We all know how legendary #RahulDravid was as a test batsman, but what all of us probably fail to appreciate is how accomplished he was in the coloured clothing & the 50-over format...Dravid right through his career as an ODI player, had to fight against the image (1/n)
Of him being a test batsman & thus unsuitable to playing the shorter formats...that meant that since his ODI debut in ‘96 against Sri Lanka in the Singapore Challenge Cup till the ‘99 tour of New Zealand, he found himself constantly being shuttled in or out of the squad (2/n)
Because for every time he looked like getting into the groove of things in ODI cricket like in the ‘97 Standard Bank ODI Tri-Series final against South Africa, he’d have that one game where he would just stall & not be able to move up the gears...the ‘99 tour (3/n)
Of New Zealand marked the turning point in Dravid’s ODI career, especially after his stunning 123 in the game at Taupo, which he scored at a run-a-ball rate & that sealed his spot for the ‘99 World Cup, where he emerged as the highest run-scorer of the tournament (4/n)
With 461 runs scored at a superb average of just under 66 & an astounding (by Dravid’s & ‘99 ODI cricket standards) strike rate of just over 85, with stunning 100s against Sri Lanka & Kenya & important knocks against England & Pakistan showing his rising pedigree (5/n)
As an ODI batsman...but the actual turning point of Dravid’s ODI career came in 2002, when he displayed his selfless & team-first nature when he took up the role as a full-time wicketkeeper of the side, so that the team could play a specialist 7th batsman due to (6/n)
The failure of the various options they tried for the all-rounders & wicketkeeper-batsman role upto that point...Dravid assumed this tough responsibility with alacrity & never once failed to do the job behind the stumps, especially while keeping against spinners (7/n)
Of the quality of the supposedly “shitty & mediocre” Anil Kumble & Harbhajan Singh, while also being exceedingly good against the rising crop of pacers led by Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra et al. This period also saw him becoming one of the best bonafide (8/n)
Finishers of the ODI game & showed a remarkable sense of game awareness in crunch chases, where he stood out as an example that finishing is not only a game of mere slogging & hitting the ball across the line, but of playing proper cricketing strokes & that constantly (9/n)
Rotating the strike was crucial to success...that saw him play a critical role in many of India’s most legendary ODI wins during that era from 2002 onwards, be it at Centurion against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, or against England in the World Cup or against Pakistan (10/n)
In the 4th ODI at Lahore of the 2004 Pakistan tour. In all these games, a common thread was that Dravid was present till the end, either to set up a target, like against England, or chasing it down. Another symbol of his sacrificial nature for the ODI side was when (11/n)
He also agreed to open in ODIs as & when the team needed him to. This was noticed in his comeback ODI series in the Compaq Cup Tri-Series in Sri Lanka in 2009, where he readily agreed to open in the finals alongside his regular partner at no.4 in test cricket, Sachin (12/n)
Tendulkar, as they were struggling at the top of the order in the injury-enforced absence of Sachin’s regular opening partner, Virender Sehwag as well as then ODI no.3 & test specialist opener Gautam Gambhir. Dravid took up the job & scored a critical 39 while allowing (13/n)
Sachin Tendulkar the freedom to blaze an unforgettable 138 in another critical final & for the following batsmen (majorly Dhoni who batted at 3) to score quickly. Even when he was recalled for his final ODI series in England in that disastrous 2012 tour, Dravid was (14/n)
Still an unforgettable picture of calmness in the coloured clothing despite the ruins that surrounded him all through that tour. #RahulDravid deserves a lot more respect & credit as an ODI batsman than we give him. For a player to score over 10000 runs in this format (15/n)
Despite frequently finding himself being shuttled in-and-out of the side in the earlier parts & then being shuffled all over the batting lineup after becoming established in the setup, with an average of close to 40, while also taking up the excruciating job as (16/n)
A wicketkeeper-batsman for a better part of 2 years is testament to his pedigree & achievements as an ODI player, despite supposedly never being good enough for the format. Also, it may not be an overstatement to say this, but if there was any player who could’ve (17/n)
Won that semifinal against New Zealand last year in the World Cup, it would’ve been Rahul Dravid. That team on that day, sorely lacked a man of his presence, on that pitch against that bowling attack.
P.S. @cric_archivist Sir, do you have the footage of his 22-ball 50?
P.S. @cric_archivist Sir, do you have the footage of his 22-ball 50?
@thefallingsweep Sir @CricSubhayan Sir @sourabhsanyal Sir @Gautaamm Sir @khurramaziz123 Bhai @gulavani_rohan Sir @cricvidya @_Vivek_50 @1tip1hand @faahil @RandomCricketP1 @robin_rounder @Fancricket12 Sir, what do you think of this special on Dravid, the ODI player?
@LWOSVarun Sir, @shashankv76 Sir @sreshthx Sir, @LifeIsAnElation would love your views on this thread as well!
