Dravid's long wait for a Cricket- World Cup

The struggle started in 1999; the Wall of Indian Cricket- Rahul Dravid fought and fought well for over 25 years.

He scored the most runs in the 1999 ICC World Cup, but Lans Klusener, a South African all-rounder, got the man of the series. He had the stamp of a test-cricket-only player, which is denied by his consistent performance in the ODI format in the middle overs. If the team was in trouble, Dravid was there as a wall, which was challenging to break. He did not only batting but also wicketkeeping to have that extra bowler or a batsman in the playing eleven.

Meanwhile, Dravid persevered in test matches, his resilience shining through in every game. Who can forget the famous Kolkata test? Then, later in Adelaide and on several other occasions. In 2003, he once again led the charge in the finals against Australia, but despite his best efforts, the Aussies emerged victorious. In 2007, now as the captain, he faced another setback, failing to lead the team to victory. However, he did not let these setbacks define him. Later, in 2011, he retired from cricket and started his second inning as a coach.

Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket did not end with his retirement as a player. He embarked on a mission to search for next-generation talent and became a coach for the under-19 Indian teams, and his efforts were successful. He found new talent in India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities, nurturing them into the stars of tomorrow. Later, he became a coach for an Indian cricket team. The T-20 World Cup India won yesterday is a testament to his vision and dedication. It’s like that bamboo tree; it takes ages to grow beneath the surface, but when it takes time, the tree grows faster.

Here is a quick guide for my connections who don’t know cricket.