Will Willow Wall

Rahul Dravid – retired today.   Salut.Stading ovation.Salut again.

In this age of instant gratification Rahul Dravid is a classic oxymoron. In a generation where words like quick fix,snap,zap,fast, are a part of everyday jargon, there comes a man for who these mean nothing, at least on the cricket field. He epitomised patience,calmness,determination and resolve – a dying attribute in this generation perhaps.Building an innings brick by brick is testimony of his tenacity and perseverance.

In a noisy world, where he who speaks louder is the leader,or the words he speaks the loudest become the statement of the masses,here was one quiet guy who went about doing his job with raising an eyebrow. Such was the prowess that today the whole of India and certainly most parts of the cricketing world acknowledge him as one of the best ambassadors of the game.

There are few words to describe the beauty of this batsman, no, sportsman. If there was a Facebook Like button back in 1996,it would have rocketed to orbit for sure.My generation is privileged to have seen him live in action.The man exemplified hardwork.

In a crazed world which is always looking for the next genius or wonder kid – they tend to forget that you can reach the top by sheer hardwork.Not to say that he was any short of a genius, in fact he was a genius by design and not by  default.

In a world where revenge, aggression , arguments,rage ,ego are abundantly available and even more loosely used,he resembled the exact opposite. This does not mean that he had none of these emotions – he did, but he kept them under the veil of dignity and respect.

He fought back and let his bat do the talking – much to the disappointment of the opposition.Be it the double hundred at Adelaide, or century at Eden, or the fighting win at Jamaica – he hammered us into the wall. He made us all believe that this approach of being down to earth,resolute and quiet also could lead to success.

Over the next few weeks,months, a lot will be written about his cricketing skills,centuries and catches, but what I would remember him for is his humility and guts.I

Success comes from everyday practice and not from a bolt of lightning.

Thank you Rahul Dravid – you have been an inspiration to a generation.

You are the World Wide Wall  upholding the highest standrds of Cricket.

Hats Off.