Rahul Dravid: A runaway winner Published: Saturday, Dec 31, 2011 on 15:02 IST By DNA Correspondent
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Approximately two weeks of voting and thousands and thousands of votes later, we have a winner. By an overwhelming margin, that is. The ever-so-reliable Rahul Dravid is DNA’s Sportsperson of the Year (SPY), garnering 48 per cent of the total votes  cast by you, the readers. Last year’s winner, Sachin Tendulkar, finished a distant second with 20 per cent of the total votes while MS Dhoni, who captained India to the World Cup glory in April this year, was third with 14 per cent. Ever since the voting lines opened on December 13, there was little doubt as to who will end up winning the DNA readers’ vote of confidence. The early trends indicated our readers’ preference for the Wall. He continued to stay on top to finish with nearly 50 per cent votes. We must admit that the margin of  Dravid’s win has surprised us. In a year when there were very few strong performances by Indians in majority of the sports, the members of the World Cup-winning Indian squad were always expected to dominate — Tendulkar (the DNA SPY in 2010), who scored the most runs in the World Cup, Yuvraj Singh, whose crucial knocks in the World Cup proved to be the difference and of course, MS Dhoni, who ended India’s 28-year drought in the World Cup. Yet, it was Dravid’s excellence in the Tests — his fighting performances in the four Test matches in England — that seemed to have stood out. None of this, of course, would have been possible without the support of you, dear readers. We thank you for the overwhelming response. Next year — the Olympic year — promises to throw up plenty of young talent and hopefully, the competition will be stiffer. Till then, happy reading! Rahul Dravid: 48%

                    RCB VS MI

 ITS THE CLASH OF THE TITANS...ITS SACHIN VS DRAVID...HOPE THAT RCB WINS 2DAY AND THEIR WINNING STREAK CONTINUES...GO RCB GO!!!!MAR DRAVID PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT PART IN 2DAY'S MATCH....

 

Critics can say  whatever, but class is class

  Tuesday’s game showed us one thing: It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what form of the game it is, when good players are challenged, or criticised by people who don’t have anything else to say, they tend to show the world why they’re considered good, or great.

That’s what Jacques Kallis did on Tuesday and that’s what Rahul Dravid has done for us more than a few times. Players like Kallis and Dravid are pure quality.
They look to take control of the situation and generally thrive in pressure-cooker situations.
Even in T20 cricket, their strike rates are comparable to those of many big-hitters, and their innings are perhaps more valuable because you know these are the men you can depend on. They’ll invariably bail you out when the more flamboyant men fail.
The thing is, because of the way they bat, with calm authority, and because we’re not used to seeing them bat like this, we’re conditioned to think this format isn’t their cup of tea. What we tend to overlook is that they adapt, and adapt beautifully. Experience is a priceless asset and we’re fortunate to have people like them.
But things got a bit hairy for a bit on Tuesday. On such a wicket, where the runs keep coming, it’s very difficult. As a captain and a bowler, you start chasing the ball; as in, you start putting a fielder wherever the ball goes. We bowled well during the restrictions, but we gave away too many later and missed a couple of chances. The wicket was a batter’s feast and they took whatever was on offer.
We thought we gave away 25-30 too many, but told ourselves to stick to our goal, which is
to chase down totals in 19 overs.
That 19-over mark is important, because it keeps us wired. Otherwise, a couple of good overs often get batters complacent and we can’t afford that in this format.
Which is why it was fantastic, the way Jacques controlled the game, how Manish Pandey helped give us that all-important start and then, how Robin Uthappa played — he was exceptional. I remember telling Mark Boucher and someone else that we needed one game-changing innings, someone to get a fifty in 20 balls. Robin gave us that.
We’ll be looking forward to doing it again against Rajasthan. They’re hit by injuries but we’ll be looking to keep our momentum going, play to our strengths.
On a personal note, my injury seems okay. I’m all set to play. And have my team win.

Kevin Pietersen aided by Rahul Dravid advice

Pietersen was out bowled for 99 but it was a welcome return to form

Kevin Pietersen paid tribute to India batsman Rahul Dravid after returning to form with a knock of 99 on day one of England's first Test in Bangladesh.

