It's time to say goodbye and good luck to a true legend
The cricket era in Rahul Dravid career has been ends today, He announced his retirement from all form of cricket in the press meet that was held at Bangalore.
Indian superstar Rahul Dravid announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday at the age of 39, ending a 16-year career that made him an idol at home and abroad.
"It is time to move on and let a new generation of players make their own history," Dravid told reporters at a crowded news conference in Bangalore alongside Indian cricket board president N.Srinivasan.
"When I started, I could never imagine that this long journey will take me so far," Dravid said. "In the Indian team I was fortunate to be part of a wonderful era.
"Many of my team-mates have become legends, not just in India but in the wider world... I leave the game with wonderful memories and great friendships."
The man known as "the Wall" for his immaculate technique, was also one of only 10 batsmen to score more than 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, which he quit last year to prolong his Test career.
Indian cricket boss Srinivasan called Dravid "one of the finest cricketers India has ever produced" and a "great role model".
"I would echo everyone's praise when we say 'Thank you Rahul. Thank you for what you have given to Indian cricket and we wish you very, very well," he told reporters.
Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday paid rich tributes to Rahul Dravid, who is expected to announce his retirement from international cricket on Friday, saying there can be "no other" cricketer like him.
"There was and is only one Rahul Dravid. There can be no other. I will miss Rahul in the dressing room and out in the middle," Tendulkar said.
India's batting stalwart Dravid, second most prolific batsman in Test history, has called a press conference in Bangalore on Friday, prompting speculation that he may announce his retirement from international cricket where he has been a star for over 15 years.
Test cricket's two most prolific batsmen, Tendulkar and Dravid together fashioned many of India's famous wins with crucial partnerships over the past one and a half decade.
Talking about those partnerships, Tendulkar said, "I have shared the best moments with him. Our many century partnerships are testimony to the hours we spent together in the middle.
"For someone who has played 164 matches and over 13000 runs, no tribute can be enough."
Saluting Rahul Dravid, who called time on his glittering international career Friday, his one-time teammate Sourav Ganguly described him as one of the greatest batsmen ever in world cricket and said
"Mr perfectionist's" determination, cricketing technique and commitment would be a lesson for budding players.
"He is one of the greatest batsman in world cricket...Wannabe cricketers can learn a lot from him. It was Rahul's determination, commitment, perfect technique which enabled him to play Test cricket for so many years. Youngsters also need to emulate his attachment to the game," said Ganguly, former Indian captain, after Dravid announced his retirement from international and domestic first class cricket.
Ganguly debuted alongside Dravid for the national team at the Lords Test in June 1996, and the duo shared the Indian dressing room for over 12 years. For a substantial period, Ganguly was Indian captain, with Dravid his deputy. Later, Ganguly also turned out for the Indian team under Dravid's captaincy.
Showering praise on Dravid, Ganguly said it takes long years to get a cricketer like him
"You cannot get someone like Rahul Dravid in a day. It requires lot of time. To become Rahul Dravid an individual player has to work really hard, he needs to be very high on commitment," he sa
Recounting the memorable time they have spent together, Ganguly mentioned the World Cup match against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1999, where both of them got hundreds, the victory over Australia at Adelaide, and also beating Pakistan in Pakistan.
He rated Dravid's 180 at Eden Gardens against the Steve Waugh-led Australia in 2001 as one of the best knocks of his career.
Thanks to Dravid's innings and V.V.S. Laxman's 281 and the 376- run stand between the two in the second innings, the Ganguly-led India crafted a fascinating 171-run win after conceding the follow on, in an epic match.
"As we all know, he was a perfectionist. He worked so hard... was so sincere. That's the reason he scored so many runs and became the second highest run getter in Test cricket."
Ganguly said retirement was always a tough decision. "In any profession, in life, if you have to leave that, one does feel bad. In sports, time is limited. But from Diego Maradona to Pete Sampras, all had to retire. Rahul also had to do so."
He will continue to be an inspiration to many youngsters who have looked up to the wall.
