I asked myself, where are the fireworks? Where are the dancing girls? Where, oh where, is Shibani Dandekar? Their absence left me feeling a bit empty, to be honest. James Marsh is a TEFL teacher based in the Czech Republic, although his real occupation is alienating those close to him by wallowing on statsguru.
But recall this quote from Sourav Ganguly in where he categorically snubbed a rare Dravid plea to pick a specialist wicket-keeper. When the shadow of Greg Chappell enveloped Indian cricket, it was Dravid who became a collateral casualty.
Forced to take over the reins of a broken, divided team under a universally-hated coach, Dravid actually did not do very badly as captain, considering the circumstances. While his records may not say it all, it was under his captaincy that India won their first series in England since Few other Indian captains can boast of such a momentous achievement. But once Greg Chappell left after the disaster that was the World Cup, Dravid quietly withdrew from the post himself. As usual, there was never any fanfare, no bitterness attached.
A reputation forever tarnished by the World Cup exit and the entire Greg Chappell era. There were no farewell Tests for Jammy. The one emotion you can never have about Dravid is cynicism. And perhaps, therein lies his greatest strength.
His self-efficacy and modesty are paragons in a world which only offers negativity. There is genuineness about Dravid which none of his peers will ever be able to match. And a large reason is because Dravid offers a refreshing authenticity which is delivered without the usual public relations trappings. If you carefully go back and listen to his post-retirement speeches, the one common thread that strikes you is how he invariably remembers those who often retreat into the background of Indian cricket.
In his retirement speech , he made sure he thanked his many junior coaches who instilled in him, his powerful love for the game. In , when called on to deliver the annual Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture, Dravid took the opportunity to gently prick Indian cricket lovers on topics that needed to talked about, mainly junior cricket. In thoughtful but measured words, he made pointed observations about the way school cricket is played in this country.
Perhaps, that is the difference between Dravid and the rest. There is not enough space in his heart for himself. Because all of it is occupied by the things he cares for.
The physios and trainers worked hard to keep me fit -- not an easy job -- and allowed me to play late into my 30s. The various captains I played under offered me guidance and inspired me. Most of all I have to thank the teams I played with.
Many of my teammates have become legends, not just in India but in the wider cricketing world. I admired them, learnt from them and I leave the game with wonderful memories and strong friendships. It is a great gift to have. I hope I have done some of that.
I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride. The game is lucky to have you and I have been lucky to play before you.
To represent India, and thus to represent you, has been a privilege and one which I have always taken seriously," he said. Dravid had a disastrous tour of Australia where he scored only runs in eight innings at an average of Even more disappointing was that Dravid, known for his solid technique, was bowled in six out of the eight innings. There was intense speculation about Dravid's future following the Australian tour and his decision to hang his boots will now turn focus on another batting great VVS Laxman who too had a disappointing tour.
Dravid had already 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. Nicknamed 'The Wall' for his dour defence, the always thoughtful-looking Dravid walked into international cricket sunset after making his debut in June though he will lead the Jaipur-based Rajasthan Royals side in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League.
Dravid ended his Test career with 13, runs -- behind only Tendulkar 15, in Tests -- in matches, with 36 hundreds and 63 half centuries at an average of Initially considered a liability in the one-day arena, he re-invented his game over the years to meet the demands of the shorter format which he played from April to September He scored 10, runs from ODIs with 12 centuries and 83 half centuries at an average of Under his captaincy between October and September , India won Test series in the West Indies as well as England but had a disastrous World Cup in when they were knocked out in the first round of the tournament.
Dravid's captaincy coincided with Greg Chappell's controversial tenure as India coach, but that did not affect his performance with the bat, as he garnered runs at Never a natural athlete, Dravid's immense levels of concentration also came in handy as he also holds the world record of highest Test catches -- -- mostly at the slip cordon.
He overtook Mark Waugh to become the most successful slip catcher in history. In addition to this, he has catches in ODIs. Asked how long he took to reach his decision to retire, Dravid said, "For a year now after each and every series I have assessed I have spoken to Sachin and to my team-mates and all of them were supportive.
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