The retired Rahul Dravid speaks

It is perhaps a mark of the man that he speaks of practice with the lilt, the enthusiasm, other players reserve to discuss their on-field highs. A necessary chore for most, practice is for Dravid an experience both exalting and meditative at the same time - an opportunity to challenge himself, to put a burnish on ability, to perfect his responses to the questions that will be asked of him on the cricket field. Does he find that same joy in practice today, now that his pursuit of excellence has no practical application?

"The thing is," he responds, "that even as I retired, the IPL was on the horizon, it was on my mind. I'm a pro - I know not everyone considers the IPL as serious cricket, but I still want to do my best, so yeah, my practice sessions here are as intense as they used to be. I'm working on things, trying out shots, practicing some shots that, when I am sure about them, I'll want to take into the game.