The 39-year-old Dravid had announced his retirement from ODI cricket in England last year after been surprisingly recalled in the ODI team due to his stupendous performance during the Test series against England in which he scored three centuries.
Dravid played in 164 Test matches since making his debut against England at the Lord's in 1996. He scored 13,288 runs for an impressive average of 52.31 and aggregates second only to Sachin Tendulkar who has 15470 runs in 188 Test matches.
Dravid, nicknamed the 'Wall' for his dour defence, is also a world record holder in the number of Test catches. He took 210 catches, mostly in the slip cordon.
Dravid is the first of the three ageing greats of Indian cricket, besides Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, to retire.
The Karnataka batsman had a wonderful tour of England but his performance in the recent tour of Australia was below par, prompting calls that it was time for him and Laxman to hang their boots.
In an illustrious Test career, Dravid hit 36 centuries and 63 half-centuries with 270 against Pakistan being his highest score. In ODIs, he has compiled 10,889 runs in 344 matches for an average of 39.16. He also slammed 12 ODI centuries and 83 half-centuries.
Under his capataincy, India won away Test series in the West Indies as well as England but had a disastrous 2007 World Cup where they were out in the first round.
Dravid, however will be seen leading Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming fifth edition of Indian Premier League.
Dravid gave up the Indian Test captaincy when no was asking for his head and just after he had led the side to a series win in England. Also, like with the captaincy, the call hasn't been made in haste in the middle of a series, there was a lot of deliberation, with the clincher being that with the Indian team having finished with the tours of the big three nations - South Africa, England and Australia - the extra challenge that the man thrives on, would have been missing for a while.
Now, Dravid couldn't really care if his runs came against Bangladesh or Zimbabwe, he has always been hungry for more, but at 39, the plate was always half-full rather than half-empty and that is the basis of his decision. With the call having been made, Dravid is at peace and now, most ironically, he can concentrate on the upcoming IPL, normally the least of his priorities. Surely he would have expected a lot of his IPL press conferences to centre around his Test future and in one timely stroke, he has dealt with it.
Dravid may be at peace but Indian cricket surely will take some time to recover from this body blow. Things will move on but it will not be the same without the calming, assured presence of Dravid walking out at the fall of the first Indian wicket. The gentle raising of the bat, the shoulders stretched wide in celebration on reaching yet another landmark, all following his literally sweating bucketfuls, will no longer be on view.
Oppositions the world over will rejoice, bowlers will jump with joy in the knowledge that they will not have to work so hard to get a single wicket. Batsmen who had got used to their nicks being gobbled up at slip by the man with the safest pair of hands will sigh in relief, but to a man they will also agree that the game itself will be poorer for his absence.
Dravid, indeed, was a great ambassador of the game, a perfect role model for the gentleman's game.
It's time to say goodbye and good luck to a true legend. Thank you Rahul for all the wonderful memories.
Cricket personalities and Celebrities sharing their wishes to Rahul Dravid via tweets and messages after the wall of Indian cricket announced his retirement.
Matthew Hayden. - “All this going around is not aggression; if you want to see aggression on cricket field, look into Rahul Dravid’s eyes.”
Sachin Tendulkar“I have shared my best moments with Rahul Dravid. No tribute can be enough for him“
Alec Stewart “Rahul Dravid is one of the all time greats of the game. One of the top 5 batters I played against. Lara Sachin Ponting Kallis the other 4.”
Virender Sehwag “Jam it was a pleasure & privilege to have playd with u and ur presence in the dressing room alwys added to our confidence. Will miss u lots”
Shahrukh Khan “They say sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.To me the most vivid & dependable has to be Rahul Dravid.”
Sanjay Manjrekar “Rahul Dravid – Knew the man behind the bat. Not often do you find a person as exceptional as his achievements..”
AB de Villiers “Congrats to Rahul Dravid on an amazing career! You will be missed. Fantastic person and Cricketer! India’s #wall
Chris Gayle “Congrats on a Fantastic, Superb International Career! The Great Legend Rahul Dravid !!The wall will be miss!!”
