My Role Model- Rahul Dravid

In India, cricket is a religion as it the most coveted game. Everybody talks about cricket. There is huge money involved  and hence has a strong propaganda than any another game. And people too prefer this game due to sheer entertainment. The cricketing stars are compared to Gods. It is not the national game of India but the craze has ever burgeoning. People around me always used to talk cricket and play cricket which made me slowly attract to it in my childhood. I addiction has continued till now. In my childhood during classes, at break times and on the way back home, we used to debate about the ongoing matches, the shots played, the wickets taken and the catches taken. Any book or pad or a stick in our hand would definitely make us imitate the shots. After school we used to play in the evenings and the fun part was imitating the batting and bowling styles of the players. It added fun to the game. Everyone had a beloved player and they used to imitate him.

For me the real star was Rahul Dravid. He is nicknamed as ‘’the wall’’ because of his excellence and is also considered as the ‘’gentleman’’ in the game of cricket. He is ranked among the outstanding players the game has ever produced. I am never a fan of fast cricket. For me, test cricket is the real game, where the player’s character and determination is tested. The circumstances are stringent to leave a mark in the history of the game.

It was in the year 1997 when I saw the whole test match against South Africa during my holidays when he made a solid 148. It was when the team really needed and witnessing this I became an instant fan of him. He had faced more than 400 balls to make this score. India always had a problem playing abroad but Dravid never had the hesitation to play in those conditions keeping in mind he made his debut a year ago. His debut was on the international ground at the Mecca of cricket, Lords. I liked the way he played that particular game. His concentration was impeccable. He never got distracted. His intentions were clear and he did everything to achieve what he wanted. Any person who has watched him play will like him. His elegant style is unmatchable. The sobriquet ‘’ the wall’’ has evolved from his batting which had helped India from dire straits.  

He became my role model in my late teens. I had idolized greater people like Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Thomas Alva Edison. They are still my role models. I have learnt a lot and still learning from their experiences by reading more about them. Since I was watching Dravid evolve in my childhood, he was the perfect living role model for me. It was from him I learnt persistence pays. I could see from his game that persistence really pays. There is nothing worth comparable to hard work. I leant many things from him like the ability to adjust in any condition as posed in life. Using our knowledge by improvising it to face challenges in our life. We should be always calm in our life irrespective of the situation we are in. Thoughts from a cool mind are most pragmatic. We should always have the desire to learn from anyone irrespective of his stature. We should not have ego. Never to be complacent with our previous glory. To keep working, improvising and be determined. I could see all these traits in his 16yrs of service to the nation.

He has in one way shaped my life. I have my never give up attitude from him. He has retired from the game but he is in my mind. He is a person who reminds to keep working whenever I am losing to my endeavours. Dravid you had a very good attitude and I will give my best to replicate your principles in my life. Thank you for teaching me the path to glory with a never dying  fighting spirit.