If you have been watching TV or have been on social media, you know the recent news of Rahul Dravid taking over as the coach of the Indian team. Now, nobody in their right mind is ever going to diss Dravid, so that’s not gonna happen. Instead, we made a list of reasons, instances so to speak, that further this belief that he’s the perfect man for the job.
1. Even though he couldn’t meet the boy, Rahul Dravid interacted with Ashok Dhoke who had been diagnosed with cancer and really wanted to speak to his idol.
Like most 90s kids, Ashok Dhoke grew up idolising Rahul Dravid. Unfortunately, Dhoke was diagnosed with Cancer a few years ago. Dravid ensured a meeting with the kid through Skype.
2. Rahul Dravid took over as India’s wicketkeeper allowing Sourav Ganguly to play an extra batsman in the team.
Rahul Dravid was never very fond of wicketkeeping. But when Sourav Ganguly, then India’s captain asked him to don the gloves, he stepped up and carried India through to the final of the 2003 World Cup and then some.
3. Rahul Dravid had just led India to a Test series victory in England when he stepped down from captaincy, allowing MS Dhoni to take over.
MSD was Dravid’s deputy in the ODIs during India’s tour of England in 2007. And while India lost the series 3-2, it was closely contested. Prior to that, India had just won a Test series in England under his captaincy. But when it came to the T20 World Cup. Dravid stepped down from the position and allowed Dhoni to take over.
Following India’s successful campaign at the inaugural World T20, Dravid stepped down as captain fro all formats which allowed Dhoni and Kumble to lead India into being the No 1 Test side and win the World Cup in 2011.
3. Despite being out of the ODI team for years, when the team needed him to don the blue in the ODI series against England, he stayed back and did just that.
As far as white-ball cricket was concerned, Dravid was retired for all intent and purposes. But following the 4-0 drubbing India received in the Test series on the 2011 tour of England, the team management felt it safer to have Dravid in the middle order for both the T20 and the ODI series and the legend obliged.
4. Rahul Dravid was so good even during his final days in limited over cricket that he scored 69 of 79 balls at a strike rate of 87!
What was that about him batting slow, again? Dravid played second fiddle to Virat Kohli’s first century in England and helped India to a total of 304.
5. When everybody back home was angry at Dhoni and the Indian team for calling Ian Bell back, Dravid took to the press to defend the team.
Dravid had told the media that the way Bell was dismissed didn’t seem to be in the spirit of the game.
If the laws of the games are strictly adhered to, he probably was out. But in the spirit of the game, it didn’t seem right. Dhoni and the team felt the right thing to do was to ask him to bat again.
-Rahul Dravid
6. Whenever India has struggled with an opening pair and India have struggled quite a bit, Dravid has stepped up to bite the bullet at the top of the order himself.
Be it in ODIs or Tests, Rahul Dravid has often stepped up to do the job that no one else was willing to do or perhaps, just didn’t have the skills or the temperament to do successfully.
7. Rahul Dravid had come into the now legendary Kolkata Test of 2001 with a viral fever.
That’s right. That incredible partnership with VVS Laxman which would go on to defeat the invincible Australian team came on the backdrop of a viral fever among other things.
8. Dravid may have been known for his impregnable defence but for many years, he held the recod for scoring the 2nd fastest ODI half-century by an Indian.
Dravid smashed his way to a 22-ball-50. to give you some context, Dravid had a career strike rate of 71.24 in ODIs but on that day it was 227.27. And this was pre-T20 era.
9. Rahul Dravid wrote a detailed letter to Kevin Pietersen after the latter asked his help to play left-arm spinners.
In one of the better-documented tales of camaraderie between rival cricketers, Kevin Pietersen had been having trouble facing left-arm spinners due to the new LBW rules when he asked Dravid for some help. The Indian legend stepped up and offered Pietersen some detailed advice on the subject.
10. Rahul Dravid has also been largely credited for the success of the India A and the India U19 teams and grooming the youngsters who will eventually represent the country at the biggest stage.
Dravid has been in charge India A and U-19 set-up for the past six years and a lot of players such as Rishabh Pant, Avesh Khan, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, and Shubman Gill have come through the system prepared by him.
Now, let’s get this whole thing locked and the papers signed and give Dravid everything he wants and then some so that we can have him as Team India’s coach.