Monday, January 15, 2007

RAHUL DRAVID - A TRUE CHAMPION


What separates Test cricket from other games is neither its timeframe nor the endurance level but its amazing similarity to life. There is no other game which posses all the qualities that make you a successful person; just as well it makes you a fine sports person. You go through the annals of Test cricket and you will surely come across triumphs, which are characterized by courage, character, concentration, dedication, discipline and audacity.

There is no other team game, which is played across five full days. At the outset this seems a small proposition but controlling your physical and mental attributes over 5 days and having relentless concentration is by no means a small task. Cricket at international level is a hard business. It is not only about fame and money but also days and weeks and years of backbreaking practice and work.

It is a game, which keeps great faith and pride in ethos and traditions of the game. The preamble of cricket says “cricket is a game which owes much of its unique appeal to the fact that it should be played only within its laws but also within the spirits of the game. Any action which is seen to abuse this spirit causes injury to the game itself.” In other words it teaches us the need to have respect towards the elders and certain values in life. It is no coincidence that the most disciplined batsman of modern times, Rahul Dravid , is also one of the most disciplined personalities that you come across on the cricket field. Dravid’s high elbow when playing the back foot punch is a celebration of the MCC cricket manual as much as his discipline and dedication towards his work and job. His monumental kolkata 180, inspiring Rawalpindi 271 and awesome Adelaide 233 are all examples for that. There is no other modern cricketer who embodies all the facets of cricket both in his game and life. Last year on a difficult pitch at Sabina park he constructed two exceptional half centuries and thereby clinching the match and series for India. And no other batsman scored half centuries. India won a test series I the carribean after 35 long years and it was appropriate that Dravid was the mainstay during that , for he is the best Indian batsman India has produced along with Sachin Tendulkar in the last 20 years. Let us hail this true warrior of Indian Cricket Rahul Dravid

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