Rahul Dravid : The Wall

[Riyazz]

Dravid :clap: .....

[raghavendran]

Dravid actually got overshadowed by SRT(obviously)..avar mattum Australiavila adirndha..adutha Bradmannu sollirpainga..he is the 3rd best Indian batsman ever..SRT,Gavaskar,then ivardhan..innum evolo kalam analum

[VinodKumar's]

West Indies v India, 1st Test, Kingston, 3rd day

Important to weather the storm - Dravid

Sriram Veera at Sabina Park
June 22, 2011

There is an element of gravitas about Rahul Dravid (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/28114.html) that escalates on days like this. The hands hold the bat tighter, his visage gets more determined, the eyes drip with intensity, the self-admonishments when he plays a shot he thinks he shouldn't have increase, and he drags you with him into the match. You can feel the pressure of the scoreboard, the match situation, the misbehaving pitch, and the whole drama. It's his battle, but you can feel the intensity.
"I love a contest," Dravid said. "It's because I love the contest [that] I still enjoy the sport. It's also good for me because we found ourselves a bit against the wall, and I had to fight my way through it … at this stage of your career you play because you love the contest, and [want] to make an important contribution to the team. It's a satisfactory feeling when you are in the middle of a situation [like this] and make a difference."
Early in the morning, Ravi Rampaul tested Dravid's patience and skill. Some deliveries cut in from outside off, some straightened and a few reared up. "He kept things tight for me and it was a good contest. I knew I had to get through that 7-8 over [period] of good quality from him. But you need to back yourself to fight through it rather than throwing it away."
He also had to take care the younger batsmen didn't throw it away. Late last evening, Dravid had to watch Virat Kohli being hustled by Fidel Edwards' bouncers. He repeatedly walked across to chat with his younger partner. He did that today as well with Kohli - who didn't last long - and the others that followed. "One of the things I tell these guys [the young players] is that you have to weather the storm, the intensity of a particular spell, that will last for 6-10 overs. In Test cricket you need to fight your way through that, and then things will become easier. You can get caught up a bit with things happening in the middle, people making a lot of noise, the ball flying around or spinning past you … I have committed that mistake, and thinking becomes really hard. But if you fight your way through that period, things will become a bit easier, like a bowling change or the bowlers will get tired."
That he did. In the end, West Indies had to find a way around him to get at India. Dravid was the last man to fall. It was an observation from Ravi Rampaul, that was shared by Darren Sammy at the press conference, that told the tale of Dravid's determination. "Ravi told me that Dravid played just one pull shot. That too, when he was on 98." And it came at a time when he was in danger of running out of partners. Even then, it was followed by self-admonishment. "Yeah, obviously it was partly because of the pitch, and also because of the situation we found ourselves in," Dravid said, about playing just one pull. "We knew that we have to set up a pretty decent score from [where we were at] 50-odd for three. They bowled pretty well also. So it was a combination of factors that made me a bit circumspect; I had to ensure that I was there till the end, and make sure that we got a competitive score."



http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/134300/134313.2.jpg


Dravid is not getting any younger - how taxing does it get, especially when there are long breaks between Test series'? "It was tough physically, especially coming off after a long journey and getting up early in the morning," he said. "It was pretty hot out there, and I have not played a Test in a long time. You can do as much training as possible: sit on a bike in gym and run laps around the ground. But for [complete] batting and fielding fitness … you need to have practice.
"Yes, it has been very challenging. If you do it consistently then you'll get a rhythm. With these breaks, I guess it takes some more time to get into it [the rhythm]. But it's not easy for someone like me who needs to bat long - I sweat a lot - so physically and mentally, it has always been a good contest. That's why I work hard on my fitness. I have the past experience to fall back upon", Dravid said.
Sammy was lavish in his praise. "Dravid has scored over 10,000 [Test] runs. He knows exactly what to do in these kinds of situations." Dravid hoped that his effort will culminate in a win. "It's [Sabina Park] a lovely place to tour, I have had some very good experiences as we won a Test match last time. So I hope this innings helps us to win this as well."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-india-2011/content/current/story/520450.html

[VinodKumar's]

Superb article :clap: :clap:

Dravid and the mastery of the struggle



http://sidveeblogs.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/rsd.jpg?w=500&h=382 (http://sidveeblogs.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/rsd.jpg)


The celebrated writer Amitav Ghosh once said (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703740004574513463106012106.html) about the process of writing: “It ne
ver gets easier; it’s always hard, it’s always a test. I’ve reached a point in my life where if a sentence seems easy, I distrust it.”

For many writers, practicing their craft is daily, ongoing struggle. As Susanna Daniel says (http://www.slate.com/id/2260395/) writing can lead to a state of “active non-accomplishment”. “Stunted ambition. Disappointed potential. Frustrated and sad and lonely and hopeless and sick to death of one’s self.”

For many writers, the joy lies in this struggle: to enter this web every morning, get trapped within and wriggle out by the end. To battle each sentence: twist it one way, then another before trashing it forever; to occasionally gather enough momentum to finish a paragraph; to extricate oneself from traps one has created for oneself; to get lost in ones own plot before eventually creating a way out. This must bring a most masochistic joy.

I think of all this when I watch Rahul Dravid. His daily search for struggle, his eagerness to bat on a spiked pitch, his desire to treat every ball like a grenade, his technique to counter any ball on any pitch and, most striking of all, his temperament to put behind the struggle that went before and focus on the struggle that awaits. Not for him a flat pitch on a sunny day. He’s not going to derive immense joy in hitting through the line. He craves a that masochistic joy.

For me, an ideal Dravid innings needs a most challenging pitch. If it’s a batting beauty with the ball coming on to the bat, give me Sehwag or Laxman; if there’s a truly great array of bowlers set to be unleashed, give me Tendulkar. If it’s a minefield, give me Dravid.

Great bowlers and a taut state of the match are a bonus. Kolkata (http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63920.html), Adelaide (http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64060.html) and Rawalpindi (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64083.html) are awesome but I want Headingley (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/63999.html), Perth (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/291353.html) and Jo’burg (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63738.html). I want Kingston (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/239923.html). I want Hamilton (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63827.html). The pitch must be spiced up or crumbling or smattered with cracks. A crater would be ideal. Or even a sandpit. Dravid cannot take stance knowing what the ball is going to do after pitching. He must not be offered predictable bounce. It’s all too insulting.

Dravid is the anti-McGrath. A batting metronome. Ball after ball, over after over, he wears bowlers down with his patience. It’s almost as if he has a plan: leave, leave, defend, leave, score. He sets up the bowler, making him bowl where he wants. Amid all this he calculates the vagaries of the pitch. It’s when he’s in a struggle that he’s in the zone.

For Hoggard, Caddick, Tudor and Flintoff at Headingley read Collins, Taylor, Collymore and Bravo at Kingston. For Donald, Pollock, McMillan and Klusener at Johannesburg read Doull, Cairns and Nash at Hamilton.
Today (http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-india-2011/engine/current/match/489226.html) he was up against Edwards, Rampaul, Sammy and Bishoo. They were operating on a pitch that was up and down, just that nobody knew when it was up and when it was down. The ball jagged to and fro. Partners came, partners swished, partners got talked to, partners swished again and partners left. Through it all Dravid struggled, a truly masterful struggle.

He advised Raina to stop wafting down the leg side, he admonished Praveen when he swished. He disapproved when Mishra got impetuous and seemed to be advising Harbhajan to play with soft hands. He was sweating and his gaze was narrowing every hour. No one else could handle the pitch or the conditions. Only he knew how to enjoy this torture.

When I see Dravid bat, I think of our daily lives, the frustrations we endure. I think of how we struggle through the mundane: paying bills, shopping for groceries, standing in long queues, cleaning utensils, vacuuming. I think of how we go through days at work, bogged down by clerical chores, stuck in pointless meetings, often accomplishing tasks that we least enjoy. I think of our silly struggles and how we’re often overpowered by them.

And then I think of Dravid. Of course I admire him for his technical expertise, his equanimity, his ability to rescue a side. Of course I marvel at the way he bats and bats and bats. Of course I enjoy how he battles a crisis.
But most of all, I’m constantly in awe of his mastery of something we all try and run away from: the struggle.

http://sidveeblogs.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/dravid-and-the-mastery-of-the-struggle/

[VinodKumar's]

RD is man of the match :clap:

Rahul Dravid is the MoM. He says, "The pitch in 2006 was a lot more difficult. This was a great cricket wicket, that one had lots of shooters and lifters. Kudos to the groundmen. It's a challenge to play Test cricket without warm-ups, but nowadays Test tours are so tight that you don't even have side games. A bit disappointed with my shot in the first innings. Enjoying it as much as ever. Days like this, that's what you play for." Never says the wrong words

[raajarasigan]

Whaddey playe :notworthy:

[Plum]

Thats a good article Vinod but the implication that Laxman is needed only on good batting pitches is needless. Laxman has his own set of masterpieces on dodgy pieces, least of all Mumbai 2004

[roosevelt92]

rahul dravid is really the wall of india he stand at a one side which support the others to perform well ...

[roosevelt92]

no compare of rahul dravid with other players he is really such a great player ...

[VinodKumar's]

England v India, 1st npower Test, Lord's

Dravid returns to where it all began

Lord's operates on the same characteristics that have defined Rahul Dravid's career: discipline, order, balance, elegance, simplicity and respect


Rahul Dravid may as well confess he feels at home at Lord's. The ground operates on the same characteristics that have defined Dravid's career: discipline, order, balance, elegance, simplicity and respect.
He is an honorary MCC member and part of the MCC's world cricket committee and has been making an annual visit to NW8 since 2008. He intimately knows the walls and the portraits in the pavilion that houses the committee room and the famous Long Room.
So when Dravid says Lord's is a "very special" place for him, believe it. The respect is mutual. Dravid, who will become the first active member of the world cricket committee to play a Test at Lord's on Thursday, was even allowed today to enter the inner sanctum of the pavilion in the Indian team's bright blue tracksuit.
In the past, this would have been an unpardonable act at the 224-year-old MCC, long known for its insular and closed attitude; a place where you cannot enter without wearing a jacket and tie. It was an exceptional allowance granted to Dravid.
"It always brings back some special memories. I think this place is personally very special for me," Dravid said, when asked about his relationship with Lord's, the ground of his debut. The ground where he fell five runs short of a maiden century in his very first innings. He has only got 215 runs in the three matches he has played, but his hunger that was there on June 20, 1996 hasn't diminished one bit. The appetite for runs is still the same.
"To start your Test career, at this venue 15 years ago was indeed very special for me. And coming back here, in some strange way you always feel at home. You feel that this is the place for cricket. This is the place that truly understands cricket, and history and tradition of the game," said Dravid, who along with Tendulkar, is the only member of the current team to play at Lord's in the 1990s.


http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/96700/96726.2.jpg


Our first experience at anything, regardless of the outcome, invariably becomes the inerasable reference point of our lives. For Dravid, the third day of the second Test 15 years ago is that point. "It meant a lot to me. I had played five years of first-class cricket to break into the Indian team. I'd scored a lot of runs in domestic cricket and got an opportunity to come on the tour of England." "At the start to series I wouldn't have given myself very good odds to even play with the kind of team that we had," he said. "There were a few injuries and I was lucky to get the opportunity and I knew that probably it would be the only one. Otherwise I would have to go back to domestic cricket and start the cycle all over again, scoring runs. But in India everyone scores a lot of runs in domestic cricket and sometimes it is very tough to break in. I had waited five years so I knew the significance and importance of it. So I was lucky. It was great for me, it meant so much. I never expected it to lead to anything. I never expected to be here 15 years later talking about it. Absolutely not."
Usually a reticent gent, and a bit stiff in front of the media, it was interesting to see Dravid open up about his insecurity as a youngster. But it is a nice example for today's youth like Abhinav Mukund and Suresh Raina in this squad and Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma and Murali Vijay back in India.. Most of them are on the same wobbling platform that Dravid stood on in 1996.
"I remember when I was 50 not out at the end of the day and I was walking back to the hotel with [Javagal] Srinath and I knew somehow that this was probably a very significant innings. I knew I had some more breathing space, I got a few more Test matches at least. It gave me a lot of confidence scoring 95 here and 80 at Trent Bridge. It gave me a lot of confidence for me as a player and as a person, too."