Kevin Pietersen “Rahul Dravid-LEGEND!! Plain & simple.. congrats on an incredible career!! India WILL miss #thewall..”
Michael Vaughan “Rahul Dravid retires.. The worlds most respected cricketer over the last 20 yrs.. LEGEND..”
Suresh Raina “Wall for team but a shoulder for team mates. Impregnable for opposition, motivation fr us. That’s Rahul bhai. Got my ODI & Test cap frm him.”
Umesh Yadav “I have got the privilege to play with him.A legend n the wall for the team. Inspiration for evrybody. Thanks for all the support Rahul Bhai”
Luke Wright “Rahul Dravid- What a true legend of the game! Think all bowlers around the world will be relieved!! #TheWall”
Shane Watson “I’ve been very lucky to have a really good association with Rahul. He’s probably the nicest guy – no, he is the nicest guy – that I’ve met in cricket. He’s a phenomenal man.”
Brett Lee “A phenomenal batsman and a great human being. If you can’t get along with Dravid, then you’re struggling in life.”
Mahesh Bhupathi “Congratulations Rahul Dravid. Champion on and off the field, showed us all that sky is the limit with hard work, patience and discipline…”
Piers Morgan “Farewell Rahul Dravid – greatest No3 since Bradman. #TheWall”
Cheteshwar Pujara
I was 20 or 21. He was playing for Karnataka against Saurashtra in Rajkot. He is one of my idols. I just wanted to ask him that if I wanted to play at the international level, what should I do and how can I improve myself.
He was very happy to talk to me. He was very friendly. He told me he had heard a lot about me scoring in domestic cricket and he was really impressed with that. When you hear from a big player, that he has heard a bit about you, it is very nice. After that, he gave me a few tips about succeeding at the top level.
If it is similar to your game, it is easier to communicate and even he can understand my mentality, what I am thinking and how I can improve. Because he has gone through this stage many years back, he can understand a youngster's psychology.
(One thing you would take from Dravid's game) I would say his positive attitude towards the game. A bowler has to work really hard to get his wicket. That quality I admire a lot because even I don't like to get out.
In the
Durban Test, I played a pull shot and got out. He saw that and when I asked him what went wrong, he told me to play my normal game. He had seen me play in the Ranji Trophy and said that normally you don't play those kinds of shots. "It is not your strength. You should play to your strength. The ball was skidding off the wicket and the bounce was so high you can't control the shot."
Ajinkya Rahane
He showed us how important your wicket is and to value it always. Another thing about him is how humble he always is on and off the field. That quality really stands out. I had made 165 and 98 in the 2008-09 Duleep Trophy final in Chennai against South Zone. He [Dravid] was part of that side. I wanted to go and ask him about my batting but was feeling hesitant about approaching such a big player. Instead, he himself came up to me and told me that I was doing well and needed to continue playing the way I had been playing.
He also told me that I belonged to the international level and would play for India soon. He asked me to develop more confidence in my batting which is so important at the highest level. To have my idol, who I had grown up watching, reposing so much faith in me was a huge thing. I have had the privilege of sharing two dressing rooms with him - India and Rajasthan Royals.
Abhinav Mukund
He is a very, very meticulous man. He is very careful about all the cricketing gear in his kit bag. It is all in order. It is never out of place. I saw it when I started playing alongside Dravid. He was just next to me and you could see all the pairs of gloves arranged neatly in one row. You could see the bats in one corner. You would never see things out of place. He is a man of order, I think. He is known for his professionalism and his ethics so it comes alongside his character.
There was one game where the ball flicked his shoelaces and he got out in England. You could notice the next day that he had changed his shoelaces and tucked them in deep. When you say that the man leaves nothing to chance, that is the biggest example of that.
He has definitely been very approachable. He is known to be a very quiet man but once you approach him, once you start talking to him, he keeps talking to you.
