalled the victory chariot of Steve Waugh's Australia, from not setting the World Record of Test wins at a stretch to 16 only. It was Laxman and Dravid that set the pace, and Turbinator (Harbhajan Singh), turning the heads. In 2001, Australia lost to India even after India faced a Follow On, Eden Gardens, Calcutta (Kolkata).
4) Rahul Dravid: The Wall: Cricket Fraternity! And he justifies his name.
There are abstract words to describe Dravid. Just wishes, as the sun wakes up in another 5 hours, while another chapter of glorious Indian Cricket closes!
Fav- Four (l-r): Sachin, Sourav, Rahul, Laxman
SSRL
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