No, these are not the words anyone spoke to me. These are the breath-notes of the finest gentleman this world has at this time. OK, arguable. My statement holds hard soil when we talk about sports at the least.
It has not been a new phenomenon to forget people who don’t know branding/marketing. It’s grievous and an act of awful shame that we always had a tendency to forget the real worriers. Be it Ramayana, Mahabharata, Struggle for Independence or our own parents, we don’t give that a damn.
Aanhaa! Disagreeing buddy? Without asking Wiki, do tell me Chandra Shekhar Aazad’s Birth Day. Here you go!! You will only remember Gandhi Jayanti. Oh! Won’t you?
Time and again we have been a disgrace to ourselves. No wonder we have been good for nothing for ages now. Now cut the crap about man power, GDP, IT hub Gurgaon and rising nation. Get over and face the cruelty i.e. the truth.
Lot many people are writing about him, you know who, these days. Emotion is flowing through twitter and facebook. Not to mention cricinfo as well.
Can’t we stop being filth, dirt and a sack of lie? I mean no one, not a single crap writing author/writer or follower of sport (minus a bunch of truly dedicated fans) has written any great things about this man and now he turns in to a great man over night?
Insane!
Shameful!!
Loathsome!!!
And I would rather say, offensive.
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Rahul Sharad Dravid, a most humble person, a lean and a good looking batsman debuted against England 15 years back. I started watching test cricket that very day.
It has been 15 good years and we have been asking him whatever we can and the reply has always been the same “Yes. I will do it.” with a broad smile and tons of assurance.
“Hey Rahul, We don’t have a number seven, will you?”
“Yes! Gleefully.”
“Hey Rahul, our number five is unwell. Can you do it?”
“Hey, you need not request. I shall do it.”
“Hey Rahul! You are slow in ODIs. Will you move out?”
“Ah! Never mind. There are better folks. I have been lucky to play this far.” Even after scoring more than the replacements.
“Hey Rahul! We have a problem. We only have spinners and all we need is a player with real good reflexes at slips. Will you do it?”
“Why not? The pleasure will all be mine. I would get to learn and contribute.”
“Hey Rahul! Would you mind coming in at 3 in tests? Actually, we are going on lush green grounds and our most experienced player has returned home after having a rough time with the captain.”
“No Problem. I am up to the task. I shall present myself for the team.”
“Hey Rahul! I told you, you would go places at number three. Can you take that position in ODIs as well?” As if you did nothing on your own.
“Why not? I would respectfully take it and perform my duties to the best I can.”
“Hey Rahul! Ours’ is a weakly balanced side. Will you mind if I ask you to keep wicket? Actually no one wants to do it, and everyone said that you can do it. You can actually do anything.”
“I certainly will do it. I will have to bend a little more but OK I have no problem if it is good for the team.”
“Hey Rahul! We have lost once again and our captain has no courage left to face the media. Can you…”
“I will take up this challenge and shield our openers, bowlers, fielders and anyone but me.”
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And the days passed, he took every burden and performed like Hercules. Stone after stone, steps after steps, runs after runs, catch after catch and we had a WALL of our own.
Relatively newer, more humble, more grateful yet, stronger.
And then…the requests were taken for granted.
“Our pacers are too weak. They can’t field. You need to run from first slip to third-man/fine-leg and get the balls.”
“I will take that responsibility.”
“We don’t have an opener. We have brought a rookie and he might not see the first over itself. You need to consider yourself as an opener and play all day long holding the fort.”
“I will play for the whole five days, it is an honor, though I do not deserve this much respect. Why are you worried?”
“Though he is a cricketing god, he can’t open under any circumstances. And you know, we must not ask reasons to god. So, it has to be you only.”
“No need asking him. I can do it as well.”
“Our god is playing yet again for his record, like a snail. Do the honor of calling him back. Mind you, that you take all the blame.”
“As ordered! For the spirit of a team-man.”
“Hello Rahul! Captain a team where we don’t have bowlers and openers.”
“Aahaa! It is the highest honor for a kid like me. I have never even dreamt of it. I am not that good for it.” After scoring 20000 international runs. You kidding me?? Are you?
“Hey! We can’t bowl, we can’t score runs. You have to win against West Indians on your own.”
“Affirmative. I shall comply.”
“Rahul! Go for the 20-20 world cup.”
