VVS Laxman offered us scintillating art. Sachin Tendulkar,
flashes of genius. Sourav Ganguly served us a concoction of grit and
excellence. Virender Sehwag dolled out a liberating experience to batting
patrons. And Rahul Dravid, gave us what the rest couldn’t: a sense of
reassurance over a period of 16 long years. Truth be told, he made the Famous
Five look erudite, classy and intense.
Rahul Dravid wasn’t your average cricketer. He could debate
on Schopenhauer and Saigal. Discuss Chaos Theory and Calvin and Hobbes. He
ambled across bookstores and visited art galleries before a test match. And by
the end of next day, he would have built an innings, which would have given
India a lead, changed the course of the Test match or rescued the team from a
surefire loss.
When he walked back to the pavilion with his shirt drenched
in sweat and a demeanour that wore an unassuming smile, a classic innings would
have been composed. No outlandish celebration. No flashy interviews.
For Rahul Dravid, it was just another day in office.
