The End Of The Road For The Great Wall Of World Cricket

Dravid is standing down today, my favourite all time batsmen at international level
The 36 greatest qualities of Dravid’s batting, words which you can associate with the great which I always keep in my head:

Concentration
Patience
Stamina
Application
Determination
Gutsiness
Grittiness
Mental Toughness
Unflappable temperament
Spirited Resilience
Perseverance
Persistence
Resistance
Endurance
Unfazed character
Discipline
Responsibility
Steadiness
Stability
Solidity
Calmness
Composure
Coolness
Strong defensive technique
Sharp judgement
Resoluteness
Watchfulness
Repetitiveness
Cunningness
Competitiveness
Relentlessness
Restraint
Self Trust
Chanceless
Stodgy accumulation
Graft

The best Dravid knock in my opinion was back in 2004 at Pindi against Pakistan with the series poised at 1-1. It was a package of some great controlled shots right out of the textbook. This was his career best too.

Dravid was cricket’s greatest ambassador, a man who epitomised the value of determination, competitiveness & unflappability in temperament.

The greatest quality of his batting was his RELENTLESSNESS. The ability to trust himself, back himself, being strict with himself, absorbing the pressure & sticking by his limits in tough situations.

The WALL calls it a day - the greatest ambassador cricket has ever seen - the man who has taken more catches than any test cricketer - the man who has faced more deliveries than anyone else in test cricket - the 2nd leading test run scorer of all time - ICC cricketer of the year 2004 - 1999 WC leading run scorer - India's wicket keeper as they were finalists in the 2003 WC - the man who captained India to a historic test series win in England 2007 - the man who was MOTS even when his side were whitewashed in 2011 against a formidable England bowling line up in testing conditions at 38 - Salute Dravid cricket will miss him

Forget the numbers, here is a career defining quote if there ever was one: - " Dravid believed that the best sportsmen were incomplete if they did not conduct their lives with dignity, integrity, courage and modesty, all of which were compatible with pride, ambition, determination and competitiveness. He was the embodiment of his ideals, and that, over an international career of 16 years is as significant as the runs he made or the catches he took." - By Suresh Menon Sports Writer