Cricket rankings based on tangible, acceptable parameters are a rarity. This is more so in this age of manic commercialism when sponsors, who have their logos attached to such rankings, favour a savvy name at the top. In such a context, when three researchers label Rahul Dravid as India?s greatest player of all time, it says a few interesting things about them. First, they may well be freaks who hardly have a sense of the market. Second, they are real fans who have tried their best to come up with a ranking system based on sophisticated yardsticks. Fortunately, Jaideep Verma, Sreeram Ramchandran and Jatin Thakkar belong to the second group. In their recently released study, available at holdingwilley.com they have Rahul Dravid as India?s greatest player of all time. While this may appear surprising to millions, for one who has seen Dravid play for close to two decades now and has seen him wear of many a new ball attack in all corners of the world, setting up games for India?s famed middle order in the process,
it comes as a just vindication for a job well done.
A confession is in order here. Dravid is a personal favourite. His intensity and his determination are virtues that I?d like to see most in a professional of today. Not as blessed as Sachin or even Saurav or Laxman, Rahul has climbed up the stairs to stardom while the other three were already on the express elevator. Ironically for Rahul, some of his best knocks for India have come when one of the other three played the knock of their life.
Three such stand out. At Taunton in the 1999 World Cup, when Saurav blasted the Sri Lankan attack for India?s highest world cup individual score of 183, not many remember that Rahul was at the other end and had scored a truly magical 145. In fact, in the initial stages of the innings, when the ball was swinging viciously, he had even outscored Saurav. Again, at the miracle Test match at the Eden Gardens in 2001, when VVS shattered the Australian myth with his now legendary 281, Dravid had scored a truly gutsy 180. Finally, at Headingley 2002, which still ranks as one of India?s better away wins of recent times, Dravid had helped set the match up with a brilliant 148. Only later did Tendulkar and Ganguly create mayhem with huge hundreds.
For some like Sachin greatness comes naturally. For others like Dravid, who have it in them to aspire to greatness, it is a peak, which when scaled has a fairytale quality to it. Rahul Dravid?s aggressive yet anxious waving of his bat to the media box located at the very top of the club house at the Eden Gardens in 2001 was one such fairytale. Interestingly, his current plight has uncanny similarities. Dropped to number five in the batting order then, severely criticised for failing against Waugh?s mighty Australians, suffering cramps and dehydration, and much needed for the team cause, it was an innings best described as ?effort and toil? personified. Come New Zealand 2009, all of us, Dravid supporters, are eagerly awaiting yet another fairytale in what will be Captain?s Dhoni?s hardest assignment of all. In 2001, it had all come together in that one moment; both hands went up in triumph, but soon made way for an aggressive swirl of the bat that went straight up for the media box-you have had your say, now it is my turn. How much we will appreciate if he does that to us again next month as if to say my bat has once again done the talking.
His gritty century against England at Mohali at the end of last year, certainly not his best, said it all. It announced to the world the crisis of Rahul Dravid, the cardinal team man, one who can certainly aspire to the position of India?s best and most dependable batsman of all time. With multiple plays and misses, vigorous shakes of the head every time he did so, it was a century that encapsulates Dravid?s entire cricketing philosophy-nothing will ever come easy but that doesn?t mean one will stop trying. It also said something else. It silently said that he was out there for India and will be as such time and again till his legendary determination fails him. For this quality alone, he deserves his place at the top. The pole position will surely increase the number of his detractors. But without detractors there will be no Dravid. So to Jaideep, Sreeram and Jatin: well done.
The writer is a cricket historian