Dravid's Swansong

Ajinkiya Rahane miscues another of his foolhardy shots and this time it lands on the fielder's palms. India lose their first wicket. Rahane walks off. Sofia Gardens stands. Not because Rahane, a future talent is walking off. Neither is Sachin Tendulkar scheduled to come in. It is because Rahul Dravid is coming in to play the last match of his 344 matches old ODI career.

The D-Day doesn't invoke any nerves on him. Dernbach tried pulling out of his delivery stride to try and make the occasion even more tense. But Dravid still had that serene look on his face. 

It was just another day at the crease for Dravid, evident in the way he played. The front-foot coming forward, the back-foot rocking back and then creating room by getting the front leg away a bit, the ball was cut for four. It was only timing and no power as the ball teased the fielders till the boundary. With Kohli, he did what he had been doing in that middle order for the past 15 years. Build a partnership with just ones and twos and allow your partner to accelerate by easing the pressure from your end. And after the half century, trying to adapt to the situation and getting a couple of boundaries. It was brilliant to see Dravid batting with Kohli. Both of them have similar class with those wrists being the strong point. Where Kohli lacks the feet movement, he makes up for it by his aggressiveness. And they complement each other just like Dravid used to do with Yuvraj before. 

When the ball beat the bat, spun and hit the stumps, Swann did not celebrate the 170-run partnership he had broken. Instead he ran over to congratulate Dravid. Swan himself had told how relieved he was after Dravid announced his retirement from ODI's saying he needn't have to bowl to the man who always looked in-form. The entire England team followed suit. It was a momentous occasion. Dravid had signed off in style.Walked back raising his bat not just to Cardiff but to the entire world. Sadly though he still ended up on the losing side.

It was also a day when I realized that the game of cricket can even bring tears to your eyes. I had tacitly gotten used to the Indian team without Dravid after 2007. Even the brief spell during the Champions Trophy didn't raise much hopes. But I feel thankful to the BCCI for having given a chance that allowed Dravid to announce his retirement. Else it would have gone unnoticed. While walking back to the pavillion the camera focused on his face. It showed that even The Wall has emotions!

Thank you Dravid for a selfless service to Indian cricket in the blue jersey.

P.S: Please read my first tribute to Rahul Dravid

My Picture of the Wall