Millions of pages have been written about the world's greatest batsman - Sachin Tendulkar. People have run out of praises about him. He is the god of cricket. However, as the tour of Australia is next on the Indian cricketing calendar, and it might well be the last tour down under for Sachin Tendulkar and a couple of his other illustrious colleagues, namely - V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid.
Both Laxman and Dravid have been in the background as compared to the other duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, when all four of them played. Of all four V.V.S is obviously the one who has been least sung about. His epic 281 Vs Australia at Kolkata is obviously his greatest achievement, and his shoes will be way to huge for anyone to fill. India will somehow find someone to at least bumble around wearing his shoes.
Rahul Dravid's shoes will be the ones noone can even hope or even want to fill. The kind of pressure that he has soaked up all these years, doing everything for the team - noone will ever want to be in his place. Even when the entire Indian team collapses around him, he'd be the rock in the middle, playing his characteristic innings of holding up one end.
What has he not done for the team? Bats at number 3, kept wickets, even played some pinch hitter knocks, holds up one end steady, has even bowled, taken tough catches, has run with quicker batsmen like Yuvraj and Kaif, and has even been the captain, but has been praised a lot less than either Sachin Tendulkar or Saurav Ganguly. Indian cricket should be thankful for the presence of this gentleman cricketer who has given his all for the game and the team.
Dravid was dropped from the ODI side at one point of time, because he couldn't make fast runs, but his absence has always been felt whenever India started collapsing. The guts that this man has to steady a ship and even take the team close to winning matches or at least face saving draws - no words. Respect.
I was just thinking about the Indian test side today, especially with respect to replacements for Dravid, Laxman and yes, of course, You-Know-Who too. Nope. None of them can be replaced. In fact, truth be told, India are yet to find a proper replacement for the worst of the fab four - Saurav Ganguly (Yes. He can be regarded as the worst of the fab four and Yes, I am a die hard Ganguly fan, who says this). Scary thoughts, just to imagine an Indian team travelling to England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa without The Wall. On a green top like in New Zealand - no Dravid, no score.
India have gone on tours previously with at least one of the fab four to rely on, and at most times, it has been Rahul Dravid on whom India have depended on to take control of the batting in the middle. India will have to search for appropriate replacements and groom them properly, if they want to see someone make at least half the number of runs that Dravid has made in his test career till now.
Both Laxman and Dravid have been in the background as compared to the other duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly, when all four of them played. Of all four V.V.S is obviously the one who has been least sung about. His epic 281 Vs Australia at Kolkata is obviously his greatest achievement, and his shoes will be way to huge for anyone to fill. India will somehow find someone to at least bumble around wearing his shoes.
Rahul Dravid's shoes will be the ones noone can even hope or even want to fill. The kind of pressure that he has soaked up all these years, doing everything for the team - noone will ever want to be in his place. Even when the entire Indian team collapses around him, he'd be the rock in the middle, playing his characteristic innings of holding up one end.
What has he not done for the team? Bats at number 3, kept wickets, even played some pinch hitter knocks, holds up one end steady, has even bowled, taken tough catches, has run with quicker batsmen like Yuvraj and Kaif, and has even been the captain, but has been praised a lot less than either Sachin Tendulkar or Saurav Ganguly. Indian cricket should be thankful for the presence of this gentleman cricketer who has given his all for the game and the team.
Dravid was dropped from the ODI side at one point of time, because he couldn't make fast runs, but his absence has always been felt whenever India started collapsing. The guts that this man has to steady a ship and even take the team close to winning matches or at least face saving draws - no words. Respect.
I was just thinking about the Indian test side today, especially with respect to replacements for Dravid, Laxman and yes, of course, You-Know-Who too. Nope. None of them can be replaced. In fact, truth be told, India are yet to find a proper replacement for the worst of the fab four - Saurav Ganguly (Yes. He can be regarded as the worst of the fab four and Yes, I am a die hard Ganguly fan, who says this). Scary thoughts, just to imagine an Indian team travelling to England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa without The Wall. On a green top like in New Zealand - no Dravid, no score.
India have gone on tours previously with at least one of the fab four to rely on, and at most times, it has been Rahul Dravid on whom India have depended on to take control of the batting in the middle. India will have to search for appropriate replacements and groom them properly, if they want to see someone make at least half the number of runs that Dravid has made in his test career till now.
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