No doubt Rahul Dravid has had an awful series down under. But so did each of our batsmen. Then why am I asking about only him?
It is simple. He is a man of commitment, integrity and truthfulness. He always goes by the truth, lives by it and plays his cricket by it. He was struggling for a period of about 2 and half years starting from mid 2008 to 2010. In between he did have a good series here and there. But by and large it was not the Dravid we knew. But he worked at whatever flaws that crept into his batting and resurrected himself in stunning fashion during 2011.
He was our go to man in West Indies and England during 2011. My guess is Rahul Dravid would have stopped playing couple of years back had he succeeded in Australia when India visited there in 2008. By his standards he had a very average series back then.
The burning desire to do well in Australia and to win in Australia was the key factor for him to keep playing. But unfortunately both did not happen this time as well.
Nothing wrong in the way he is playing except for the fact that he is now struggling to play a dead defensive shot without leaving a big gap between bat and pad.
He can still play and score plenty of runs. But what for? What is there to achieve? He has achieved so much and I say he has achieved everything except what he could not in Australia. That will remain unachievable for ever now.
He is the only man to have scored hundreds in all test playing nations. Has about 35 test centuries. Over 11000 runs. Stands second in all time run scorers (This feat is in danger as Punter is only 99 runs behind). Respect of cricket players from all over the world, who admire him more than any contemporary Indian cricketer for his professionalism and that truthfulness he carries with himself all the time. He is considered as one of the finest gentlemen to have played cricket. ICC considers him to be a great ambassador of the game and regularly asks him for views and suggestions on their new initiatives.
Which other cricketer has achieved so much? The individual and team success in Australia remained elusive. But that has to. God will not give everything. If that happens then that is not life.
HE HAS ACHIEVED EVERYTHING. And that is why I say he should stop now. Subramaniam Badrinath has been waiting from last 4 years. Cheteshwara Pujara and Rohit Sharma are ready. No point keeping them waiting. Yes, if there is some thing to achieve then they can be kept waiting. But for Rahul Dravid, what is there to achieve? What he has to achieve is not possible anymore.
I think even if he had done well and the team had won in Australia, he would have still called it quits. He is the man who goes when he knows it is time. There is no better time than this i,e before India play their next test match in September this year.
It is simple. He is a man of commitment, integrity and truthfulness. He always goes by the truth, lives by it and plays his cricket by it. He was struggling for a period of about 2 and half years starting from mid 2008 to 2010. In between he did have a good series here and there. But by and large it was not the Dravid we knew. But he worked at whatever flaws that crept into his batting and resurrected himself in stunning fashion during 2011.
He was our go to man in West Indies and England during 2011. My guess is Rahul Dravid would have stopped playing couple of years back had he succeeded in Australia when India visited there in 2008. By his standards he had a very average series back then.
The burning desire to do well in Australia and to win in Australia was the key factor for him to keep playing. But unfortunately both did not happen this time as well.
Nothing wrong in the way he is playing except for the fact that he is now struggling to play a dead defensive shot without leaving a big gap between bat and pad.
He can still play and score plenty of runs. But what for? What is there to achieve? He has achieved so much and I say he has achieved everything except what he could not in Australia. That will remain unachievable for ever now.
He is the only man to have scored hundreds in all test playing nations. Has about 35 test centuries. Over 11000 runs. Stands second in all time run scorers (This feat is in danger as Punter is only 99 runs behind). Respect of cricket players from all over the world, who admire him more than any contemporary Indian cricketer for his professionalism and that truthfulness he carries with himself all the time. He is considered as one of the finest gentlemen to have played cricket. ICC considers him to be a great ambassador of the game and regularly asks him for views and suggestions on their new initiatives.
Which other cricketer has achieved so much? The individual and team success in Australia remained elusive. But that has to. God will not give everything. If that happens then that is not life.
HE HAS ACHIEVED EVERYTHING. And that is why I say he should stop now. Subramaniam Badrinath has been waiting from last 4 years. Cheteshwara Pujara and Rohit Sharma are ready. No point keeping them waiting. Yes, if there is some thing to achieve then they can be kept waiting. But for Rahul Dravid, what is there to achieve? What he has to achieve is not possible anymore.
I think even if he had done well and the team had won in Australia, he would have still called it quits. He is the man who goes when he knows it is time. There is no better time than this i,e before India play their next test match in September this year.