[VinodKumar's]

Thalaiva, wish u all the best for this tour. Pattaya kelapanum kadaisi england tour vera.

[VinodKumar's]

Arjun Tendulkar with Dravid at Lord's

http://p.imgci.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/135000/135090.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

"Tremlett to Dravid, 2 runs, that is what could not be done in 1996, Rahul Dravid shouts for joy as he puts this one past mid on, he punches the air, Lord's stands up, hug from Zaheer Khan, hug from Suresh Raina, lots of emotion from a man not given to showing them, the applause just does not seem to stop " ... :thumbsup:

[VinodKumar's]

http://i56.tinypic.com/2cdbmmb.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

http://i52.tinypic.com/df9b2a.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

http://i56.tinypic.com/d4j.jpg

[raghavendran]

idho en Enthiran ivan amaran :bow:

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehQxeWJqLr0&feature=feedu

Rahul Dravid 83 vs NZ 2nd Test 2009

[nvikky]

400 international catches for the wall.. way to go Rahul!!

[VinodKumar's]

Trent Bridge - 34 th test century !!! Equaled the greats BC Lara and Gavaskar. :clap: :notworthy: :clap:

http://i51.tinypic.com/6xxnv4.jpg

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Dravid :notworthy:. Fantastic innings and an absolute pleasure to watch. kaduppula out aayittaapla :sigh2:.

[venkkiram]

கவாஸ்கரின் சாதனையை சமன் செய்தாகிவிட்டது. அடுத்த இன்னிங்ஸிலேயே இன்னொரு சதத்தை அடித்து அந்த சாதனையை தாண்டிச் செல்ல வாழ்த்துக்கள்!

http://specials.rediff.com/cricket/2005/aug/22world-dravid.jpg

[littlemaster1982]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D8QM2NDgdc

On a pretext for an interview, a journalist from Singapore pleads Dravid to marry her. She introduces a man as her father, who also begs Dravid to marry his daughter.

:lol:

[wizzy]

riot..mr. Sachin :-)

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZAugEsfw-0&feature=related

RAHUL DRAVID - GREATEST CATCH!!!!!! vs PAKISTAN 2000 Gabba

[VinodKumar's]

# 36 -November 14, 2011 - India v West Indies, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 1st day

http://i41.tinypic.com/5mzk6.jpg


Eden Heroes ..

http://i43.tinypic.com/23tnhn5.jpg


http://i44.tinypic.com/2jakv9w.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Some stats ..

Rahul Dravid scored his 36th Test century (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=hundred s;template=results;type=batting) and his fifth of the calendar year. Only Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar are above Dravid on the list of highest Test centurions.

Dravid scored five hundreds in a year for the second time in his career. The previous year when he scored five centuries was 2002, He went past Ian Bell to become the highest run-getter in 2011 (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=runs;sp anmax2=31+Dec+2011;spanmin2=01+Jan+2011;spanval2=s pan;template=results;type=batting). Bell, however took eight innings fewer than Dravid.

Dravid's hundred is also his fourth at Eden Gardens (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;ground=292;orde rby=hundreds;template=results;type=batting) bringing him joint-second with VVS Laxman on the list of highest century-getters at the venue. Mohammad Azharuddin is on top with five centuries in seven matches

With their 12th century stand, Laxman and Dravid moved joint-second on the list (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=fow_hun dreds;template=results;type=fow) of Indian batting pairs with the most century partnerships. Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are on top with 19 hundred stands.

[VinodKumar's]

Cha easy ah double century poturukalam theva illama mokka time la out aagitaar :cry:

[littlemaster1982]

Adhuvum Brathwaite ball-la :| He looked rock solid till that lapse of concentration.

[VinodKumar's]

13K ku innum 21 runs thaan theva ... Intha match second innings veladuvoma :noteeth:

[littlemaster1982]

We'd play another match, don't worry :mrgreen:

[Plum]

13K or 14K , Whatever he scores, Ponting will outscore :poke:

[wizzy]

I hope Wall finishes his career on a high..imo the perfect timing will be the upcoming OZ series and then we have some 16 months of cricket in Indian conditions where we can groom future bats :)

[Plum]

Yeah, we'll end up selecting Yuvi/Raina/odi specialist who'll revel in indian conditions and then let us down in a crucial overseas series that will determine the #1 ranking. More than incapability of youngsters, our test future will be jeopardized by selecting test teams based on odi record. One Sehwag is clouding our judgement on this for 10 years now. Gambhir earned his test place on merit with scores in FC Cricket. Yuvi, Kaif, Raina et al have been wasting a berth for years by being the limited test batsmen they are. Ofcourse, this diatribe from me means Yuvi will score 40+ today, perhaps 50 or 100, and his supporters will claim he deserves a test place. But what will a good score for Yuvi today prove? Didn't he score a 169 last time before oz tour? Didn't he look clueless in that tour? Wasn't it down to his limitations which still persist? So yes I am not sure if the 16 months will be used on the right replacement for Dravid. Maybe, Kohli?

[wizzy]

The Yuvi has played himself out of the test squad..he can't face upto Windies bowlers on a patta wicket..Dravid will be 39 by the time OZ tour ends which should be the ideal time to quit..we can only hope odi specialists will wither away and test class batsman will shine through :-D You can't expect the newbies to debut overseas and pile runs like Wall..other than Pujara our other test hopefuls have their technique custom made for limited cricket and it would take time to switch gears from one format to other nonchalantly.

[littlemaster1982]

http://i.imgur.com/5NgAJ.jpg

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Yeah, we'll end up selecting Yuvi/Raina/odi specialist who'll revel in indian conditions and then let us down in a crucial overseas series that will determine the #1 ranking. More than incapability of youngsters, our test future will be jeopardized by selecting test teams based on odi record. One Sehwag is clouding our judgement on this for 10 years now. Gambhir earned his test place on merit with scores in FC Cricket. Yuvi, Kaif, Raina et al have been wasting a berth for years by being the limited test batsmen they are. Ofcourse, this diatribe from me means Yuvi will score 40+ today, perhaps 50 or 100, and his supporters will claim he deserves a test place. But what will a good score for Yuvi today prove? Didn't he score a 169 last time before oz tour? Didn't he look clueless in that tour? Wasn't it down to his limitations which still persist? So yes I am not sure if the 16 months will be used on the right replacement for Dravid. Maybe, Kohli?

+1 Guess kohli, pujara can replace dravid.. both young and if found to be effective can be persisted for a long time... .pujara does seem to have the temperament with very little we have seen him in international cricket....with yuvraj most probably out for the last test it would be a nice idea to test kohli as well.....but even vanthaalum sachin, dravid, saurav and laxman voda charm varaadhu,the only batting line that could give the great aus juggernaut of 2000s a run for their money...

[tamizharasan]

I honestly think Dravid can play for two more years. He did not play lot of cricket in the past few years. He did not play any ODI's in the last few years barring england's odi series. He is still very fit and scoring again very well. He should continue till atleast 40 IMO.

[wizzy]

^ eventhough the fan in me want to see more of Wall..I can't see him playing 2 more years and you wouldn't want to see him being dropped if and when he suffers a small dip in form..he is the highest run-getter in this calender year and if could extend this purple patch to the end of OZ tour this 2011/12 season will match up to his bradmanesque form of 2003/04. After OZ series India is not scheduled to play test cricket until SL tour in July hence OZ tour should be the right time to call it.

[VinodKumar's]

RA.Hul :lol:

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^ eventhough the fan in me want to see more of Wall..I can't see him playing 2 more years and you wouldn't want to see him being dropped if and when he suffers a small dip in form..he is the highest run-getter in this calender year and if could extend this purple patch to the end of OZ tour this 2011/12 season will match up to his bradmanesque form of 2003/04. After OZ series India is not scheduled to play test cricket until SL tour in July hence OZ tour should be the right time to call it.

India has a home series against pakistan in march listed in ftp of icc

[wizzy]

^test series nadakrathu doubt thaan

[Plum]

Wizzy, a lineup to challenge big 4 of india would be Cook-Trott-Pieter-Bell-Morgan. All time greatnga

[wizzy]

^Morgan elavasa enaipaa :lol:

[Arvind Srinivasan]

^test series nadakrathu doubt thaan

nadantha nalla irukkum....would be great to see how the indian batsmen fare against the pakistan spinners especially ajmal.....the best after swann imo

[wizzy]

^ off spinners in long sleeves murdabad

[KV]

//wizzyman, neenga chennaivaasi aa. hub meet attendance list la unga pEra kaanome?//

[wizzy]

//madrasan thaan..being a newbie will give this hub meet a skip :(//

[littlemaster1982]

Digression continues:

Ada, paravayillai vaanga :) Naan kooda first meet appo newbie-dhan :D

[KV]

//plum, ungala lock panniyaachu. Ippo neenga ivara lock pannunga. Ivaru kitterndhu pala samaachaaraththa karakka mudiyin!//

[sathya_1979]

//Dig: Iyaam going to miss the meet :cry2: //

[wizzy]

//Lm, shall see...
KV, naan avlo worthu ellaingoo :-D

[Dinesh84]

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/46543/dravid-is-close-to-my-heart-koertzen

[VinodKumar's]

West Indies tour of India, 3rd Test: India v West Indies at Mumbai, Nov 22-26, 2011

Day 3 - Session 2

28.1
Sammy to Dravid, FOUR, 122.1 kph, half-volley outside off. Driven majestically. To the left of short cover, and to the right of extra cover. Dravid raises his bat to acknowledge the reception for 13,000 runs. Tendulkar, all padded up, gives him a sitting ovation

:notworthy:

[VinodKumar's]

http://i40.tinypic.com/2nqthzc.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

http://i44.tinypic.com/2vio5sw.jpg

[ajaybaskar]

Sanjay Manjrekar tweets: Rahul Dravid, reaches 13000 test runs on the day people flocked to see tendulkar get his 100th 100...story of his career i guess.

