MY INSPIRATION THROUGH THE YEARS

                                       

A s a child who loved (still loves) cricket, I wondered who my idol was. The obvious answer  would have been Sachin Tendulkar. I  thought the same as well...my thought being based on how he has been reverred all through his cricketing life.. but for some reason, that feeling of "YES, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO BE..." wasn't there. 

Then I saw this man with the "Britannia" logo on his bat, and as I went deeper into it, I could say to myself.. "YES, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO BE.....a  RAHUL DRAVID"

During those days of playing cricket in parks & streets, I felt I was not the one who could just thwart my fellows for boundaries, and rightfully to say, construction and dilligence have always given me more pleasure than make - shift and flamboyance, and cricket was no different. I loved when my friends used to call me "DRAVID", & believed that i would keep one end secure for the others to play their shots. It gave me sense of joy rathe than the feeling of being considered incapable. Irritating the bowlers was my favourite thing & more often than not, it was a defence and not a six that irritated them.

Before going any further, I want to clarify that I haven't played cricket at any sort of RECOGNIZEABLE level, but in parks and some matches my friends arranged. As I grew up, my quest for two things was uncomparable and unquestionable, first, my love for cricket and its knowledge & secondly, my love for the man reverred with the title "THE WALL" .. RAHUL SHARAD DRAVID.

When he made a significant contribution or took a great catch, it made my day & when the opposite happened, my day was pretty much ruined, irrespective of all the other things that had happened in the 24 hours.. good or even very good.

When he scored a 233 v/s Australia, I was happy, 270 v/s Pakistan, I was elated, when India suffered a first round exit at the world cup in 2007, i was heart broken, Dravid being dropped & then going through a slump in form in 07-08 pained me, recall in 2009 pleased me, 200 catches made me ecstatic.

And now, he is going through a good run, 3 centuries in 5 matches and a comeback to the ODI squad which by the way once again proves right the popular quote.. "WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH... GET DRAVID". As I was happy with his recall, a message from my friend shocked me, "HEY, DRAVID IS RETIRING !!". Before doing anything else, I wanted to check it and as it turned out.." DRAVID TO QUIT ODIs after England series".. Apprehensive of what could be a trailer of  his intentions about his 15 year plus career, I was relieved when I read "Dravid says he wants to concentrate solely on test cricket" & I felt, I can SEE the most humble Indian batsman in the thick of things for some more time.... as long as it may be...