“No! Give youngsters a chance. I will convince other senior fellow as well. We won’t take part.”
“Rahul! We don’t have an opener and we want to play Yuvraj. Sachin and Yuvraj are not keen to open.”
“I am the captain, I’ll do it. I will face the fresh leather.”
“We won’t listen to you, Rahul. Either you stay or we will.”
“Ok folks. For the good of the team, I quit.”
“Rahul! We are dropping you from ODI side.”
“I must improve. I have not been great.”
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Two years passed and Dravid did not play any ODI. He has been playing only tests and never asked for any break/rest and was never sick. Flawless!
“Rahul! We are going to bouncy tracks and we don’t have players to last 50 overs. Join us.”
“It is an honor, I will do it.” He was the second highest scorer and yet he was dropped after the series.
Two years later, India- Dravid struggled in England. And the facts: Everyone except Dravid skipped the practice match. Count SRT too.
Everyone except Dravid, struggled.
Everyone except Dravid played at his normal position. Dravid kept and opened, yet again. Not for the last time though.
And bingo!!!
“Dravid! We need you back in ODI. O savior! Please save us.”
“OK. Though I wished to retire from ODIs without any fuss today, as you have asked I am committed for this series.”
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How long man!!
How long will we insult him and in this course, the game of cricket and his humbleness?
It is not a frailty or a crime on his part to be good and kind. Agreed, he might not been the most exciting to watch for many. Taken that he might not be the all time best, he still is the finest human being and greatest sportsman the history will remember.
A true team man and a real worrier when the odds are stacked against, he never ever learnt to complain. This man knows only one thing and that is playing for the game and he does it with all the serenity a yogi could have. He is stuffed with the calmness only gods are authorized to, the strength only mountains have and the application only wind could possess. Rahul has never missed a single game (count domestic games, practice games and what not.). And our gods, they can't even field for the whole match. What shame!!
The game has seen many flamboyant and charismatic characters throughout the evolution but there have not been a single perfectionist as RSD who makes us believe why cricket was termed to be a gentleman's game.
Someone once said, no matter how highly everyone out there is rated only one person can stand anywhere with his bat. Yes, even on the mine fields having explosives everywhere. And that is Rahul Sharad Dravid.
He must have deprived us of his services in this ODI series but given the kind of gem Jammy is, this was expected that he will do it. He will do anything for the game.
Unfortunately, Scotland and England have understood his worth better that ourselves but then, this is how we Indians have been. Thankless bunch of non-sense zombies. Ah! I wish zombies don’t take it as an offense.
Somewhere 40 years later, I will be telling this to young kids:
There once was a humble tree
Who let everyone absolutely free
Anyone could have demanded anything
He would dance, write, choreograph and even sing
For his deeds he always stood second,
he was humble and never tried to pretend
None after him who could seed that faith
Even in the evening we will be safe.
For his staying and even a defense
I could throw down every crossing of fence.
No! He is not an unlucky player to not get the appreciations he deserved.
No! He is not an underachiever who could not make it large when time loomed.
It is us, the fellow countrymen who are the losers.
It is us who missed to read the art he sketched on the field.
It is us who missed standing and appreciating his stature.
It is us who never returned the faith he has given to us.
It is us who could work for he stayed there holding the forte.
It is us who have been thankless insects who does not value the cold light from moon.
It is us who do not actually know what batting is.
It is us who lost the opportunity to watch the classic and the class.
Saying anything for him would literally be less, he is the ultimate star and role model both as a cricketer and as a human being.
No! He is not an underachiever who could not make it large when time loomed.
It is us, the fellow countrymen who are the losers.
It is us who missed to read the art he sketched on the field.
It is us who missed standing and appreciating his stature.
It is us who never returned the faith he has given to us.
It is us who could work for he stayed there holding the forte.
It is us who have been thankless insects who does not value the cold light from moon.
It is us who do not actually know what batting is.
It is us who lost the opportunity to watch the classic and the class.
Saying anything for him would literally be less, he is the ultimate star and role model both as a cricketer and as a human being.
Salutes mate! For giving me pleasure for 15 years and honor for life!!
You simply are the best on and off the field!!!
The Knight India never deserved but always needed...
Miss your back-foot cuts, miss your river like calm celebrations, miss your cover drives, miss your sharp nips at slips and I will miss cricket in its classical form. You have been the sportsmanship personified. Period!
