Down memory lane: Rahul Dravid's Adelaide marathon of 2003

The general consensus is that Rahul Dravid is never given the due credit he deserves. I bore a similar thought right through his playing days and then it struck me, no one is stopping people from showering praise on the Gentleman of Gentleman’s Sport, be it verbal, articles or videos. So I took it upon myself to do my bit for the man I have looked up to all my life and grew up watching when the name on everyone’s mouth, my father and grandfather included, was the little genius from Mumbai.

So, just how does one pay a tribute to a man who has given 15 years to international cricket, and a true servant to a cricket-crazy nation? A book might do justice, a documentary as well. But it is mighty difficult to fit 15 years’ worth of achievements and adventures into one tiny article. So I have decided to instead pay tribute to one of the best Test match innings ever seen and my personal favourite batting show.

Circa Australian summer of 2003. India were touring Australia for the Border-Gavaskar series and the invincible Aussies under Steve Waugh might have seen it as another opportunity to cement their impression of the dominating force. The tag of “poor travellers” was shed in Brisbane when India did not bend over like the familiar ways of old. Millions back home were praying it was not a false impression and even the most optimistic were left in awe of what followed.

Dec 12, 2003. Day 1 in Adelaide. Waugh won the toss and chose to bat. Although Irfan Pathan dismissed Matthew Hayden early, that was the only highlight of the day for India. That is, until Day 2. India were 85/4 in reply to Australia’s 556. The Aussies were already smelling victory when the demons of Kolkata came back to haunt them. This time around though,VVS Laxman took the passenger seat and Rahul Dravid took the Aussies for a ride eerily similar to Eden Gardens. Law of averages – it always evens out.

No, I am not writing a match review but that was just to get you the feel of the grave situation Rahul Dravid pulled our team out of. I was perhaps 13 at that time, just beginning to get excited by football and then Mr. Dependable reminded me just why Test cricket was special. Being in India, I would get up at 4 30 am to watch Harsha Bhogle and co preview the day ahead. Those four days of watching Rahul Dravid’s innings justified why so many coaches across India tell youngsters to watch him bat.

At first, I was just praying that Dravid and VVS would salvage something from the match and make the Aussies work for their victory. The partnership stretched in to Day 3 and then there was hope. In typical fashion, Dravid made the bowlers bowl to him rather than them making him play. He left any delivery even inches outside the off stump and dispatched the bad deliveries in sublime style. To this day I could watch his cover drives and delicious flicks over and over.

If I remember right, only two shots in that entire innings could be deemed risky. One, to bring up his hundred, a top edge that sailed over backward square leg, during which I had almost consigned that it was “game over”. The other was the one he got out to. In between that, was an innings that could highlight the text book definition of Test match batting. It had grit, defiance, elegance and endurance. So much assuring it was that even after VVS’ dismissal, I could sense that India had after all saved the match and were heading for a draw. I could not be more wrong. The Wall stood strong with the tail and reached his double hundred, kissing the crest on his cap, no big celebrations, just raising his bat to the crowd and dressing room and getting back to the job at hand. So Dravid-esque. On 233, he finally gave in and departed to a rash hook shot, so un-Dravid-esque.

You thought I’d stop here? It is fascinating that during the same match, there was another gritty knock (not VVS) that people hardly seem to remember. Ironic that Rahul Dravid’s second innings never gets the mention it deserves? A well crafted 72 when India were chasing a tricky total of 230 on a slow pitch. India reached the target with four wickets to spare but it was not as comfortable as the scorecard suggests. Another 20 runs and Aussies might have put on a tougher fight. Fittingly so, the winning runs came off the bat of Dravid himself when he cut Stuart Macgill to the fence.

I could almost empathize with Dravid and his team mates for I too had to go through a few obstacles. To list them, getting up at an odd hour, skipping school for two days and the extra classes that followed, defying a nagging mum (the biggest obstacle for any Indian child) and answering to teachers at school. Though they were nowhere near what our heroes faced Down Under, I am sure my Indian readers will understand the severity of the situation for a 13-year-old.

I hope I have managed to do some justice to one of the most exhilarating batting displays ever. Awe-delaide, indeed!