In a team of weary bodies and distracted minds the oldest of them all showed a sense of commitment to Test cricket that is getting rare by the day. Technical skills counted for more in a demanding environment against a relentless attack carrying out a forensic examination of a much vaunted batting line-up and Rahul Dravid had the technique, the temperament and much more.

His outstanding success in three first innings hundreds that saw him stand head and shoulders above his colleagues was symbolic of the timelessness of true champions. His exploits against the Dukes ball of 2010 vintage cleverly chosen by Team England showed that while form is temporary class is permanent.
It’s a pity the rest of the celebrated batting could not keep him company long enough to avoid the embarrassing whitewash that relegated India to No. 3 from a 20-month perch at the top of the Test totem pole. There were flashes of resistance from many but together Team India counted for next to nothing. Back to the drawing board then,
In a 15-year career, Dravid has maintained a dignity and composure that will prove beyond most mortals who are touched by fame. His batting dexterity may have deserted him at times but never did his judgment leave him save when he came under the influence of the persuasive personality of Greg Chappell. Even then, it was not ego that intruded into his decision making as captain.
It’s not without reason that he detests the inorganic and static connotations of the sobriquet ‘The Wall’ that has permeated his career to the extent they even built a celebratory wall at his home ground at the KSCA. The innings he played at The Oval was not about some immovable object but about dynamism of footwork and stroke play.
It seemed he had waved a magic wand that took away some 15 years from his age as he delectably glided the ball off his hips, flicked it off his hips pads and reached out to drive imperiously through cover point. Sometimes it is easy to forget he is second on the all time list of Test run makers but that is because the ones before and after him can seem such powerful players who take apart bowling attacks.
Not being the man for trigger movements to give an edge to anticipation at the crease, Dravid began using his back foot as a floating pivot, often coming across to position his body behind the swinging ball. His manner of playing the swing late can easily be pointed out as a master class, more easily admired than copied. It’s the good fortune of Indian cricket that he was given the support when he looked less than assured on a couple of tours of South Africa.
The straightness of his bat matches his character. His endurance is never better symbolized than in the fact that he has faced more than 30,000 balls in Test cricket, a few thousands more than his contemporaries who have also played as many Tests. And the world’s bowlers have not worn him out yet, which means we can simply give him the same privilege as Sachin Tendulkar when and where he will play his last Test series.
The flip side of age might be gleaned in his less than perfect catching at slip. But then no one has worked harder on his fitness than the daddy of them all in the current Team Indian that aspires to fill up with GenNext warriors. Unfortunately, too many of them come from the flippant school of instant cricket rather than the demanding theatre of Test cricket. No wonder Dravid’s loyalty to his team is greater than the length of his Test innings. It is a measure of the man that his opponents also applauded his feats so generously. Here stands a dynamic champion sportsman, not some static ‘Wall’.