Savouring Rahul Dravid's IPL days

T20 cricket provides an opportunity to savour cricket royalty.

In yesteryear, when international careers were ended either by self or stealth selector, it meant cricketers intent on continuing their craft would have to spend their declining days amid the relative obscurity of the domestic level.

Don’t misinterpret me. I dare not demean domestic cricket, which is integral to the fabric of cricket.

But in this era, where commercialism has triumphed, sport increasingly feels scripted like a mainstream Hollywood flick.

Sport media, particularly of the television medium, shoves the narrative down the consumer’s throat. The contest’s plotlines are shaped to create mass hype and produce revenue for the commercial entities involved.

In cricket this is evident in the swansong of a great player, where the whole spectacle lurches dangerously close to corny sentimental terrain.

Emotive tributes are abundant and our heroes depart amid the euphoria of a feel-good movie ending.

Despite the cheesy connotations, even the chorus of cynics would have been moved when Ricky Ponting was greeted with a South African guard of honour in the middle of the WACA.

Great cricketers deserve the grand spectacle finale, which also provides fans with an opportunity to cherish an historic moment.

Of course, not all greats depart the international scene amid tears, camera flashes and thunderous ovations.

Rahul Dravid was last seen in the international arena embarrassingly trudging off the Adelaide Oval after his stumps had once again been scythed.

Dravid was part of India’s humiliating tour of Australia, a series where ‘the Wall’ was reduced to rubble.

It was an ignominious exit for such a revered and respected cricketer. There was no ceremonial pomp for Dravid’s final Indian innings, as he announced his retirement after archetypal measured deliberation.

Fortunately, the T20 boon can eradicate the image of Dravid’s sad international demise.

For certain cricketers, I wish the international domain was the enduring memory. In the latest Big Bash version, Shane Warne became caricature.

It was sad to watch cricket’s greatest ever bowler being regularly eviscerated by unheralded scrubs. This was not how the great man’s legacy was supposed to end.

The IPL is about dazzling and entertaining audiences. Big shots, stunning catches and shattered stumps encapsulate this frenetic format.

So, it’s easy for a quaint figure like Dravid to be relegated in the backdrop. It’s an all too familiar scenario for Dravid, who spent the entirety of his career behind the giant shadow of Sachin Tendulkar.

Dravid has brought old school class and professionalism to the IPL, which has been derided for being soulless and materialistic.

Dravid’s presence provides a link between the past and the present. But more importantly, Dravid showcases the importance of nous and perseverance.

Dravid doesn’t rely on the slog and is measured in his approach to batsmanship. Even in the helter skelter of the T20 format, the virtues of patience and diligence are the bedrock of Dravid’s success.

Younger cricketers lacking destructive power in their skillset shouldn’t be perturbed. Dravid has proven that success in all formats can be garnered with cricketing smarts and a rigorous work ethic.

While his batting has been a throwback, it’s his captaincy that has been most intriguing.

Dravid’s stint as Indian captain was a disappointment, yielding just eight wins from 25 Tests and infamously leading India during the calamity of the 2007 World Cup.

He could not elicit the best from his comrades at the international level. To an outsider, he didn’t possess the charisma of Azharuddin or Dhoni’s flamboyance to succeed in the gruelling post.

Watching him lead Rajasthan with aplomb, I now ponder whether Dravid was perhaps a victim of taking the reins at an inopportune period.

Marshalling an unfancied Rajasthan, Dravid has inspired his charges to the upper echelons of the league ladder with astute captaincy and, perhaps surprisingly, exhibiting a dose of flair.

As any wine connoisseur can attest, sipping the last drops of a well-aged Chardonnay is an experience to cherish.

Dravid is T20’s vintage drop. His more eminent colleagues, namely Warne, Tendulkar and Ponting are akin to the stale beer that leaves a bad aftertaste in your mouth.