Those days of glory may have gone by, he might not be the batsman he was, but Rahul Dravid, 21 days short of his 36th birthday, showed that he's good enough for tons of runs.
You get on in years, you learn, you change. You're no more the man you were, say, in 2001.
That's very much true for Rahul Dravid.
Nearly eight years ago in Kolkata, Dravid scored a brilliant century against Australia – which, incidentally, was put into the shade by a bigger innings from a certain VVS Laxman – and celebrated with a vengeance. He took off his helmet, brandished his bat and poked it, without much kindness on his face, towards the press box. He'd been given some going over by the press for his lack of runs, and that had rankled.
This time around, Dravid had been in a worse slump – the worst of his career. It did seem that, with him not getting any younger, and with a BCCI regime not enamoured of the idea of
the elder-player, the end was not too far away.
When he reached his half-century yesterday, Dravid made do with a cursory jab of the bat in about four directions and a brief handshake with Gautam Gambhir. Understandable, for he knew he had much to do still.
When he got to his century today, though, a happier Dravid could have been expected; but his reaction was restrained, and he explained that he's no more the man he once was.
"I guess I'm a bit older and wiser now… I don't jump around and get that excited," he grinned.
Dravid said that he was relieved. He also said he realised how many people were wishing for his success. "You realise and appreciate how many people want you to do well," he said. "Former players, people in the media, well-wishers, friends… You feel so many people have gone through with you in this journey… You realise the support and people who are standing up for you, it matters a lot and sometimes more than the runs scored."
This would also translate into pressure of expectations. Yet, in this innings, Dravid displayed almost complete assurance. Dravid played just like he would have played when he was at the height of his powers.
This year, he's got some bad decisions and beautiful deliveries – batsmen hate nothing as much in this game as this dreadful combine.
And here, for a few moments, as he tried to get his feet moving, he looked in danger; Broad tested him, and then he got the break he desperately needed. A pull off Anderson was top-edged. The ball looped up and fell safely between the fielders coming in from square leg and fine leg.
Off the first 45 balls he faced, he got just seven runs; the 46th ball, from Anderson, was short and Dravid again went for the pull. This time, he middled it and the ball raced to the boundary. Dravid, thereafter, was never troubled through the rest of the day.
Today, Dravid was more assured in general, though he was beaten more often – mostly by the ball that swung away late from the stumps and went to the off-side off the outside edge of his bat, as he tried to play it on the on-side. There was no real chance, but there was a bit of luck for him – which no one would grudge him.
When he came in to bat on Friday, December 19 – Sehwag gone for zero, the ball moving a bit, rain was in the offing and the sky almost black with clouds – the general sentiment was that he was done in. How things change! Not long ago, weren't these the exactly the conditions in which we wanted him to come in and take the team out of trouble? Now the trouble, it was felt, was certain to overwhelm him, for wasn't his mind troubled?
Now, 21 days short of his 36th birthday, Dravid summoned the force that seemed to have forsaken him and played a significant innings – significant for the team, for himself.
Those days of glory may have gone by, he might not be the batsman he was, but Dravid showed that he's good enough for tons of runs.