Gentleman Rahul

Dravid has always been one of the most admirable men in sport yet, almost impossibly, over the last few weeks he has made us admire him more than ever before. He batted with immense pride and dignity to make three centuries, two of them as a stand-in opener, a role he has never enjoyed. Dravid was both kingpin and handyman. He filled in not just as opener but also as wicketkeeper when MS Dhoni bowled at Lord's; he also defused any lingering controversy over the Ian Bell incident at Trent Bridge with an honest and perfectly judged interview at the close of play. You wouldn't be surprised to hear he also fixed a leak in the dressing-room and drove the team coach back to the hotel one night.

There is a criticism that there's so much money in Indian cricket that a lot of players are become soft and not achieving or actualising their potential. Do you think that's a threat?

I think people have to learn to cope with it. Fact is, this is a new development. It took me 10 years of playing international cricket to think that I would be comfortable in life. The earlier generation took maybe 20 years. Luckily for us, cricket is sport where there's more money coming in, so it's become easier for the next generation which follows us to get the kind of money which will make them feel comfortable at a younger age.