[P_R]

Dravitt :clap: ICC player of the year.

Bell's average :clap:
Indhia varaikkin vandhavanga appadiyE Bangladesh kooda oru 2 test tour pOttirundhA appadiyE aLLirukkalaam.
Now Bravo will dominate public memory. Bell, Cook ellAm enna perusA paNNAinga -appadingra maadhiri oru pEchchu varum.
enna schedule podrAinga ECB, waste fellows.

[wizzy]

Wow Toffee kumar in the list...ellam sharjah gaju :-D..Dravid should cross his 2004/05 aggregate by the end of OZ tour:smokesmirk:

[littlemaster1982]

Sanjay Manjrekar tweets: Rahul Dravid, reaches 13000 test runs on the day people flocked to see tendulkar get his 100th 100...story of his career i guess.

The stupid fellow said this on studio analysis too. I don't get this at all. Rahul Dravid reaches 13K runs, but he is the second person to do it. If he is breaking a record, then I'm sure it would get some attention. Summa Dravid-ai yaarume kandukkaradhilla-nu solradhellam kaduppa irukku.

[wizzy]

LM, Dravid is/was always be in Sach's shadow...ethna perukku theriyum he has crossed 13k runs??pakathula erukaravangla kettu parunga...you would be amazed :-D having said all that Sanjay bigs up Dravid to settle his scores with Sach

[P_R]

Sanju Manju uLaral overA pOyittu irukku. It is a little embarassing when he is speaking with Walsh. Walsh has something reasonably insightful to say and then this guy has a superficial comment about that. Every time. Usually it some vague recollection about some player some match.

Walsh: dEi, naan sonnadhukkum, ippo nee sonnadhukkum ennadA sammandham?

Yesterday Shashtri, Bishop commentary. Shashtriar was recalling a time when Bishop-Walsh were leading the attack with Ambrose not having a great time and then burst into form (Aus '94?). After that he said: "what kind of advice would you give Ishanth Sharma?"

Bishop paused a moment (dEi, adhukkum idhukkum enna dA sammandham) and said something about bowling in the right areas etc. :lol:

[P_R]

LM, Dravid is/was always be in Sach's shadow...ethna perukku theriyum he has crossed 13k runs??pakathula erukaravangla kettu parunga...you would be amazed :-D Kallis naappadhu century adichchadhu kooda namma 19thMay-ku mattum dhaan theriyum. :mrgreen:

The annoying point is this:
having said all that Sanjay bigs up Dravid to settle his scores with Sach

[Siv.S]

Dravid :clap: :clap: :bow:

[sathya_1979]

Dravid :clap: :bow:

[littlemaster1982]

http://img.tapatalk.com/b26ee151-48eb-09f7.jpg

[raajarasigan]

siddharth maari irukkaapla.. :)

[runiloxomiha]

dravid :clap:
This Year leading run scorer in Test. 2nd player crossing 13K runs..... :notworthy:

[littlemaster1982]

siddharth maari irukkaapla.. :)

LOL, I thought the same too.

[wizzy]

^Siddharth Mallaya'va :)

[VinodKumar's]

Thanks Master.

[littlemaster1982]

^Siddharth Mallaya'va :)

Avan konavaai no. 7. Naan sonnadhu Siddharth Narayan.

[VinodKumar's]

RD's latest interview on Australia tour , Sachin's 100th 100 , Ponting , retirement etc ... Good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6dIfGJaJrWQ

[venkkiram]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/545355.html

An ambassador for cricket...

one of the great speeches of all times...

சாஷ்டாங்கமாக பாதத்தில் விழுந்து வரவேற்கிறேன்.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Rahul Dravid :notworthy:...wat a speech...guess he has a future in commentary as well...Acc to me the most insightful player in the team....

[VinodKumar's]

:smokesmirk:

[VinodKumar's]

"if i bat for any length of time I am more likely to bore people to sleep. Still, it is nice to have batted for a long time in a position, whose benchmark is, in fact, the benchmark for batsmanship itself. "

:notthatway: :cry: .

[VinodKumar's]

Listening to the audio of the speech in espn :happydance: :notworthy:

[nvikky]

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1034247230001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAu-f-8Kk~,XmIdfJLsQzCwmEXoyltgq8CiGzYe-l7P&bclid=1035563817001&bctid=1328102517001 (http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1034247230001?bckey=AQ%7E%7E,AAAAu-f-8Kk%7E,XmIdfJLsQzCwmEXoyltgq8CiGzYe-l7P&bclid=1035563817001&bctid=1328102517001)

Link to the video..

[GSV]

Whata speech.. Rahul :notworthy:

[wizzy]

Guardian on the speech
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/15/guardian-world-cricket-forum?CMP=twt_gu)
The great Rahul Dravid (I think we can call him that without fear of contradiction) gave the Bradman Oration in Canberra on Wednesday evening and it is one of the finest addresses of any sort that I have, if not heard, then read, the second one to come out of Asia after Kumar Sangakkara's stunning Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's last summer.

How is it that those from the subcontinent have a way with English, even when not spoken as a first language (Dravid identifies 15 different languages in the Indian dressing room) that often surpasses that of the British themselves? I wish I had been there to hear him. His words are moving – inspired by the venue, the War Memorial, he identifies the links between Australians and Indians that go back to the first world war, pays due deference to Bradman and his legacy and the cricketing bond that exists between the two countries with their colonial background, convincingly deconstructs our clouded outsiders' view of Indian cricket, recognises the problems faced in marketing Test cricket and, as is unusual in such things, then offers a solution. He was self-deprecating in a way that only the giants can be if they so choose. Some of us have only that single path open. I urge everyone here to take time to read it in its entirety or listen to the audio.

Back in the summer, I found myself irritated at what seemed to me to be a relative lack of recognition of Dravid's achievement and status. Each time Tendulkar came to the crease, it was to a standing ovation. Nothing wrong with that, but Dravid's progress to the middle garnered no such reception. And yet here, on what was his valedictory tour, was one of the supreme batsmen of his generation, the second highest run scorer in Test match history, and one who has faced more deliveries, in excess of 30,000, than any other. It would be nice to think that the Boxing Day crowd at the MCG will recognise such and deliver the ovation he deserves.

[runiloxomiha]

Guardian on the speech
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/15/guardian-world-cricket-forum?CMP=twt_gu)
The great Rahul Dravid (I think we can call him that without fear of contradiction) gave the Bradman Oration in Canberra on Wednesday evening and it is one of the finest addresses of any sort that I have, if not heard, then read, the second one to come out of Asia after Kumar Sangakkara's stunning Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's last summer.

How is it that those from the subcontinent have a way with English, even when not spoken as a first language (Dravid identifies 15 different languages in the Indian dressing room) that often surpasses that of the British themselves? I wish I had been there to hear him. His words are moving – inspired by the venue, the War Memorial, he identifies the links between Australians and Indians that go back to the first world war, pays due deference to Bradman and his legacy and the cricketing bond that exists between the two countries with their colonial background, convincingly deconstructs our clouded outsiders' view of Indian cricket, recognises the problems faced in marketing Test cricket and, as is unusual in such things, then offers a solution. He was self-deprecating in a way that only the giants can be if they so choose. Some of us have only that single path open. I urge everyone here to take time to read it in its entirety or listen to the audio.

Back in the summer, I found myself irritated at what seemed to me to be a relative lack of recognition of Dravid's achievement and status. Each time Tendulkar came to the crease, it was to a standing ovation. Nothing wrong with that, but Dravid's progress to the middle garnered no such reception. And yet here, on what was his valedictory tour, was one of the supreme batsmen of his generation, the second highest run scorer in Test match history, and one who has faced more deliveries, in excess of 30,000, than any other. It would be nice to think that the Boxing Day crowd at the MCG will recognise such and deliver the ovation he deserves.

:thumbsup:

[Puliyan_Biryani]

Dravid :clap:. Easily the most eloquent cricketer right now, in the world. adhukkunnu commentary-la ellaam vandhu kevalappada venaam :D.

[Plum]

Guardian has an agenda - adhaavadhu Sachinukku neRaiya ovation kedaikkudhaam, Unmaiyaana deserving Rahul dhaanaam. Adhukku dhaan banana needle adhu. Bleddy divide and rule englismen :evil: **** that aside, Kartikeya Date pretty much pirichu menjufied Rahul's speech. Adhula siladhellaam nyaayamnu dhaan thonudhu - lie detector etc

[P_R]

enna pirichu mEnjufied?

He all but dissed T20. idhai vida subtle-A, azhagA eppadi solla mudiyin. In places where cricket needs to compete for eyeball space with other sports, this is good (that's about it 'ngraar).

And restrict ODIs (your point I say) to be played in ICC events only. More tests -everyone wants to play that. And play in smaller towns. idhai vida enna edhirpaartheenga?

Let us submit to lie-detector tests and dope tests-nu sollappadaadhA? It was typical of Dravid to say any sacrifice is worth making for the sake of the game.

He was highly impressive.

[wizzy]

@Plum Date supports Weed..enough said :)

[sathya_1979]

enna pirichu mEnjufied?

He all but dissed T20. idhai vida subtle-A, azhagA eppadi solla mudiyin. In places where cricket needs to compete for eyeball space with other sports, this is good (that's about it 'ngraar).

And restrict ODIs (your point I say) to be played in ICC events only. More tests -everyone wants to play that. And play in smaller towns. idhai vida enna edhirpaartheenga?

Let us submit to lie-detector tests and dope tests-nu sollappadaadhA? It was typical of Dravid to say any sacrifice is worth making for the sake of the game.

He was highly impressive.
+1979. Sachin, Rahul and Dhoni's credibility can never be questioned. (Plum, don't ask "appO maththavangaLa question paNNalaamaa?" :wink: )

[Plum]

Feeyyaar, read Date's blog. I am in agreement lots of Rahul's speech. But 1) lie detectors are unreliable - idhai ellaam nambi oru sportsmanoda career-ai panayam vekka mudiyaadhu 2) Dope testsukkAga sacrifice ellAm remba over. Rahul-ai vidunga, namma employer varushathukku oru dope test kudunnAlE nAngaLLAm pongiduvOm. NallavargaL bayapada thEvai illai is so naïve in this cunning ICC world.

