Two momentous events etched their place in Indian cricket history in the last fortnight. The first was the decision of the Wall of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid, to hang up his boots after 16 glorious years of service to the game; the second, the joyous moment when Sachin Tendulkar achieved the monumental feat of scoring his 100th century, sending everyone into raptures.
Dravid's exit from the game, when most felt he was good enough for a few more seasons, leaves a huge void in the Indian team. As arguably the world's best no. 3 batsman, the Bangalorean was the man of the hour for India on many occasions.
Memorable win
Who can ever forget that epic partnership he shared with V.V.S. Laxman against Steve Waugh's ‘invincible' Australian team at Eden Gardens in 2001, turning the tide in the series that India went on to win.
India's rise to Test cricket's numero uno position in 2009-10 was partly due to Dravid's solid contribution.
He was not a stylist, say like Tendulkar or Laxman, but he was a master craftsman, who honed his technique to perfection. With his unwavering focus, concentration and copybook technique, he was impossible to dislodge, as many teammates often recall, even during a practice session!
His glorious Test record of being the highest run-getter — 13,288 runs from 164 tests with 36 centuries and 63 half centuries — only after Tendulkar, has made him an icon of the game, respected immensely by the opposition.
He put the team above self
Dravid's one day record was equally impressive. Though he took his own time to adapt to the game, he became one of the great finishers in ODIs, always putting the team above self.
Like his batting, he was dignified in all respects and called it a day, heeding to his inner voice that it was time to move on to other things. Indian fans will miss him for sure. Dravid, post retirement, has a lot to offer, and it is for the ICC and BCCI to utilise his vast experience for the game's development.
A long wait
Enough has been chronicled about Tendulkar's enormous contribution to the game and his long wait for the 100th ton, which ironically came in a losing cause against Bangladesh. It took him over a year to reach the milestone, and as he candidly admits, “It was a struggle.”
The hype surrounding the 100th ton indeed has been a source of pressure on Tendulkar. “Nobody really bothered about the 99 centuries and all the focus was on the 100th one,” a “relieved” Tendulkar has said.
As the highest run-getter in the history of Test cricket, he stands head and shoulders above the rest. And, as a person, he has stayed rooted; success, fame and monetary gains have never swayed him and he has remained a role model for many Indian youngsters not only in cricket, but also in life.
Now that he has gone past the 100th 100, once again, talks revolve around whether he should retire from ODIs, but one should leave that to Tendulkar. He knows his mind and body and he will not stay a day longer than he thinks necessary. As long as he's around, let us relish his magnificent batting.
