Rahul Dravid has been one of the pillars of Indian cricket since over a decade and none other than Sachin Tendulkar acknowledged this on Thursday by saying that there can be ‘no other’ cricketer like him.
According to media reports, paying rich tributes to Dravid, who is expected to announce his retirement from international cricket on Friday, the Master Blaster said that "There was and is only one Rahul Dravid. There can be no other. I will miss Rahul in the dressing room and out in the middle."
Dravid, who is the second most prolific batsman in Test history, has called a press conference in Bangalore on Friday, and there is speculation that he may announce his retirement from international cricket.
Tendulkar said, "I have shared the best moments with him. Our many century partnerships are testimony to the hours we spent together in the middle. For someone who has played 164 matches and over 13000 runs, no tribute can be enough." reads a report in TOI portal.
According to a column by Sandeep Somesh, a former international hockey player and national women's team coach, in TOI portal, the best memory of Rahul Dravid is his unwillingness to accept defeat. “I have played with him during my school days and one attitude that stood out was his urge to revisit the errors and correct them. Many articles have been written about this facet of Rahul but it doesn't surprise me. Right from his school days, he hated losing. He never liked it when he got out. He would always keep thinking about the way he got out and what he could have done better to stay at the crease. Not merely that, he would return to the nets the next day to re-focus and practice the drill till he was satisfied he had got it right. Come March 10 and Indian cricket will be left with a huge void to fill in terms of runs, longevity, commitment and determination. A void which may not be filled for a long time,” says Sandeep.
“Right from our days at St Anthony's primary school, I played hockey and cricket alongside Rahul. I was also his captain during our days as budding cricketers at St Joseph's Boys High School. What caught my attention was his attitude towards the game. He would always put a price on his wicket. A bowler had to earn Rahul's wicket. A common refrain by opponents during the school days was "You get Rahul, you win the game". How often have we not seen this at the highest level with Rahul holding fort for India,” adds Sandeep.