[Plum]

Sathya, the man whose integrity I have the highest regard for is VVS. Not only has he avoided any controversy, been honest etc. When it came to icon status, Savraj ellAm vekkam illAma icon-nu sonnadhai othukittu financialA benefjappO, VolunteerA avLO periya thogaiya nirAgarichadhu VVS dhaan. Even Dravid didn't say " T20la nAn avLO worth illinga". (Which, I believe is true - and if it came to services to Indiacket at that point, VVS was ahead of Viru and Dhoni. Still ahead I would say). AdhukellAm oru thani integrity vONum.

[sathya_1979]

:oops: how did I miss him? :ashamed:

[P_R]

But 1) lie detectors are unreliable - idhai ellaam nambi oru sportsmanoda career-ai panayam vekka mudiyaadhu
Beats letting the cloud of suspicion hang-over the game.
If someone of Dravid's calibre sticks his neck out it will hopefully pressurize others to follow suit.


2) Dope testsukkAga sacrifice ellAm remba over. Rahul-ai vidunga, namma employer varushathukku oru dope test kudunnAlE nAngaLLAm pongiduvOm.
There's a world of a difference, between sportsmen and and the likes of us. Where the spectre of drugs can mess the sports.
People reluctant to reveal their whereabouts (privacy concerns) etc. - Dravid brushed these aside.

I guess the whole thing is, he did not sound anti-establishmentarians. That is understandably disappointing to those who think things are broken and rancid and need of a complete overhaul.

But the suggestion (I don't know if Date was actually implying so or I am just carrying my annoyance with Ganguly over here) that Dravid is being safe because he doesn't want to step on any toes is quite baseless. I found him typically sincere and he didn't hold back on the points he wanted to make.


NallavargaL bayapada thEvai illai is so naïve in this cunning ICC world. It is best to take things at face value and fight with incontrovertible honesty and determination. It was an occasion for a message like that and Dravid did a solid job in delivering it.

Technology adoption paththi avar kitta karuththu kEttirukkAingaLA? :mrgreen: Sensible-A pEsuvAr-nu oru nambikkai.

[ajithfederer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPUNgfAFfHk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Rahul Dravid 190 NZ Hamilton 1999

[VinodKumar's]

:bluejump::redjump: Happy Bday Thalaiva :redjump::bluejump:

Wish you have nice year.

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/9760/rahuldravidbattingwallp.jpg

[wizzy]

39 now..I can see him calling it quits after this series :(

[Plum]

Indha nandri ketta indian cricket fans Kohli scored fast century in ahmedabad test so replace fravid-nu solRadhukku munnaadi retire aayiduppaa. Let indian cricket reduce to ipl and t20...un kaalam vellum

[wizzy]

Kohls'a romba nambaringa..he is fast breaking to Weed's territory..can't see a hot head being a future Indian captain and with no Warnie/Pigeon in the horizon..no 100 test wins either :)

[sathya_1979]

Plum, indha pontingkku oru vazhi paNNappadaadhaa?

[VinodKumar's]

39 now..I can see him calling it quits after this series :(

Itha yean nyabaga paduthuringa :cry: :twisted:

[littlemaster1982]

Happy Birthday, Dravid 8-)

[sathya_1979]

Happy Birthday Jammy!

[raajarasigan]

Happy Birthday to Indian Cricket's best servant Rahul Dravid :D

[Plum]

Pontingku maximum soonyam vechAchu - idhukku mEla "connection limits error" varudhu. Kalyasi dhaan EdhAvadhu pArthu seyyaNum

[VinodKumar's]

Bday Spl. Dravid's debut innings - Lord's


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6y3bxEeS-Y

[Raghuram]

Rahul Dravid, is a typical south indian. He plays cricket with a south indian mentality. Calm, patient, doing the work in the background, without any flash, dance and style.

[ajaybaskar]

Breaking News: Dravid likely to retire on Friday

Rahul Dravid is likely to announce his retirement on Friday. Dravid, 39, has called a press conference in Bangalore that will also be attended by N Srinivasan, the BCCI president.

[scorpio]

nadakka koodaadhu : pray:

[hamid]

:shock: why shd he retire from Test cricket? thats very sad, if true..

[VinodKumar's]

:(. cha at least he shud have retired by the end of last test match. Srinivasan yethum raangu pannitaana :twisted: ... aiyo ...

[VinodKumar's]

cricinfo la yum potutaanunga :( ..

[sankara1970]

Retirement:(

[19thmay]

He deserves a test series or at least test win farewell...

[hamid]

He deserves a test series or at least test win farewell...

Very much.. At least he could have waitied till the next series with prior announcement of his retirement after that.

[wizzy]

Retirement:(

eppadi kuzhanthaiyum killi vitutu.. :lol:

[P_R]

நாளைக்கு யாராவது டாண்டன், ஐதராபாத், ஈடென்,அடிலெய்ட், கராச்சி'ன்னு சொன்னீங்கன்னா எனக்கு கெட்ட கோவம் வரும்.
He had a awesome 2011 and just ONE bloody bad tour.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Very bad news....dravid definitely deserves a farewell series...it isnt clear if this was planned by him or the bcci got involved in some way....saurav poanathe enakku konjam varuthamma irunthathu..ippa dravid, one of my all time favourite player vera......

[Plum]

Seenu mama attending? Looks like some pressure from virat and raina's sponsors on seenu mama to make this happen. Seenu mama naasamaa poga! Ipl naasaama poga! Chennai super kings naasamaa poga! India cements naasamaa poga! All sponsors companies naasamaa poga! :mannaivaarithootral:

[Plum]

Arvind and other true cricket lovers - pledge with me. WE WILL NOT WATCH A SINGLE BALL In IPL. Come on, this is the least we can do.

[P_R]

Arvind and other true cricket lovers - pledge with me. WE WILL NOT WATCH A SINGLE BALL In IPL. Come on, this is the least we can do.

Let me see :lol2:

[wizzy]

^amam whoever got their Kings club membership should relinquish it :neutral:

[P_R]

Sachin gOlikundu viLayAdinA kooda kuththa vachchu pArppeenga, ennamO veerAppu pEsikkittu...

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Arvind and other true cricket lovers - pledge with me. WE WILL NOT WATCH A SINGLE BALL In IPL. Come on, this is the least we can do.

guess IPL will be the only medium through which we can see the likes of dravid play i guess...enakku antha vaippu kooda illa....will be leaving for US in another months time for my MS.....so enna kanakulla sethukkatheenga.....:)

[Plum]

P_R - not a joking matter. I am dead serious. Idhu interval block. This is where the character has a transformation.

[SoftSword]

oh dravid....
a player like u shd not call ur retirement in a press conference like this...
we want to see ur last day in whites!! :(

[P_R]

enakku indha Dow-kaaga Olympics-ai boycott paNradhu, Mugabe-kaaga Zimbabwe-vai oorai vittu odhukki vaikkiradhu - idhellAm unselected.
I am a firm believer in adhu bAttukka adhu, idhu bAttukka idhu.

But I welcome your decision. Whaterver your reasons, indha T20, kuRippA IPL, ozhinja sandhOsham dhaan.

You saw the latest ad? They make no bones about that it is a circus.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

They could have given him a chance till the next series at home....enna building team for 2017 test championship kaaranama......our guys just dont deserve a dravid......

[wizzy]

oh dravid....
a player like u shd not call ur retirement in a press conference like this...
we want to see ur last day in whites!! :(

with SL tour now comprising only of T20s/odies should have hastened this decision.

[SoftSword]

enakku indha Dow-kaaga Olympics-ai boycott paNradhu, Mugabe-kaaga Zimbabwe-vai oorai vittu odhukki vaikkiradhu - idhellAm unselected.
I am a firm believer in adhu bAttukka adhu, idhu bAttukka idhu.

But I welcome your decision. Whaterver your reasons, indha T20, kuRippA IPL, ozhinja sandhOsham dhaan.

You saw the latest ad? They make no bones about that it is a circus.

i can understand plums pov but i can never stop watching/thinking abt cricket...
kamal solra maadhiri, enakku verendha velayattum theriyaadhu/puriyaadhunga...
naanlaam theruvula pasanga velayandaale vandiya nirutthuttu veyil'la ninnu fullaa paappenga...

[SoftSword]

yes wizzy, that could be the reason... but he could hav waited, atleast keeping his fans in mind :(
repeat: oru nermaiyaana adhigaari retire aagi varrappo kaakkichattaila verappaa vandhu dhaan easychairla saayanum...

[P_R]

i can understand plums pov but i can never stop watching/thinking abt cricket...
kamal solra maadhiri, enakku verendha velayattum theriyaadhu/puriyaadhunga...
naanlaam theruvula pasanga velayandaale vandiya nirutthuttu veyil'la ninnu fullaa paappenga...

Twenty over match, aana5 wickets a side. ippadi vaikka sollunga, naanum pAkkuREn.

[SoftSword]

Twenty over match, aana5 wickets a side. ippadi vaikka sollunga, naanum pAkkuREn.

pr, neenga paarunga illa paakkaama ponga :lol:
enakku cricket'na oru bowler runup eduthu odivandhu podradhula irundhu oru batsman avana observe panni epdi adha play panraan'a varaikkum dhaan.. naan net practice videos ellaam night mulichu ukkandhu paathirukken... :)
enna vilayadravanga india'kaarana irukkanumnu nenappen.. avlodhaan.
indha icc ranking, worldcup, idhellaam andha basement'ku mela kattuna kattadangal dhaan...
ofcourse, it all started with sachin for me.

[Cinefan]

If at all he announces his retirement,will personally be a sad day.Already my cricket watching is negligible,will almost stop if Dravid is not around.

IPL should flop big time and subsequently close down is my wish but ippo that's the only format he will be playing.Dilemma :(

[Cinefan]

And as usual,the media focussing on his failure in Australia and the fact that he was repeatedly bowled.

He is supposedly announcing his retirement,can't they focus on his entire career?Sometimes feel what the so called advocates did to them in Bangalore last week was right.

[wizzy]

pr, neenga paarunga illa paakkaama ponga :lol:
enakku cricket'na oru bowler runup eduthu odivandhu podradhula irundhu oru batsman avana observe panni epdi adha play panraan'a varaikkum dhaan.. naan net practice videos ellaam night mulichu ukkandhu paathirukken... :)
enna vilayadravanga india'kaarana irukkanumnu nenappen.. avlodhaan.
indha icc ranking, worldcup, idhellaam andha basement'ku mela kattuna kattadangal dhaan...
ofcourse, it all started with sachin for me.

:2thumbsup: Inba Then Vandhu Payudhu Kadhinile..did Gangs calling it a day resulted in the same resentment in the hub :-D

[SoftSword]

i felt bad then that we cannot a good leader and fighter in cricket anymore... i have always been a fan for his off-side cut gap shots and the way he dances down for those straigh sixes, especially against left arm spinners... but atleast he timed it right and we could indulge in his last hours in the ground, and dhoni showing some respect for him on the last day :notworthy:
but dravid, being a legend deserves/commands an eventful retirement... the one who was always least celebrated inspite of his abundant talent, performances and most importantly his character... but the timing this has arrived... :(
oru maaveranoda mudivu porkklaatthula nadakkuradhu dhaane azhagu...
endha visayatthulayum finishing touch nemba mukkiyam...
ennanreenga...

