Bidding Adieu!!

It seems that Rahul Dravid's retirement caused the espncricinfo website to crash. Although the website denied this causality, it does bear testimony to the adoration that Rahul Dravid enjoys in the cricketing fraternity that most people still believe his retirement and the website crash were linked!

This incident highlights two very important facets of Rahul Dravid's cricket. First and foremost, he was a truly international cricketer loved by fans the world over. Accolades and testimonials flowing from international cricketers further reinforce the stature of the man in international cricket. Secondly, and more critically, Rahul Dravid is the connoisseur's hero. He is undoubtedly a purist in cricketing terms - of course this didn't affect his performance in the IPL at all - but in years to come, Rahul Dravid will inevitably be placed amongst the great test cricketers so much so, that his Limited over International heroics will be completely forgotten.

The other curious feature in the tributes flowing for Rahul Dravid is that none of them actually extol his cricket in numerical terms. Come on, five figure runs in both forms of the game and no one seems to be talking about it. If this had been any other imminent retiree (such as Kallis, Ponting or even Sangakarra in a few years time), the first wave of odes would refer to their cricketing achievements, their awards, centuries and averages - but not Dravid.

The reason for not extolling Dravid's cricketing achievements is quite simple - no, it is not because they are eclipsed by his teammate Sachin but because it is not his amazing numbers that make him a cricketing great. It is the manner in which he went about scripting his runs and career that set him apart.

The most important contribution of Dravid and his Indian contemporaries - read fab five - is the legacy they leave in the Indian dressing room. It should be noted that the fab five were the first generation that enjoyed the monetary surplus of Indian cricket. They were the first cricketing millionaires and probably billionaires. Hence the task of demonstrating the manner of enjoying the enormous success and lifestyle that cricket provided fell on the fab five and what a job they have done!

They have shown that wealth and fame can indeed be tamed and enjoyed than knock you off your perch. Most of the accolades for Rahul Dravid have a similar theme - they describe the perpetual dignity and stature of the man, his equanimity and utter dedication to the sport. The very fact that the golden generation of Indian cricketers have lived a scandal-free celebrity life for nearly two decades stands testament to their stature.

It is only because of the fab five that Indian cricket was able to bounce back from the match-fixing quagmire at the dawn of the new millennium. Indian cricket and cricket lovers are deeply indebted to this great group of men for this very simple reason - for keeping cricket alive. Match fixing is rearing its ugly head once again. Rumors are rife and investigations will begin soon. In this uncertain climate, it would be prudent to extol players like Rahul Dravid, not for their cricket but for being impeccable cricketers.

The true value of a player like Rahul Dravid can only be gauged by the dressing room. Unfortunately, a cricket fan or follower or even their closest family members can never truly understand the value of such legends to the game. Their lasting contribution in to the culture in the dressing room. Only the current and coming generations can reflect the culture that these legends leave behind.

The current and incumbent generation of Indian cricketers have a sacrosanct responsibility to live up to the heady ethical standards set by the golden generation. Being a cricket lover, I know that I will, in the near future have to write a testimonial for my favorite cricketer SRT and even VVS Laxman but on each occasion, my tune would be similar - Cherish the manner in which this golden generation has lived and played the game and conclude with a fervent hope that the coming generations will endeavor to meet the lofty standards set by stalwarts like Rahul.