Great Dravidian

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />A coaching camp at the Karnataka Cricket Association many summers ago. Coach Keki Tarapore asked the gathered teenagers: "How many wicket-keepers do we have in this group?" Not a single hand went up. And then, Dravid raised his hand. Until then, the 13-year-old had never kept wickets.And as captain of the school team he could have given the job to anyone. But that''s Dravid: willing to take responsibility and meet challenges head-on.<br /><br />Responsible, Resolute, Committed, Patient... Yes, it''s quite probable that Dravid would have made an excellent doctor or engineer. Or a wonderful chess player. Fortunately, the cricket bug bit him early and he chased this dream like only he can: assiduously and immaculately.<br /><br />Those who have seen him grow up insist that a cricket bomb has been ticking in his mind ever since he hit a red ball to the fence; it exploded finally during the first Test in Multan.<br /><br />As Sourav Ganguly tumbled out of the the final One-dayer and first two Tests, Dravid stepped forward to give shape to the aspirations and expectations of an entire country. He started off brilliantly too by winning the toss, something that Ganguly has never been able to do against Pakistan.<br /><br />He then did something that no other captain would have even dared to consider: declare the innings when Sachin Tendulkar was just six short of a monumental double century. The declaration is not really about the new spirit in the team; it''s not about the new-found desire among its members to win at any cost either. It''s about Dravid.<br /><br />It''s all about a confident captain who is willing to take risks; a bold man who is ready to look straight into the eyes of rotten tomatoes. <br /><br />It is possible that the controversy made the team even more determined; but it''s highly unlikely that the game would have finished with almost a day to spare without the brinkmanship of Dravid.<br /><br />He stood for most of the two innings at first slip, marshalling his bowlers and fielders like a dogged commanding officer. He placed innovative fields, gave confidence to his raw pacers and used part-time bowlers for shock effect. Pakistan crumbled without a fight.<br /><br />Surprisingly, Dravid doesn''t look like much of a leader beyond the field: he steers away from the limelight. <br /><br />He loves his own company: he won''t be the first, and probably not the last player either, to hit a nightclub. It''s not surprising that Dravid is one of the few Indian players with an equally enviable record overseas: he is a very good traveller. <br /><br />He has no hang-ups about what he''s eating, enjoys visiting new places and old sites and has no compunctions about living out of a suitcase.<br /><br />"The best thing about Rahul is he has had no conflicts with anyone — classmates, teachers or even fellow cricketers. He was an athlete, hockey player and house captain at his school. He was so busy honing his skills that he had little time for his detractors," says biographer Vedam Jaishankar.<br /><br />Even now, he is constantly working to improve his own personality: he reads a lot, especially those how-to-become-better books. His guiding philosophy in life? He believes: "More than a great cricketer, I aspire to be a great human being. If you look after cricket, the rest looks after itself."<br /><br />What more could we ask for?<br /><br /><formid=367815></formid=367815></div> </div>