[tamizharasan]

Dravid is my all time favorite cricketer. It is very tough decision to make for him after his failure at Australia. But probably the right one considering the fact he always told loud and clear that everything has to be based on what is the best for the team. I will miss you Dravid.

[venkkiram]

டிராவிட்!

டெஸ்ட் கிரிக்கட்டில் மே(மெ)ன்மையான ரசனை அனுபவ வெள்ளத்தில் இதுவரை என்னை தொடர்ச்சியாக ஆழ்த்திய பணிக்கு கோடானுக்கோடி நன்றிகள்! பசுமையான நினைவுகள் என்றும் பச்சையம் இழக்காமல் பின் தொடரும்!

:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

[SoftSword]

பச்சையம்

u mean chlorophyll??

[sathya_1979]

:cry2: :bow:

[venkkiram]

u mean chlorophyll?? Yes.

http://tawp.in/r/2re

[wizzy]

dig//does any one else facing issues accessing cricinfo..is the site hacked??//

[VinodKumar's]

I wanted to ask the same here. I am not able to access it for last 3 hours ...

[Plum]

Softie - naanum CCL-lAm pAkkuRavan dhaan. But idhu koLgai theermAnam.

[VinodKumar's]

IPL should flop big time and subsequently close down is my wish but ippo that's the only format he will be playing.Dilemma :(

Athae thaan. Nethiku news therinjathula irunthu IPL ah nenachi thaan aaruthal pattukitu irukaen. Intha time RR ku support ah kudukalamnu vera theevirama yosichikitu irukaen :)

[GSV]

In Tv9, They showed dravid's best performances in test and ODI... am so sad while watching the show as we are going to miss him really.. :cry2:

First time i am so sad when someone(Sportsman) is retiring.. :(
We will miss u .. Dravid. :notworthy:

[Death Note]

:bow:
Will be a big miss for cricket and cricket fans everywhere. Congratulations on a splendid career. :clap:

[GSV]

Sachin: There is no other cricketer like dravid

[wizzy]

NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday paid rich tributes to Rahul Dravid, who is expected to announce his retirement from international cricket on Friday, saying there can be "no other" cricketer like him.

"There was and is only one Rahul Dravid. There can be no other. I will miss Rahul in the dressing room and out in the middle," Tendulkar said.

India's batting stalwart Dravid, second most prolific batsman in Test history, has called a press conference in Bangalore on Friday, prompting speculation that he may announce his retirement from international cricket where he has been a star for over 15 years.

Test cricket's two most prolific batsmen, Tendulkar and Dravid together fashioned many of India's famous wins with crucial partnerships over the past one and a half decade.

Talking about those partnerships, Tendulkar said, "I have shared the best moments with him. Our many century partnerships are testimony to the hours we spent together in the middle.

"For someone who has played 164 matches and over 13000 runs, no tribute can be enough."

Former opener Arun Lal said Dravid is retiring at the right time.

"It's a personal decision for a cricketer or for any sportsperson to retire. I think there was very little left for Dravid to achieve in cricket. SO it's the right time to retire.

"Dravid is not only a great cricketer but also an ambassador of the game, a role model and a gentleman. Runs apart he is a cricketer who should be emulated by the youngsters," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/There-was-and-is-only-one-Rahul-Dravid-Sachin-Tendulkar/articleshow/12187906.cms

fcuk..can't believe this is really happening :cry3:

[GSV]

idhellam padikarrappo sathyama getting too emotional.. :( edho pannudhu..

[SoftSword]

and the positive thing from the above article is, sachin sounds like hes gonna be around for sometime..
also, i assume that dravid would hav had a personal discussion with sachin on this and there seems like a lot of thought process has gone before calling it out now...

btw, it doesn come across as a shock to me and i am not getting too emotional for unknown reasons...
i think the past few months and the events hav mentally prepared us for the news...
am i alone?

[wizzy]

SS,kind of feeling numb reading tributes..from Nirmal Shekar's column..some praise this from B.C Lara

“Rahul Dravid is one player I could go and watch. Come to think of it, if I wanted someone batting for my life, , it would be Rahul,”

[SoftSword]

no surprise wizzy...
ponting, warne were found busy writing some of their words... wait for em...
namma old players enna solraanga... gavaskar eppovum pola paaraattuvaar... ganguly enna solraar pappom...

[ajithfederer]

http://p.imgci.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/17500/17589.jpg

[ajithfederer]

Vinod, please embed the pics from this link whenever possible. Some great pics here.

[wizzy]

no surprise wizzy...
ponting, warne were found busy writing some of their words... wait for em...
namma old players enna solraanga... gavaskar eppovum pola paaraattuvaar... ganguly enna solraar pappom...

Twatto
I've been very lucky to have a really good association with Rahul. He's probably the nicest guy - no, he is the nicest guy - that I've met in cricket. He's a phenomenal man. He loves the game with so much passsion, it's in his blood and in his heart. He is certainly going to be sorely missed by the Indian public and the cricket loving public as well. "I suppose I'm lucky that he's my captain for Rajasthan so I'll continue to talk cricket as much as I possibly can because I do love talking to him. He's got a lot of knowledge to be able to give."

[VinodKumar's]

Vinod, please embed the pics from this link whenever possible. Some great pics here.

Where is the link AF ? THe one which u put is :notworthy:

[wizzy]

^ from here http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/gallery/556655.html

http://www.espncricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/143300/143365.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

OK I got the link ...This one right

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/gallery/556655.html

Great pictures ... I am waiting for press conference hoping for a good news :|

[VinodKumar's]

Even if he wud have called press for some other reason now the whole media has almost forced him to announce the retirement. Avan avan tribute video lam poda aarambitchutaan :twisted: anyway good one ...

http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/rahul-dravid-likely-to-announce-retirement-on-friday/225822

[VinodKumar's]

From orkut Dravid community

"just now read in news paper that...Dravid called shiv lal yadav who was member of the selection panel that selected Dravid in 96....He called him n told him about his retirement n thanked him for helping him to become indian Cricketer..!!

Such a great gesture..It seems he called everybody who ever helped in these last 20 or 25 cricketing yrs, from his child hood coach to Sachin
tendulkar...."

:cry:

[VinodKumar's]

I would be very happy if Sachin and Ganguly attends this press conference and they three together appear in white uniform : overa aasai paduraen la: :( ... Srinivasan lam attend pannalaenu yaaru azhutha :banghead:

[Plum]

I wish he does a ponting and says he intends to continue after calling a grand press conference :lol:. As Vinod said, apdi oru eNNam irundhaalum, media has pre-empted that with their soozhchi. Seriously, I doubt the involvement of Cola companies and other sponsors who have already signed up young guns. They have to build new commercial heroes and I wouldn't be surprised if they paid tv news channels and newspapers to spread this rumour talk and mentally force Rahul. Disgraceful!

[Plum]

I know I have to let go but nejamaa vayiRu eriyudhu. If he had got a farewell series etc, mansu kettirukkum. The method and manner of farewell is BP-raising. Indian Cricket, you'll pay for this insult to your loyal, caring, dignified son. Innum 5 varushathula BCCI bondi Agi, England and Australia powerukku vandhu Indian Cricketai sarva naasam paNNuvaanga. Idhu nadakkum!

[wizzy]

^did any of the Indian g8s had a farewell series? the news always came like a bolt from the sky..Gangs was lucky in this regard..

[P_R]

inside info: apparently he wanted to retire after England tour. After board hinted they wanted him for Aus (and also pulled off the ODI googly) he agreed to play on.

[mgb]

:( idhukku badhila 22nd August 2011'la announce panni irukkalaam

:bow: for all the entertainment he has given... I felt very bad when he missed his century on debut by 5 runs.. now i feel i am broke :(

[GSV]

and the positive thing from the above article is, sachin sounds like hes gonna be around for sometime..
also, i assume that dravid would hav had a personal discussion with sachin on this and there seems like a lot of thought process has gone before calling it out now...

btw, it doesn come across as a shock to me and i am not getting too emotional for unknown reasons...
i think the past few months and the events hav mentally prepared us for the news...
am i alone?

SS,

Evlothaan prepare aanalum, exam annaiku konjam padapadappa thaan irukum.. oru naal retire aagaporrarnu theriyum but nadakara annaiku romba kastama thaan iruku(m).. unknown reasonsteenga posukunnu.. naa(ma) paathu velayanda dravid illaya.. ennamo ponga..

[ajaybaskar]

Rahul Dravid is a phenomenal man and nicest guy in cricket: Shane Watson

MELBOURNE: Stand-in Australian captain Shane Watson has paid glowing tributes to Rahul Dravid, describing the retiring Indian batting stalwart as a "phenomenal man" and the "nicest guy" he has ever met in cricket.

Dravid, the second most prolific batsman in Test history, is expected to drew curtains to his 15-year-old marathon Test career at a press conference in Bangalore later today.

And Watson said Dravid, the skipper of his Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, will be sorely missed by the game.

"I've been very lucky to have a really good association with Rahul. He's probably the nicest guy - no, he is the nicest guy - that I've met in cricket. He's a phenomenal man," the Aussie said.

"He loves the game with so much passion, it's in his blood and in his heart. He is certainly going to be sorely missed by the Indian public and the cricket loving public as well," Watson was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"I suppose I'm lucky that he's my captain for Rajasthan so I'll continue to talk cricket as much as I possibly can because I do love talking to him. He's got a lot of knowledge to be able to give."

Watson, who himself was sidelined due to injury during the rubber, believes Dravid still is in pretty good shape and his below-par average of just 29 in India's 0-4 rout in the Test series Down Under was a result of some brilliant bowling by the Australians.

"I was actually talking to Rahul during the IPL last year and he was contemplating whether he was actually going to come out to Australia," he said.

"But after having such an amazing England series he obviously felt it would be a great option to come out to Australia.

"I suppose in the end it showed the dominance of our bowlers because Rahul was still in pretty good touch but our bowlers just bowled so well to him," added Watson, who will lead Australia in place of injured Michael Clarke in the limited-overs leg of the West Indies tour.

[scorpio]

Assuming Dravid announces his intention to retire, can't Seenu maama say the Board will play him in the next test and give him a grand, deserving farewell? Idhellam koodathunnu rule book-la irukka?

[ajaybaskar]

I have many cricket lovers around my cabin and the atmosphere is so dull from yesterday. Not a single talk or even a murmur. As if someone's dead. :(

[Cinefan]

Plum,
There has def been a leak here from the board which was quite unnecessary.Assuming he really wants to quit,am sure the news could have been guarded.

Am with you on this,BCCI should get into severe problems and stop controlling cricket with money power.

Don't know if you know :),they have raised the rates for TV coverage for the upcoming season.Enna aanalum,jananga paarpanga endra thimiru.