[One thing you would take from Dravid's game] Temperament. Ability to fight it out in the middle. Ability to prove to himself and to others that he can do it and he can do it outside the country. I think the biggest example would have been the tours of West Indies and England where he got four hundreds in seven Tests. The ability to prove people wrong again and again.
Rohit Sharma
I've learnt quite a lot from him. The first thing is putting a price on your wicket. Secondly, no matter what condition and situation you are batting in, never give up. Just be there, feel the heat, feel the pressure. That is when your true character shows. He showed us that. That is the biggest thing I learnt from him.
Batting and fielding averages
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|
| Tests | 164 | 286 | 32 | 13288 | 270 | 52.31 | 31258 | 42.51 | 36 | 63 | 1654 | 21 | 210 | 0 |
| ODIs | 344 | 318 | 40 | 10889 | 153 | 39.16 | 15284 | 71.24 | 12 | 83 | 950 | 42 | 196 | 14 |
| T20Is | 1 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 31 | 31.00 | 21 | 147.61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| First-class | 298 | 497 | 67 | 23794 | 270 | 55.33 |
|
| 68 | 117 |
|
| 353 | 1 |
| List A | 449 | 416 | 55 | 15271 | 153 | 42.30 |
|
| 21 | 112 |
|
| 233 | 17 |
| Twenty20 | 69 | 62 | 6 | 1605 | 75* | 28.66 | 1369 | 117.23 | 0 | 7 | 178 | 25 | 14 | 0 |
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 |
| Tests | 164 | 5 | 120 | 39 | 1 | 1/18 | 1/18 | 39.00 | 1.95 | 120.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODIs | 344 | 8 | 186 | 170 | 4 | 2/43 | 2/43 | 42.50 | 5.48 | 46.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20Is | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| First-class | 298 |
| 617 | 273 | 5 | 2/16 |
| 54.60 | 2.65 | 123.4 |
| 0 | 0 |
| List A | 449 |
| 477 | 421 | 4 | 2/43 | 2/43 | 105.25 | 5.29 | 119.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Twenty20 | 69 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
thanks to- toi, thehindu,cricinfo,
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from-http://sidveeblogs.wordpress.com/
Dear Rahul,
This is not going to be easy. But I will try. One sentence at a time.
Congratulations. Is that appropriate? That’s what people at work say when someone quits. And, despite the anguish surrounding your decision, this is supposed to be a happy day. At least I would like to think of it that way.
I expected you to finish in Adelaide. The same Adelaide where, in 2003, you found gold at the end of the rainbow. The same Adelaide where another colossus, Adam Gilchrist, retired four years ago, his wife and children sitting among the press, his voice breaking towards the end of each sentence, tears trickling down his cheeks as the press conference wound down.
But the Chinnaswamy Stadium fits well. That’s where it all began. And that’s where it ends. Like Gilly, you leave with your family and former team-mates watching over your retirement announcement. And like him, you leave amid breaking voices and teary eyes.
There is a constant temptation, especially when a cricketer retires, to draw comparisons. We live in a world that loves definitives. It frowns upon ambiguity. We want to determine your exact location in the pantheon. I will refrain from this. I am sure you are tired of being compared to other great Indian batsmen. And I am not about to bore you.
But I must tell you something that has bothered me for a long time. You are too conveniently slotted as a specialist batsman. I disagree. That’s too simplistic. For me, you are an allrounder – not in the way our limited imaginations defines an allrounder but in a broader, more sweeping, sense.
I find it hard to think of a more versatile cricketer. You were one of our finest short leg fielders. You were, for the most part, a remarkable slip catcher. You have opened the innings, batted at No.3, batted at No.6 (from where you conjured up that 180 in Kolkata). I’m sure you have batted everywhere else.
You have kept wicket, offering an added dimension to the one-day side in two World Cups. You even scored 145 in one of those games. You captained both the Test and one-day teams. Sure, things didn’t go according to plan but you were a superb on-field captain. More importantly you were India’s finest vice-captain, an aspect that is often conveniently forgotten. Jeez, you even took some wickets.
