With a perfect square-cut, an epic is sealed
Adelaide, 16 December 2003
When Rahul Dravid walked out to bat less than half an hour into the final morning at the Adelaide Oval, he knew that India were on the threshold of something special. Ajit Agarkar's unexpected six-wicket haul the previous afternoon had set up a target of 230 runs, and by the time Dravid emerged to rapturous applause from the Indian support, Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag had already whittled off 48.
Dravid had scripted an epic 233 in the first innings, adding 303 with VVS Laxman, but he needed a kiss from Dame Fortune to get going on the final day. Brad Williams had injured his left shoulder, but he toiled heroically, and when Dravid had made just 9, a perfectly pitched delivery on off stump flew off the edge. Adam Gilchrist grassed the chance, and though Williams continued to trouble him with reverse-swing, Dravid wasn't to be denied. He added 70 with Sachin Tendulkar, and as nails were being bitten to the quick, Laxman came out and caressed a lovely 32-run cameo. Simon Katich's left-arm spin induced a couple more flutters, but fittingly the last act was to feature the two men who had done so much to ease the path to victory.
As Agarkar watched from the non-striker's end, Dravid cut a Stuart MacGill delivery through point. There was a yell of delight and a clenched fist, and Steve Waugh made it a point to pick the ball out of the gutter and hand it over to a man who embodied the warrior spirit that he himself personified.
- Dileep Premachandran
Link to the Original Article - Ranked at No. 41 by Cricinfo.
4 comments:
Dravid has a collection of treasures in his career. Rhis innings is one of them. Considering that before this tour he hadn't exactly excelled in Australia, and that was hung around his accomplishments as a question mark, Dravid was able to bring out the best from within and correct that gathering impression.
Soulberry, Rahul Dravid has been one of the most unsung contributors to Indian cricket! Very well respected and well behaved as an individual...
And I still remember that innings... I was following it over radio commentary... I was at a boarding school then and just months before my Class 10th board examinations... but then, there was no way I was missing a moment of that match... When India won it, it was mid morning and classes had begun... it was our Physics professor who informed us about the win...
Dravid.........
BCCI n Dhoni.....Give some respect to this great man
Hi krishna... good to see you on the blog...
I know Dravid has been dealt with pretty unfairly with by our Board... but I think that it is time that we as fans should also realise that his time with Indian cricket (atleast in the smaller formats) is over... It will make us all feel better as fans...
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