[ajaybaskar]

CF,

When RD calls for a press conference, its more or less implied, right?

[Cinefan]

Ajay,
Implied it is but allow the man to say it in his own words.Why has everybody jumped the gun???

[ajithfederer]

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/50267/press-conference-as-it-happens

[ajithfederer]

Press conference as it happens
Bangalore, Fri, Mar 09 2012
Text Size Decrease font Enlarge font
Hello and a good afternoon where ever you may be. An era in Indian cricket will come to an end as Rahul Dravid is set to announce his retirement from International Cricket. He will address a press conference at 12:30 PM IST along with the BCCI president N Srinivasan to make his decision known.

We will be bringing you all the updates from that press conference as it breaks. So do stay tuned.

Update at 12:00 PM: Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble arrive for the press conference. It is taking place in the KSCA office at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

Update at 12:25 PM: Rahul Dravid has just walked in with his wife Vijetha and two sons to begin the press conference. N Srinivasan and Kumble are present as well.

Rahul Dravid: "I hereby announce my retirement from International cricket and domestic as well. It has been 16 years since I started playing. I have many people to thank. My junior coaches at Bangalore have inculcated me a powerful love of the game which has always stayed with me."

"In the Indian team I have been fortunate to have been part of an era where we won home and away". I found support and encouragement from my parents and brother. My wife Vijetha has been a single parent as I travelled all over.

"I have failed at times, but have not stopped trying. I leave with sadness and pride".

N Srinivasan: "I have mixed feelings. All of us know what Rahul Dravid has achieved on the field. I guess every Indian cricket fan knows every statistic by heart. He has been a great ambassador for the Indian team. We all think that everybody is permanent. Deciding to retire has to be the toughest decision Rahul has had to made. We all know how he performed in England.

[VinodKumar's]

RD's one of the best and fluent one day innings in Taunton , wc 1999

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT7x4quDklw

Even England batsmen have not enjoyed their home pitch like this guy :thumbsup:

[ajaybaskar]

Ajay,
Implied it is but allow the man to say it in his own words.Why has everybody jumped the gun???

Reason being the media. Aishwarya Rai pregnantngra seidhiya headlinesla poattavangathaane naama?

[VinodKumar's]

Mudinjiruchu ellam :|

[ajithfederer]

Now Dravid will take questions from the media. Dravid says it is time to move on. "I felt it is the right time to go. For want of a better word, I felt that the time was right and I needed to move on."



"Having played for India for 16 years, it was a difficult decision. I knew the time was right, it is hard in a way, but easy as well, but deep down you know that you have to make way for the youngsters."



"When you play for 16 years, there will be incredible highs and there will be lows as well. At the end of the day, there is a huge sense of satisfaction, but I have left no stone unturned in trying to become the cricketer I wanted to become."



"When you play International Cricket for India, you have to learn deal with the criticism. It is two sides of the same coin. The media has been kind to me and the people as well. I have got nothing else to say."



"Irrespective of how the Australian series would have gone, I had decided to take a call after the series. I had confided in a few friends and discussed what was good for Indian cricket and what the future holds

[satissh_r]

Sad moment, I was wishing he would play domestic cricket, athvum illaya :(

You are a superhero for me Dravid, all the very best for the future ahead.

[VinodKumar's]

RD on playing farewell match : We should not play the game for the sake of playing or at least I am not the one who take the game like that.

Cricket is losing one of its devotee.

[VinodKumar's]

Press conference is over.

[satissh_r]

"I was disappointed that I put down a few catches in the last year. Whenever you drop a catch it is disappointing. I can get over getting out, but dropping a catch really stays with me. It really hurts. As a slip fielder you are going to drop a few, that's part and parcel of the game. The fewer you drop the better it is."


Shows his class, DK and Parthiv should hang themselves after hearing or reading this...

[19thmay]

Retirement is fine but the way he got retired hurts me.

It all started as he was leading the badly losing side @ WC 2007. If he planned to get retire after OZ tour he could have announced before the last match at least.

[VinodKumar's]

Q. Was there a temptation to stay for one more Test match at home?

Dravid: "If you make a decision during a series, then I think it is great. I have been part of nice farewellls. But I made my decision now. Just to keep playing for the sake of playing one more match was not right. That's not how I have played the game. The only reason I played a cricket match for India was to try and win a match for India."

[VinodKumar's]

Retirement is fine but the way he got retired hurts me.

It all started as he was leading the badly losing side @ WC 2007. If he planned to get retire after OZ tour he could have announced before the last match at least.

It seems he was not thought abt retirement at that time. Australia la irunthu vantha piragu thaan decide pannirukaar pola.

[19thmay]

"Irrespective of how the Australian series would have gone, I had decided to take a call after the series. I had confided in a few friends and discussed what was good for Indian cricket and what the future holds

Vinodh - Konjam kozhappama iruke? Probably double mind-la irundhirupaar pola?

[VinodKumar's]

Oh I missed this. Athuakpuram mudivu pannalamnu irunthurupaar veladalama venamaanu ...

[wrap07]

Will miss you rahul :sad:
Really Sad and emotional moment. it is a privilege to watch on and off the field.
A True Role model. Dignity personified.
Wishing you all the best in your life. Great man. :thumbsup:

[19thmay]

N Srinivasan: "I have mixed feelings. All of us know what Rahul Dravid has achieved on the field. I guess every Indian cricket fan knows every statistic by heart. He has been a great ambassador for the Indian team. We all think that everybody is permanent. Deciding to retire has to be the toughest decision Rahul has had to made. We all know how he performed in England.

Adhenna mixed feelings? appo adhula sandhoshamum included-a? :lol2:

[VinodKumar's]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFDzB38HurE&sns=fb

[VinodKumar's]

We all know how he performed in England.

Enna solla varapla Srinivasan. We all know how he performed in England am ... yetho orae oru series velandtutu retire aagura maari pesuraan ... varalaena ezhuthi vazhikitu vanthavathu vasikalam la ...ivar varalaenu yaaru azhutha ... he is pulling words from my mouth :twisted:

[GSV]

cricket laye irukara maari edhavadhu nalladha pannunga Dravid..

[littlemaster1982]

Thanks Rahul for all those fighting innings and great memories :notworthy: Vera edhuvum solla varala :|

[ajaybaskar]

Rahul Dravid: much more than a wall

"I don't believe that you judge careers, or what people have done for 15-20 years based on one or two matches at the end. It is the body of work over a lifetime that goes into making a success story."

These words, spoken by Rahul Dravid during India's crushing 4-0 Test defeat in England last year, ring true on the day Indian cricket's most successful No. 3 batsman called time on his international career. A terrible final tour of Australia – 194 runs in eight innings, seven bowled dismissals in a row and no catches for the first time in a series of three or more Tests – and India's collective poor showing cost him the chance of a fitting swansong but the memories will live long. Dravid's poor returns in his final series did nothing to take away from the greatness of the man, the batsman and the Indian, or of what he has achieved in an international career spanning nearly 17 years.

Dravid's story is more than numbers and figures; it is about one man's consistency and dependability.

Where does one begin to pay tribute to Rahul Sharad Dravid? How do you assess his contributions to Indian cricket? He finishes as the second-highest run-scorer in Test cricket – just pause and read that again, let the words settle in your head – while being a role model for players the world over. He captained India to Test series wins in the West Indies and England to snap decades-long droughts, and played starring roles in some of Indian cricket's most famous overseas victories. Along the way, he adjusted his game to suit one-day cricket and collected over 10,000 runs. And they said he couldn't play ODI cricket.

The list goes on. Dravid was the first batsman to score a century in all Test-playing countries, the first batsman to score 10,000 runs at No. 3, the batsman to face the most deliveries in Test cricket, the longest in ODI cricket to not score a duck (120 innings), and he even batted 173 consecutive innings in international cricket (Tests and ODIs) without a duck between 2000 and 2004 – the longest sequence for any batsman. And in case there was any doubt as to what else he could do, Dravid ended up as the owner of the most catches in Test cricket.

Through it all, across the world and in varied conditions, Dravid was the consummate gentleman, the hard-working player. He rarely displayed anger, was not prone to rage or contempt, stayed clear of controversy (you can hardly call a lozenge a controversy). He batted where the team needed him to, even opening in Tests without hesitation; he didn't compromise on his fundamentals, even when crossing 10,000 ODI runs; he donned the wicketkeeper's gloves, he captained his country; he sealed chases and help set up victories; he gave his best to help India out of trouble; and even when the victim of the BCCI's whimsical hire-and-fire policy he turned up to work and didn't complain. You name it, and Dravid has done it. Such was the man's duty to his cause.

That he did all this under adversity, with team-mates getting more attention, didn't seem to bother Dravid. He was overshadowed on Test debut by Sourav Ganguly, and spent his career overshadowed by Sachin Tendulkar. What it must have been like to play under the shadow of India's greatest player – hell, he was even booed when he came out to bat because he wasn't the next player in, he wasn't Tendulkar – only Dravid can know. The closest we may ever come to know about that was in Dravid's admission, years ago, that "most people want me to get out quickly so they can watch Sachin bat."

Tendulkar was worshipped, VVS Laxman pulled off the unbelievable with silky wizardry, Virender Sehwag put bums in seats, and Ganguly had a legion of followers in Kolkata. What did Dravid get? The epithet of 'The Wall', symbolizing something solid yet distinctly drab, resistant but not repelling. It could hardly have been the sobriquet he envisioned when taking his first strides in competitive cricket as a youngster in Bangalore.

Yet like a wall, he weathered the tough times. His form started to wane from the series against South Africa in late 2006, and continued for two years. But Dravid came back from his slump, and defied his critics. He scored over 1,000 Test runs in 2011, at the age of 38. Those 1,000 runs, he admitted, were the most satisfying because people had doubted his ability to perform at that age.

And so, after 164 Tests and 13,288 runs spanning nearly 17 years, we Indians have much to thank Dravid for. For his repeated role in saving, setting up and winning matches for India, by standing up to the best in the world and in all sorts of conditions, for giving us the belief that victory and escape were possible as long as he was at the crease.

For Kolkata, Headingley, Adelaide, Rawalpindi, and Jamaica – five of India's most famous Test wins ever. In each, Dravid left his mark. Right up there with pride of place are his match-winning 233 against Australia in Adelaide; an epic 270 against Pakistan in Rawalpindi to help clinch a series win; that 180 in the company of Laxman at Eden Gardens to script Indian cricket's defining victory after the match-fixing scandal; his twin fifties on a dodgy surface in Jamaica to set up India's first win in the West Indies for 35 years.

There were also colossal innings to avert defeats in Port-of-Spain, Georgetown and Nottingham, to name three memorable instances. There were four Test centuries in consecutive innings, and four double-centuries in the span of 15 Tests. There were runs in ODI cricket, a format in which Dravid appeared a misfit earlier in his career, and loads of them. He even top-scored in a World Cup.

