I'm off: The wall

The Wall' of Indian cricket will now remain only as a monument to inspire future cricketers. Rahul Dravid, who earned the nickname for his ability to prevent even the best of bowlers from penetrating his defence, has called it a day. Like the wall of a fortress, Dravid had built his reputation on the strongest of foundations. His knowledge of the basics of the game was unparalleled, and he was someone who could easily be adopted as a great role model. He was not only a classic for his abilities and talent as a player, but also for his outstanding sportsmanship. He was cricket's ultimate gentleman. It has always been a delight to talk to him, and his mastery in the usage of words made him a favourite among the media. Dravid may be missed as a player, but it will not be long before he enthrals cricket fans as a commentator. His recent speeches have already won him accolades, and as a shrewd observer of the game, it is very likely he could be the most sought-after expert. Dravid's second innings in cricket might just be a few days away. Special From the day he walked into the famed Lord's cricket ground in England for his debut Test match in 1996, he kept galloping to glory with every match. He scored 13,288 runs for an average of 52.31 and is second only to Sachin Tendulkar with 15,470 runs. What made Dravid really special was his ability to rescue and resurrect an innings. The ability to bat under pressure, unaffected by any situation, is what makes him a legend. All his 164 Test matches will remain forever as reference material for budding cricketers. Agility Besides being a classic batsman, Dravid was a great fielder too. His 210 catches will forever sparkle as the symbol of his agility. The manner in which he maintained his fitness was indeed noteworthy. He also willingly kept wicket to help India to include an extra batsman or a bowler. A team man to the core, he never protested, even when asked to open the innings, and has always given his best in all the roles. But Dravid had to pay the price for his technical perfection, because a few selectors believed that one-day cricket was meant only for the bang-bang batsmen. He proved that technically perfect batsmen too can play a vital role in one-day cricket and went on to pile up 10,899 runs from his 344 matches, with 12 centuries and 83 half-centuries. Dravid rose to become Team India captain and guided them to victories in West Indies and England, but the 2007 World Cup turned out to be a big blow to his captaincy after India bowed out in the first round. Gentleman He was too gentlemanly a cricketer to continue as captain and failed to cope with the games played by some of the officials and players against him. Although he was a fighter as a player, he was never the street fighter capable of handling power games, especially during the coach Greg Chappell period. The aura created by Dravid can be clearly felt every time one enters the M.A. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. To the left of the stadium entrance is a huge wall with the silhouette of a batsman in action and the words "commitment", "consistency" and "class" embossed in glittering silver that sparkles brilliantly in daylight. Inscribed at the bottom is: "A tribute to Rahul Dravid." Above the wall, a neon light is always lit up, where Dravid's latest Test aggregate keeps sparkling. That sign will now come to a standstill, but The Wall will continue to inspire youngsters hoping to make it big in cricket.