DRAVID TURNS 36

From keeping willow in socks to reading Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

NEW DELHI: Master batsman Rahul Dravid, who turned 36 on January 11, simply loves his willow, often keeps it in socks, and gets a firm control on the bat -- and the bowling attack -- with double-barrelled gloves.

When the former India captain is not scorching the turf with polished strokes, he is immersed in books, though not necessarily on cricket or sports. For example, he read ‘The Art of War’, written by famous Chinese writer Sun Tzu, after he borrowed it from Indian envoy to Sri Lanka Nirupama Rao at her Colombo residence in 2006.

Also in the island nation, Dravid carried his prolific willow in white socks. When I asked him as to how long he has been doing this, he said he had been keeping his bats that “way for some time”.

Dravid is a batsman for all seasons, pitches, conditions and opposition. And his batting seems a natural extension of the person he is -- well read yet not arrogant, sophisticated and yet uncomplicated, down-to-earth yet assertive.

He has millions of fans but he bats with an aim not to earn praise. It is because the Bangalore-based Dravid has set for himself higher standards than his followers.

"I will be happy if I live up to my own expectations (rather than people’s)," he had told me when I interviewed him for the first time, in the huge vacant hall of the Pride Hotel in Nagpur, now the city of his in-laws, for The Asian Age newspaper in 1998.

Dravid is immensely focussed, single-minded and is always seeking perfection. He hardly ever smiles or indulges in conversations with his team mates at net practice sessions. No, not because he is arrogant or aloof, but he utilises the time to the hilt and is always seeking to remove the shortcomings, if any, in his batting.

In many ways, Dravid is like Olympic silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore -- fully devoted and focussed. And much the way the double trap shooter takes utmost care of his custom-made Perazzi, the master right-handed batsman also keeps his willow close to his chest.

A few years ago, someone had asked New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming in Mohali that if given a chance, which Indian player he would like to take from the Indian side. Without a pause, Fleming had replied: "Rahul Dravid." Just for the record, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were part of that team than also.

When Dravid was the national captain it was quite appropriate -- in a way, it was a natural extension of the cricketer. He brought dignity to the job, a gracefulness of old times that is rare in today's cutthroat competition in the commercially driven game.

Still, Dravid is businesslike, on and off the field. While his team mates may indulge in jokes and gossip while waiting for a plane, Dravid is likely to be browsing the internet or writing e-mails even at airports.

You are unlikely to find earphones permanently tucked in his ears, as is the contemporary cricketer's style. He has no hang-ups about himself; he is so confident of himself.

Dravid is a brand ambassador that not just Bank of Baroda or Max New York Life or Hutch, which he endorses, would like to have on their teams, but many other companies as well.

But the Indore-born Dravid seems to be in no hurry. After all, he now has to share off-the-field time with a growing-up son, Samit, besides his doctor wife, Vijeyta.