Today, at the age of 39, has taken the decision to retire with the precision with which he cut and drove the ball down the years. He knew the end was near, but held off until the Indian team returned from a difficult tour of Australia so as not to distract attention from his countrymen. His career is over, and now his legacy truly comes into being. You can only become a legend once you have retired, and from today we can rightfully term Dravid a legend.

[raajarasigan]

Q. Was there a temptation to stay for one more Test match at home?

Dravid: "If you make a decision during a series, then I think it is great. I have been part of nice farewellls. But I made my decision now. Just to keep playing for the sake of playing one more match was not right. That's not how I have played the game. The only reason I played a cricket match for India was to try and win a match for India."typical Dravid :sad:

his retirement really hurts for someone like me who started watching cricket since early 90s... :cry: end of an era.... just like his batting records / captaincy, even his farewell was so calm...

I sincerely hope Rahul Dravid's records should not go unnoticed... he deserves to be celebrated as a much much better cricketer... :sad: .. thanks for your wonderful entertainment for the past 16 years...

I repeat -- Rahul Dravid - the best servant of Indian Cricket I will see forever... :notworthy: :notworthy:

[wizzy]

best writeup on Wall :thumbsup:


http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/556792.html

epecially this quote
Many might call him a defensive batsman in the mould of a Jacques Kallis or a Michael Atherton, but Dravid ranks up there with the great batsmen of the game. To simply refer to him as a defensive player is selling him short as a batsman. He was a wonderfully gifted player and we all enjoyed the way he played the game.

[ajaybaskar]

http://static.cricketnext.com/pix/slideshow/03-2012/rahul-dravids-career/Dravidlead-180_getty.jpg
Dravid's Test debut innings against England way back in June 1996 at Lord's. Then 23, he made a brilliant 95 in swinging conditions.

[Plum]

1. Mixed feelings? Seenu (no longer even the quasi-respectful mama for you :evil:) - there is only one emotion to feel about this - sadness. If you are having mixed feelings, you don't have Indian Cricket's best interests in your mind. Padhaviya innikkE raajinaama paNNu you sc@@@@rel! 2. Retired from domestic cricket means retired from IPL? If yes, Cinefan and Vinod, I urge you to boycott IPL and influence your friends to do so!

[venkkiram]

"We've always had some good battles. He is a very quiet and kind man. I had the good fortune of playing with him at the IPL and he was a man that worked hard on his game. He set high standards for himself and for India. What he has achieved in the game is incredible. He had one of the best techniques in the game and was always a prize wicket to get. The game will be a little poorer without him but I wish him well in his retirement."
South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis :notworthy:

[venkkiram]

My friend in FB :


The ultimate tribute to Rahul Dravid was paid when Steve Waugh chose him over several others to write the foreword for his autobiography.

[wizzy]

respect!
http://www.lords.org/data/images/originals/dravid-long-room-x2000-42062.jpg

[wizzy]

bcci.tv is finally awake :lol:

http://www.bcci.tv/bcci/bccitv/modules/includes/content/ROOT/images/article/The-wall-640x357-8-3-12.jpg

[SoftSword]

enna solradhunu therila... solra alavu edhum perusaa thonavum illa...
:notworthy:

sandhosamaa veettukku anuppuvom...
sooper'a oru batting foundation arambipparunu edhirpaappom..
indian domestic cricekt'ku mentor apdinra madhiri edhum padhavi illaya?

[venkkiram]

ராஹுல் திராவிட் (http://www.badriseshadri.in/2012/03/blog-post_09.html) - பத்ரி சேஷாத்ரி


ராஹுல் திராவிடின் வெற்றிகளைவிட அவருடைய தோல்விகளிலிருந்தே அதிகம் கற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியும். எத்தனையோ தினங்கள் அவருடைய கையும் காலும் நினைத்த திசைக்குப் போகாமல் இருக்கும். அப்போதெல்லாம் அவருடைய முகத்திலிருந்து கொட்டும் வியர்வையும் அவருடைய முகத்தில் தெரியும் ஆழ்ந்த கவனமும் ஆச்சரியம் தரும். அது தன்னுடைய நாள் இல்லை என்றாலும் அன்று தன் விக்கெட்டை எளிதில் விட்டுக்கொடுக்கக்கூடாது என்று நின்று போராடும் அந்தக் குணம் எனக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்தது.

ராஹுல் டெஸ்ட் ஆட்டக்காரர். அதற்கான சரியான டெம்பரமண்ட் - மனநிலை வாய்த்தவர். அவருடைய ஆரம்பக் காலங்களில் அவர் அடிக்கும் ஸ்ட்ரோக்குகள் நேராக தடுப்பாளர்கள் கைக்குப் போய்க்கொண்டே இருக்கும். பிளேஸ்மெண்ட் கிடைக்க மிகவும் கஷ்டப்படுவார். பின்னர் மிகுந்த பிரயாசைக்குப் பிறகு அதில் வெற்றி கண்டார். தடாலடியாக நான்கு ஷாட்கள் அடித்து ஃபோரும் சிக்ஸுமாக ஜனங்களுக்குக் கிளுகிளுப்பூட்டும் ஆசாமி அல்லர் திராவிட். அவருடையது காபி புக் கிரிக்கெட் என்று சொல்லப்படுவது. இப்படித்தான் ஒருவர் இந்த ஆட்டத்தை, இந்த ஸ்ட்ரோக்கை ஆடவேண்டும் என்று புத்தகத்தில் எழுதிவைத்திருந்தால் அது எப்படி இருக்குமோ அப்படிப்பட்ட ஆட்டம் திராவிடுடையது.

திராவிடின் ஃபிட்னெஸ் அபாரமானது. ஆனால் பல ஆட்டங்களில் 400 பந்துகளுக்குமேல் நின்று ஆடும்போது கிராம்ப்ஸ் வந்து திண்டாடியுள்ளார். ஆனாலும் வலியைப் பொறுத்துக்கொண்டு எப்படியாவது நின்று ஆடி முடித்துவிட்டுத்தான் உள்ளே வருவார்.

[SoftSword]

enna solla varaar... reintroducing dravid to the public'a?

[omega]

I know I have to let go but nejamaa vayiRu eriyudhu. If he had got a farewell series etc, mansu kettirukkum. The method and manner of farewell is BP-raising. Indian Cricket, you'll pay for this insult to your loyal, caring, dignified son. Innum 5 varushathula BCCI bondi Agi, England and Australia powerukku vandhu Indian Cricketai sarva naasam paNNuvaanga. Idhu nadakkum!

Very very sad about Wall's retirement.
I wish the same as you about BCCI.
IPL watch panratha pona seasonlaye stop panniyaachchu.....
IPL should be the worst thing happened for Cricket's future.

[wizzy]

Gangs :banghead: shows his class

[SoftSword]

vivaramaa post pannunga wizzy... inga neraya peru matra website ellaam paakka mudiyaama irukkom.

[raajarasigan]

Yes.. Yes... no videos please.. :mad:

[wizzy]

^didn't wanna spoil the thread anyways http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_rahul-dravid-should-have-retired-after-england-tour-saurav-ganguly_1660217

whilst Wall had this to say
When we spoke a couple of weeks ago, I asked if he regretted not having retired in England. His response was a further revelation of character. He would certainly have retired if he hadn't had a good series, he said, but after doing so well, retiring would have been selfish. There was a series to be won in Australia, and he owed it to the team to make the trip. And no, there were no regrets. He would do it no other way, even if offered a second chance.

[SoftSword]

ada full content'a dhaan copy paste pannungalae'ya...
idhula enna bank head?

[raajarasigan]

indhA pudichukkO!!


Rahul Dravid should have retired after England tour: Saurav Ganguly
Published: Friday, Mar 9, 2012, 16:03 IST
Place: New Delhi | Agency: PTI

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly feels that Rahul Dravid should have retired after his brilliant Test series in England and said today's decision did not come as a surprise.

"I believe Rahul should have retired after the England series and not wait for the Australian tour. In any case this is a right decision and I saw it coming," Ganguly told reporters at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium here today.

Ganguly, under whose captaincy 'The Wall' had played some brilliant knocks, felt the decision by Dravid is a statement to the selectors.

"With this decision Dravid has made a statement to the selectors that it is time for change in Indian cricket, as we have lost eight consecutive overseas Test matches. 8-0 is never a good sign.

"When Dravid came that was a period when Indian cricket was going through a transition phase and he is also leaving at a time when Indian cricket needs a change," Ganguly said.

Asked whether there will be someone who will be able to replace Dravid at No. 3 slot, Ganguly replied, "You may not get anyone who will be able to replace Rahul Dravid but again you can not continue forever because it took 16 years and 13,000 runs in Test cricket to make a Rahul Dravid."

Asked about a possible replacement of Dravid, Ganguly said, "Virat Kohli is playing well and Rohit Sharma has the talent, but he needs to translate into performance, also there is Manoj Tiwary and Cheteshwar Pujara. There are names but you have to give them a chance to know how they perform."

Asked to pick a favourite Dravid inning, Ganguly said, "180 at Calcutta (now Kolkata) against Australia tops my list. 148 at Headingly was also good but the situation in Calcutta was far more difficult."

[wizzy]

"I believe Rahul should have retired after the England series and not wait for the Australian tour. In any case this is a right decision and I saw it coming," Ganguly told reporters at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium here today.

Ganguly, under whose captaincy 'The Wall' had played some brilliant knocks, felt the decision by Dravid is a statement to the selectors.
"With this decision Dravid has made a statement to the selectors that it is time for change in Indian cricket, as we have lost eight consecutive overseas Test matches. 8-0 is never a good sign.
"When Dravid came that was a period when Indian cricket was going through a transition phase and he is also leaving at a time when Indian cricket needs a change," Ganguly said.


basically he is implying Wall is no longer worthy of the India cap and we need a change :neutral:

[SoftSword]

no surprise... sappunu poiruchu...
am waiting to hear from dhoni, the current captain.

[mgb]

I wish VVS also announces his retirement before the next test series.. oru innings failure aanalum romba avamana paduthiduvanga

[ajithfederer]

^^^^^^^ True.

[SoftSword]

i think the dravid retirement would hav got some pressure off VVS, he would continue for sometime now.

[wizzy]

When his fierce competitor in Dizzy had some insightful things to say about their duels here we have his former captain seeing this as an opportunity to take some cheap shots on that very day..Greg/Gangs deserve each other :lol2:

[SoftSword]

adhaaru dizzy...
first time aachum character introduce pannungaya... unga angle'laye ellaarum purinjukka kastama irukku, alteast enakku kastama irukk...

[Plum]

Dizzy - Jason Gillespie.

[SoftSword]

OgO...
modho indha wizzy yaarunu kandupidikkanu...

[raajarasigan]

podhu nalan karuthi veLiyiduvOr...

