From college cricketer to Indian captain

The year 1990 seems so far away but that¹s where we must begin. It was the final year of college for some of us, but it was the first year among the big boys for Rahul Dravid. Then a slightly freckled, wiry lad, he is today the Indian captain and on the verge of playing his 100th Test. Then a shy introvert, today he is perhaps the country¹s most articulate sportsperson. Then a murderer of spin bowling, today he wears down the best and fastest of fast bowlers. It has been some journey.

From St Joseph¹s School to St Joseph¹s Commerce College (SJCC) is a natural step for most Josephites in Bangalore, but for Dravid it was much more than that. Here was where he would get three degrees for the price of one. It was a great place to study; the college believed in creating well-rounded personalities rather than just bright students; and most importantly, SJCC had a fantastic cricket team, one of the hardest to break in to.

Many a talented cricketer had made his way into the college after being a star in school cricket, only to then warm the benches for a year or two before getting a look in. But not Dravid: at 17, his special ability was more than apparent.

I remember one incident vividly. Having gone away to represent Karnataka in an Under-17 tournament, Dravid returned with a broken arm and was forced to miss a few college games. Just days after he had resumed practice, the college side was to play a three-day final. The team think-tank was unanimous that Dravid must come into the side if only for his ability to keep one end up and allow the otherwise predominantly attacking batsmen to play their strokes freely. But this meant that we had to drop a batsman who had scored a mere half-century in the previous game.

To cut a small story short, Dravid justified his inclusion, but the lad who was dropped simply walked out of the college. He didn¹t think for a moment that Dravid was a better player than him and made his point rather too forcibly. I met him a few years later, and I was relieved that he was now able appreciate that Dravid had been more deserving.

The other thing that I remember most about him is something he said after more than a modest tour of West Indies in1997. 'My biggest fear is ending my international career as just yet another Test cricketer. I want to be remembered as a great Test cricketer.' This was barely one year after his Test debut, and coming from someone else it could have sounded boastful, or even foolish. Not so with Dravid, who was earnest and completely focused on becoming really good.

Single-mindedness has always been his big asset, and this was something we were exposed to pretty early. I remember a two-day fun-trip out of Banglaore in 1990. While most of the team drank the night away at a cool hill station, Dravid spent the night practicing. No, it wasn¹t cricket. He found out that our wicketkeeper was a great dancer and decided it was time for some lessons.

What the dance teacher didn¹t realize was that this was no ordinary pupil, who would go away after a while; the lessons went on for the whole night. You can see that his feet movement is near perfect on the cricket field these days and has been so for more than a while.

Consistent, persistent, focused are words freely associated with him now but these have always been his strengths. The one thing he has added in abundance is balance. Balance not just at the batting crease but life in general.

He does not fly back from an inconsequential series for the birth of his child but willingly stays awake nights tending to him after that. His busy schedule allows him little time for old friends, but does not forget to personally call them up for his marriage. While he does not like offending people, it doesn¹t stop him from bringing on Anil Kumble, old friend and proven matchwinner, as third-change spinner on a spinner¹s paradise.

On Saturday, Dravid will walk out in his Indian blazer for his 100th Test and may just be overcome enough by the occasion to lose a step or two and will probably lose the toss too. But whatever happens from here, he has already earned the right to described as one of great batsmen in the world.