The Lord and the Messiah
The second test against Sri Lanka begins tomorrow... but a certain person will be missing from the team. Your first impulse will be to yell Sourav Ganguly. Yes, Sourav won't be there, but he is not the person I am talking about.
The person I mention is Rahul Dravid. For the first time ever he misses a test... he will be sitting it out due to a bout of gastroenteritis. This makes me a tad nervous. No, I have complete faith in the Indian team, but unfortunately I have more faith in Dravid.
The 90s belonged to Sachin Tendulkar. There was no doubt about that. He was the mainstay of the Indian batting... without him, there was seldom anything to look forward to. Then, on a tour to England, two young players strode in to bat. The first made a century on test debut. He later went on the lead India and is now the center of much controversy in India - India's enfante terrible, Sourav Ganguly.
The other, a much more composed person, made 96 or so and then walked after nicking to the keeper. This is what first struck me about Rahul Dravid. How many people do you know about, who would walk when they were a mere 4 runs or so away from a century on debut? This Mr. Clean image has stuck with Rahul Dravid throughout his career, barring one candy-on-the-ball incident.
Just as the 90s belonged to Tendulkar, the fact that the 2000s have belonged to Dravid is undeniable. He has been the backbone of the Indian team throughout this decade. Centuries all around the world, he was the knight in shining armour in Sourav Ganguly's army. Whatever the pitch, whatever the conditions, India's Mr.Dependable was the man for the job.
In fact, that is what denies The Wall of much of his adulation. The fact that everyone expects him to do his job. He goes in and does his job with clinical perfection. There are no pyrotechnics, no unnecessary bravado, just a job well done.
He may not be the Sachin Tendulkar - sending the nation into a frenzy with every shot. For Sachin is Sachin. There can be none other. He is the Little Master - the God of Indian Cricket, working miracles with his bat. But that's what they are - miracles, and they don't come everyday. But every time we need a miracle and don't recieve one, there is Dravid, working away saving the dream that so many million Indians dreamed. For he is the Messiah, working hard, knowing full well that he will never be better than the Lord, yet working away. For he knows, he might not be the Lord, but he is every bit as important.
The person I mention is Rahul Dravid. For the first time ever he misses a test... he will be sitting it out due to a bout of gastroenteritis. This makes me a tad nervous. No, I have complete faith in the Indian team, but unfortunately I have more faith in Dravid.
The 90s belonged to Sachin Tendulkar. There was no doubt about that. He was the mainstay of the Indian batting... without him, there was seldom anything to look forward to. Then, on a tour to England, two young players strode in to bat. The first made a century on test debut. He later went on the lead India and is now the center of much controversy in India - India's enfante terrible, Sourav Ganguly.
The other, a much more composed person, made 96 or so and then walked after nicking to the keeper. This is what first struck me about Rahul Dravid. How many people do you know about, who would walk when they were a mere 4 runs or so away from a century on debut? This Mr. Clean image has stuck with Rahul Dravid throughout his career, barring one candy-on-the-ball incident.
Just as the 90s belonged to Tendulkar, the fact that the 2000s have belonged to Dravid is undeniable. He has been the backbone of the Indian team throughout this decade. Centuries all around the world, he was the knight in shining armour in Sourav Ganguly's army. Whatever the pitch, whatever the conditions, India's Mr.Dependable was the man for the job.
In fact, that is what denies The Wall of much of his adulation. The fact that everyone expects him to do his job. He goes in and does his job with clinical perfection. There are no pyrotechnics, no unnecessary bravado, just a job well done.
He may not be the Sachin Tendulkar - sending the nation into a frenzy with every shot. For Sachin is Sachin. There can be none other. He is the Little Master - the God of Indian Cricket, working miracles with his bat. But that's what they are - miracles, and they don't come everyday. But every time we need a miracle and don't recieve one, there is Dravid, working away saving the dream that so many million Indians dreamed. For he is the Messiah, working hard, knowing full well that he will never be better than the Lord, yet working away. For he knows, he might not be the Lord, but he is every bit as important.
posted by Rahul Iyer at 6:39 PM
1 Comments:
OH MAN.. u write soo soo well!
i so totally agree about dravid being THE mr. dependable.. and tat part where u say... thats what they are miracles.. and don t come everyday""
2 2 2 2 good!
i liked the post about the satisfaction and joy aspect.
in choosing you career, ending up getting the job u want, i can so totally relate to all this now.. im so confused, to back ma interest, whats more lucrative, or ....????
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