'I can't recall beating him more than one ball in a row'Dravid's key talent as a batsman was his ability to wear bowlers down, grinding out long innings, waiting to capitalise on mistakes

Jason Gillespie (as told to Nagraj Gollapudi)


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Gillespie: "Essentially, he was more patient than us" Daniel Berehulak / © Getty Images

The game of cricket is the battle between bat and ball. It is about who loses patience first; that determines the winner. Rahul Dravid was the master at staying patient for long, long periods of time. He won the battles more often.

Good bowlers are able to put pressure on a batsman, no matter how good, and draw him out of his comfort zone. How tough was Dravid? Dravid was so patient, he made you bowl to him. Because he did not give his wicket away easily, you had to be incredibly disciplined against him in line and length to get the better of him. That was easier said than done. It is easy to assume, like many other fast bowlers might have done, that you could settle into one line against Dravid, as opposed to someone like Sehwag, who can easily distract you with his penchant for strokes. But Dravid, being a very disciplined player, was never easy to lure. He had a set way of playing; he would always wait for a bowler to make a mistake, unlike Sehwag, who tries to take it to the bowler. So he complemented the more aggressive batsmen in the Indian batting line-up perfectly. He brought stability to their batting order, which was full of stroke-makers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly.

He was a rock-solid player, someone who valued his wicket, someone against whom you knew you were in for a real hard task to knock him over. He could judge whether to play or leave the ball, especially early in his innings. He knew where his off stump was; that is an important asset to have for a top-order batsman.

Dravid always had a simple game plan and he stuck to it. It comes back to patience: he had the patience to grind out long innings and wait for the right ball to hit. He had his specific shots that he wanted to play, and he would wait for the bowler to pitch in the area where he was comfortable playing an attacking shot. That made him very difficult to get out.

The two best examples of how we lost the battle of wearing him down came in 2001 in Kolkata and 2003 in Adelaide. Both were good batting pitches. Our plan on both occasions was to be patient ourselves and stick to good bowling areas. Certainly in Adelaide there was good bounce and carry, and we thought that if we stuck to our plans we could get anyone out. But the way Dravid played, essentially he was more patient than us bowlers. We became impatient, especially when he scored that double-century, because we could not get him out, and that made us go away from our game plan. That in turn worked for him because his plan was to wait for the bowler to lose his patience.



Many might call him a defensive batsman in the mould of a Jacques Kallis or a Michael Atherton, but Dravid ranks up there with the great batsmen of the game. To simply refer to him as a defensive player is selling him short as a batsman




Some might say our bowling attack in Adelaide was not as strong as the one in Kolkata, but I was leading a very good bowling attack and we believed we could dominate the Indians. However, at the end of the day we were just not good enough against Dravid. It was good old-fashioned hard work, which he put in successfully and we did not.

I cannot recall beating Dravid more than one ball in a row. I remember in Adelaide, in the first innings, at one point I decided have a real go at him and bowl a few short deliveries. He was ducking them pretty comfortably, and then suddenly he played a hook shot. It was a sort of top edge, it went for a six, and he got to his first hundred. I was pretty devastated. That was an example of when I decided to move away from my game plan and he was well settled at the crease and took me on confidently.

In 2001 when we went to India, we started off nicely in Mumbai by winning the Test comfortably. In Kolkata, having forced them to follow on, we felt we had won the game, having picked up early wickets during their second innings. Dravid and Laxman together, we knew they were very good players, but we thought if we kept at them, they wouldn't be able to deal with the pressure. But they counterattacked perfectly. I remember Dravid just playing in the V with a very straight bat and providing wonderful support to Laxman. It was a wonderful piece of batting from both players and we could not dislodge them.

At the end of that fourth day when we returned to the dressing room with Dravid and Laxman unbeaten, we were like, "Wow, what just happened?" We were a little stunned and very disappointed. We knew we were just one ball away from getting one of their wickets, but we couldn't produce that one ball. We knew these guys had done something special and we had to respect their performance.

We all learn. On that 2001 trip, our fast bowlers' plan was to bowl in the channel outside the off stump, get the Indian batsmen playing on one side of the wicket, and create opportunities that way. But we realised that Indian pitches were a lot flatter and slower and our plan would work only on bouncier tracks. In 2004, when we returned to India, we accounted for that and changed our lines to bowling a lot straighter and looking to hit the stumps every time. That worked, and it was one time that even Dravid was circumspect and vulnerable.

The special thing about Dravid was that when he got a bad ball, he would be waiting for it and he had the ability to put it away. He did not miss those opportunities to score. That is sometimes the difference between a very good player and a great player: the ability to score when you get the chance to score. And that is one of the reasons he averaged mid-50s consistently in Test cricket.

Many might call him a defensive batsman in the mould of a Jacques Kallis or a Michael Atherton, but Dravid ranks up there with the great batsmen of the game. To simply refer to him as a defensive player is selling him short as a batsman. He was a wonderfully gifted player and we all enjoyed the way he played the game.

Jason Gillespie took 43 wickets in ten Tests against India

[ajithfederer]

Vinod http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/gallery/556655.html

Indha link-lerndhu pics upload pannunga. You should be the one to do it.

[satissh_r]

Nice tribute by Harsha -> http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/556769.html

[Ramakrishna]

basically he is implying Wall is no longer worthy of the India cap and we need a change :neutral:

Sourav ganguly is nonsense. It is sad that he got a better farewell than Dravid

[SoftSword]

with this, i would request ganam courtaar to rename the jinxed border-gavaskar toffee to Dravid-Ponting toffee.

[wizzy]

adhaaru dizzy...
first time aachum character introduce pannungaya... unga angle'laye ellaarum purinjukka kastama irukku, alteast enakku kastama irukk...

sorry for the trouble..had posted the link earlier :roll:

[V_S]

Nice tribute by Harsha -> http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/556769.html

Nice article by Harsha!. Thanks satissh for sharing. Cricket will not be the same without him. Truly a genius and a great human being and as cricinfo aptly put it 'he is possibly the last of India's classical Test batsmen". :notworthy: I can safely ignore watching Indian test cricket from now onwards.

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Even his Last press conference was calm, simple, to the point and without too much flamboyance. That is what defines this man.....I :bow: to you, legend

[VinodKumar's]

adhaaru dizzy...
first time aachum character introduce pannungaya... unga angle'laye ellaarum purinjukka kastama irukku, alteast enakku kastama irukk...

:lol:

[VinodKumar's]

From cricinfo

Lord's, June 22, 1996: Rahul Dravid made his Test debut at Lord's and impressed immediately with a stroke-filled 95. His love affair with England would continue till his last series, in 2011

http://i40.tinypic.com/1hpatu.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Kolkata, March 14, 2001: At Eden Gardens, India were following on against Australia, facing a 274-run first-innings deficit. Dravid scored 180 and had a 376-run partnership with VVS Laxman that saw the pair bat through the fourth day of the Test

http://i44.tinypic.com/bij9xf.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Laxman and Dravid's epic stand led to one of India's most famous wins

http://i39.tinypic.com/2l9kuty.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Headingley, August 23, 2002: In difficult conditions, Dravid saw off the new ball in an innings that has been lauded as one of his best. Though Sachin Tendulkar scored more runs in the game, Dravid was named Man of the Match for his 148

http://i40.tinypic.com/2mrw2th.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

The knock helped India win a Test in England after 16 years

http://i42.tinypic.com/34yadyd.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

The Oval, September 8, 2002: Dravid's third century of the series was a double, and ensured India drew the fourth Test, and thus the series. His 217 was the third of four hundreds in consecutive innings, a record for an India batsman

http://i39.tinypic.com/hwmqef.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Adelaide, December 13, 2003: Responding to Australia's huge first-innings score, Dravid scored his first century down under and converted it into a double

http://i42.tinypic.com/sy4llu.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

... and delivered India a six-wicket victory and a 1-0 lead in the series in Australia.

http://i41.tinypic.com/ank2gp.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Rawalpindi, April 15, 2004: Dravid produced his career-best in Rawalpindi in 2004, his 270 leading India to 600 in the first innings, after which they eventually won by an innings and 131 runs

http://i39.tinypic.com/2n6d64w.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

London, September 7, 2004: Dravid was named the ICC Test player of the year and player of the year in September 2004

http://i39.tinypic.com/34ru9v6.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Kolkata , March 19, 2005: Dravid's twin centuries against Pakistan in Kolkata 2005 gave India a 195-run victory and the series lead.

http://i41.tinypic.com/15r16r9.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Sydney, October 14, 2005: Dravid was part of the World XI that took on Australia in the ICC's Supertest experiment in October 2005

http://i43.tinypic.com/s33ij4.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Lahore, January 16, 2006: Dravid and Virender Sehwag set the record for the highest opening partnership in Pakistan - 410 in Lahore in 2006. Dravid's unbeaten century was his first as captain

http://i42.tinypic.com/rmpgns.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Kingston, July 1, 2006: Dravid passed 9000 Test runs during his twin half-centuries on a difficult Sabina Park pitch, setting up India's 49-run win in the final Test. India's 1-0 series victory was their first in the Caribbean for 36 years

http://i42.tinypic.com/mj90ub.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Nottingham, July 31, 2007: Dravid and Ganguly walk off Trent Bridge after completing a seven-wicket victory in July 2007. Under Dravid's captaincy, India maintained their 1-0 lead to win a series in England for the first time since 1986. He resigned the leadership after the tour.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2nu5c2x.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Wellington, April 6, 2009: Dravid broke the record for most catches in Tests, going past Mark Waugh's 181, when he caught Tim McIntosh during the third Test of the 2009 tour of New Zealand. India won the series and Dravid would later become the only player to complete 200 Test catches

http://i40.tinypic.com/xri1h.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Kingston, June 22, 2011: Dravid hits the 18th of his 21 sixes in Test cricket, at Sabina Park in June 2011. His 112 out of a total of 252 helped set a target that was beyond West Indies. That performance came after he had scored only 120 runs in six innings in South Africa. It helped India win the series 1-0 in the Caribbean.

http://i43.tinypic.com/devfih.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Lord's, July 23, 2011: In his first Test at Lord's, in 1996, Dravid had made 95. In his last Test there, in 2011, he made his first century at the home of cricket.

http://i41.tinypic.com/xkpyt2.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

The Oval, August 21, 2011: At The Oval, with the series lost and the rest of India's batsmen continuing to flounder against swing and seam, Dravid's resistance continued. He made his third century of the tour, an unbeaten 146 as opener, and was only the third Indian to carry his bat. He finished India's 0-4 defeat with 461 runs at an average of 76.

http://i42.tinypic.com/mrbcbr.jpg

[VinodKumar's]

Adelaide, January 28, 2012: Dravid played his last Test at Adelaide Oval, in January 2012. He was part of an Indian side blanked 4-0, amid reports of a severe rift between MS Dhoni and Sehwag causing factions among the players. It was not how the consummate team-man would have wished to end his career. :(

http://i40.tinypic.com/30sdeef.jpg