There’s something unique about this. In Indian cricket’s hall of fame, you can proudly share a table with Gavaskar and Tendulkar. But you can also share one with Kapil, Mankad and Ganguly – cricketers who excelled in more than one aspect of their game for an extended period of time.
The only people who will understand this are those who you played with. The only people who will begin to appreciate your value to the side are those who you propped up. Which is why it is not the least surprising when Tendulkar said yesterday, ‘There can be no cricketer like Rahul Dravid.’ Hell yeah. It’s too far-fetched.
Talking about Tendulkar, you know my best moment involving you two? Adelaide again. 2003 again. Damien Martyn c Dravid b Tendulkar 38. Ripping legbreak, spanking cut, screaming edge, lunging right hand, gotcha. That was magic. Pure magic. Swung the game. Ignited the series.
What else will I remember? Hmm. That shirt of yours immaculately tucked in. How did you manage to keep it tucked in every single time? I’ll remember the way you chased the ball to the boundary line, as if you were competing in a hundred-meter race. I’ll remember the intensity with which you studied the pitch before the game, like a geologist, scraping the surface with your palms, examining the grains of sand, gauging the direction of the breeze. You loved all these tiny details, didn’t you?
There is a perception that you have not got the credit you deserve. I don’t know if that is accurate. I wonder if you feel that way. But just you wait. Wait for India to play a Test without you. Wait for the team to lose an early wicket, especially on a challenging pitch. You’ll hear a gazillion sighs, sighs filled with longing. India 8 for 1 and you sitting in your living room, sipping tea and watching TV. I’ll be surprised if you don’t palpably feel a nation’s collective yearning for a sunnier, glorious past.
But even that I may be able to somehow handle. What I won’t be able to come to terms with is not watching you bat. Over the years few things have given me as much joy as watching you construct an innings, hour upon hour, brick upon brick.
Here I must mention what the great American author, Edgar Allan Poe, once said about the importance of punctuation.
It does not seem to be known that, even where the sense is perfectly clear, a sentence may be deprived of half its force – its spirit – its point – by improper punctuation.
An innings of yours would be incomplete without the punctuation marks that you masterfully employed along the way: the focussed leaves, the immaculate dead-bats, the softening of the grip, the late strokeplay, the ducking, the weaving, the swaying, the head totally still, your eyes always on the ball, the focus, more focus, still more focus, even more focus.
There is no point watching an innings of yours stripped of all this. I’ve cursed all these TV producers who create highlight packages with fours, sixes, your raised bat after each fifty, a jump after a hundred, more fours, more sixes and done. Finished. Poof. That’s supposed to be a summation of your innings.
It’s the same with all these photographers who click away and the websites that use those photos to create galleries. None of them even begin to portray the painstaking manner in which you create these pearls. None of them can capture over after over of graft. There is nothing more exhilarating than being exhausted after watching you bat. But there is no technology that can capture that, no software that can simulate it.
So if my grandson were to ask me about your batting, I would be lost. The only way anyone can begin to understand your craft is by watching you bat through a whole day, by experiencing your pain. There are no short cuts.
There are a million links that pop up on YouTube when I type ‘Rahul Dravid’. All of them show you batting. None of them contain your essence. There is no Rahul Dravid in there.
That’s sad. But maybe that’s also a good thing. I was fortunate to be able to watch you bat. My grandson won’t be as lucky. He’s going to be born at the wrong time. Let’s go with that. It’s much easier.
As I said, this is supposed to be a happy day. It’s the memories that matter. You’ve left us a world full of them.
So long, Rahul. Adios. Ciao. Auf Wiedersehen. Tata. Bye, bye. Olleyadagali guru.
And thank you. It’s been a privilege.
Yours faithfully,
Sidvee
Related: Rahul Dravid and the eternal lament, When Dravid was there, Dravid and the mastery of the struggle, Degrees of fandom
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THANKS -SIDVEE
