Rahul Dravid

Is the guy over or finished ? Should he retire and make way for geeks like Raina or Sharma ? Rahul Dravid, who not so long ago was the indian skipper and one of the mainstay of Indian batting in ODIs and Tests. He was the man who won us the series in West Indies after 35 years and in England after 21 years. Mean achievements ah ?

And not to mention a superb run with the bat during Ganguly’s era. Hand in epic victories in Adelaide, Headingley, Perth (greatest of all overseas win), RawalPindi, West Indies and many such far away neverlands where India was never successful historically. He has been struggling for runs this year and the last year. He has been looked pedestal against the likes of Mendis and every cheating Muralitharan, but that doesnt take away the gloss away off a superb batting career for India.

He has been the captain who has been under severest of media scrutiny and undue pressure from ex-cricketers who were like a whiff of sand before him. He had to deal with the tantrums of an ego rich coach in Greg Chappell and then deal with the post world cup failure of 2007 and a coach less period for most part of 2007.

I dont think Dravid has finished or should retire now or in a year. He is just 35 and the law of averages has stuck him for the first time in 9 years. Thats fair. Every batsman goes through a high or a low and this is not a new phenomenon. Going on since 1876 when Test cricket began. The crap media scrutiny has began few years back. He has had to face most of the scrutiny in the past 3 years since the era of Ganguly as captain ended. First he was hailed for his winning ways with Chappell, then he was accused of plotting SG s down fall which appeared kiddish to me. The blokes have played their test cricket and odis together like conjoined twins. They have been delight to watch and the media goons got nothing better than plotting 1 against the other.

And then Dravid was compared to peerless Tendulkar. They both dont compete against each other, they play with each other. No other pair has ever made more runs for 3rd wkt partnership than the peerless pair of Tendulkar and Dravid. Occasional success of over enthusiastics like Raina and Sharma cant force the man of stature liek Dravid to go back and call curtains on his peerless career. And neither can any of the selector present or the future who were not even as half as good as the man from Bangalore himself.

I back Dravid totally to come good against his fav opposition in his home turf where he doesnt boast a very good record (60 in 2004 against Aus is his highest), yet he would overcome his nerves and resucrrect his career for another 2-3 years. Critics better watch out and be prepared to fag yourself in the dust bowl nearby.