The batsman has only one century since 2008 and has struggled in South Africa and the warm-up games in Bangladesh.
But he said a phone call with Dravid this week has helped turn his form around as England ended play on 374-3.
"I spoke with Rahul and his advice was spectacular. I'd have taken a 99 before play, so today was special," he said.
"I have worked so hard, especially this week, and I have genuinely absolutely loved it.
"I suppose I felt under pressure in terms of the way I play left-arm spin because it's troubled me the last few weeks. I knew I had to work it out - the top three bowlers in the world are left-armers and with umpires happy to give you out lbw on the front foot now I've had to adjust things.

"I've had plenty of time to speak to (England team director) Andy Flower - a great player of spin - in the nets and he's helped. And speaking to Rahul, another amazing player of spin, was a huge help.
"I've played with Rahul for (IPL outfit) Bangalore, I've played a lot of Test match cricket against him and in two weeks I'll be spending a month with him (at the IPL).
"It's great to spend time speaking to people like that and he's helped a heck of a lot. Little things like where my hands were, where I put my feet, what areas I wanted to hit into. He gave me a couple of tips he uses and it really worked out great.
"I've made a slight adjustment, put hours in in the nets and sweated more than I've sweated through my entire career and that's paid off.
"Sometimes you have to work on your game harder than at other times and that hard work paid off today - 99 is better than nought," he added on BBC Radio 5 live.
    
While his innings was a welcome return to something like his best for Pietersen, it was overshadowed by opener Alastair Cook's imperious 158 not out on his debut as England Test captain.
The left-hander struck 14 fours and two sixes in his 244-ball innings as he batted through the day to become the fifth Englishman to reach three figures in his first Test outing as captain, with Pietersen the fourth.
"Getting a hundred on your first day as Test captain is something dreams are made of," he said.
"To have batted all day was fantastic. It's always the thing on these surfaces - maintain concentration, try to maintain your tempo, and dig in.
"I've certainly got my sights set on a big innings, yes. If I can get back in on the second morning and keep doing the things I did today, hopefully I can go on to a really big one."
England were certainly helped by a below-par performance from the home bowlers, while opposing captain Shakib Al Hasan's decision to field first at the toss in no little way handed Cook's side the initiative.
        
"I was surprised at the toss and yes I would have batted," admitted Cook. "It looks a good pitch, but then maybe they know something we don't."
And Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons conceded the decision to field first was "in hindsight, a bad decision".
"We thought we knew a bit about the Chittagong wicket," he said. "We thought that it would spin on day one and get flatter and flatter like it has in the past, but for some unknown reason it didn't turn.
"We've probably put ourselves out of the game. I don't think two teams can win the game from here.
"We are pretty much out of the game, unless we bowl terrifically in the morning and even then we have to bat the house down."

      POEM ON RAHUL DRAVID!!!!!

'oh Rahul,star of our dreams,
u r dashing nd ur eyes gleam,
u make loads of runs,
most of ur innings consists of tonns,
Each stroke u play has a class in it,
which maddens bret,murali ,warne to say "ohhhh shit!!!",

poor-poor murali,glenn The older boyz,
think tht they can take ur wickets like toys,

but they have to suffer nd have to cry,
till the umpire pities tem nd bid u good-bye,

Adams,pontings,maliks ' gangs,
are very sad bcoz more r ur fans,,

u r better then saurav sachin and gavaskar nd all the BIG names tht one can remember,,

oH!! cricketer of the century,,you r really very cute,
As sweet as the music of FLUTE

TENDULKAR VS DRAVID-AGGRESSION VS DEFENSE


Firstly I would like to give some examples which can support my topic for debate.If u don't know who the following people are please read about them.

Who was a better Physicist, Newton or Einstien? Who was a better painter, Michaelangelo or Da Vinci? A better writer, Camus or Sartre? These, like who is a better batsman Tendulkar or Dravid, are questions to which finding an objective answer is not possible.

They are great batsmen with their own styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Statistics, and specially their selective use, can be used to portray one as better than the other, but what one does is merely to highlight their strengths or weaknesses.

Tendulkar supporters will point to the depressing 90s to show that he is a better batsman when he performed in a team lacking cohesiveness, a top quality bowling attack, and good openers. Dravid supporters will jump on to argue that it is Dravid who has actually made use of this improvement in the team to produce match winning innings. But the issue of who is better will remain unresolved because what both camps have done is merely to highlight the strength of their hero while downplaying the strength of the opponent. It can equally well be argued that if Dravid lacked the ability to produce stirring innings in a team which was given consistently poor starts, Tendulkar lacks the ability to pick up his game those extra couple of notches to make the opposition pay for those consistently good starts.

The Tendulkar fan club will argue that he is a better player by the virtue of having performed for a longer time at the international arena. The Dravid group will have its retort ready that it cannot be held against Dravid that he made his debut at the age of 23 and even before his purple patch of the last four years he was averaging just above 50, same as what Tendulkar did in his first few years.

Then with the debate going nowhere the topic would move to "matchwinning" innings, negating the fact that cricket is a team sport and there will always be more than one stand out performance over five days. The Dravid group will take the lead here and point out Kolkata, Rawalpindi, Adelaide et al. and the Tendulkar group after going on the defensive initially will point out to the pathetic support received from other batsmen when he scored big. They will also use this point to argue he made his runs in more difficult situations when all failed.

By now, both sides would be a bit exasperated and willing to concede that the guy in the enemy camp is also a pretty decent bat but this but that and suddenly one of the sides will say aahaa, Dravid has a better defensive technique and but will quickly sit down when wounded but not any less passionate the Tendulkar camp will point to his extraordinary stroke play. And then the two enemy camps will go off in a slumber till one of their heroes once again produces an innings of breathtaking brilliance and normal services will be restored.

Though, none of the two groups will be able to convince the other that their hero is better, but it would have been a wonderful debate leading to a much better understanding of two geniuses playing in the same team by a freak coincidence of history. Hats off Sachin and Rahul.... 

The importance of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman 

How many times have you chuckled when Rahul Dravid has taken guard for India in a Test match. How many times have you wildly cheered the arrival of Sachin, after the departure of India's most reliable batsman. It's payback time now! Indian cricket is feeling the pinch. In the absence of two of its greatest Test batsmen, India are feeling the heat against a rampaging South African side.

Sachin Tendulkar's brilliance and Sehwag's nonchalant ways at the crease was not enough to help India to a face saving draw. What the team needed was someone to put a dead bat in front of Steyn and Morkel's raw pace. At the end of the match, Captain MS Dhoni rued the absence of the two stalwarts. "We were blown away by Dale Steyn by his swing, both conventional and reverse. We missed Rahul and Laxman", he said.
                 Dravid and Laxman, have won and drawn far more games for India, than any other player in the current Test side. The Dravid-Laxman resume is topped by the miraculous win that both these players manufactured out of a near hopeless situation in Kolkata. The victory still ranks as one of the greatest in Indian Test match history.
The same pair rescued India from a precarious situation in the Adelaide Test in the 2003-04 tour to Australia. India went on to register history on the back of Rahul Dravid's 233 and VVS Laxman's 148 in the first innings. Dravid returned to fire an unbeaten 72 runs, which guided India to victory in the Test.
                 The fact is most of India's win abroad have come in conjunction with Dravid scoring heavily for the team. Think of all the Test wins we have had abroad; Adelaide, Rawalpindi, Leeds, Perth-all of them Dravid's name etched over them. Not one of these sweet victories has come without the stamp of Dravid on it.
Same is the case for VVS Laxman. His epic 281 won us the Kolkata Test, the knock of 148 runs in Adelaide, provided support to Dravid's magnificent double hundred. In the eight Test matches that India has won against Australia, Laxman averages a mighty 71.57, with two hundreds. On the same parameter, Dravid averages 68.33, with two hundreds to his credit. Such has been the contribution of these two cricketers.
The Nagpur Test has provided a glimpse of the future of Indian Test cricket, and without Dravid and  Laxman          it looks scary.