BRIDGETOWN (Barbados): A World Cup in West Indies 17 years ago left
Rahul Dravid
the captain shattered. On Saturday, the West Indies gave it back to him on his last day as coach. The humiliation of crashing out at the group stage of an ODI World Cup seemed like a long-forgotten memory as the legend was up in the air again, this time his players right there to hold him.
Dravid, who referred to himself as “unemployed,” with just a hint of a smile, after India’s win at the Kensington Oval, never won an ICC trophy in his playing career, though he did come close a few times.
As coach, despite building a team that has been No. 1 across formats for a while now, the defeats in two finals in the World Test Champion and ODI World Cup must have hurt. Barbados gave him back a few things, though he refuses to call it “redemption”.
“It is a memory of a lifetime for me. But this is no redemption, I don’t think on those lines. As player I was not lucky enough to win a trophy but I always knew I gave it my best and I know many g reats who haven’t won a big prize. I was lucky to be given the coach’s job and it is a great to be part of a moment like this,” Dravid said, savouring the moment as the sun hid behind the clouds.
One of India’s greatest batters of all time, Dravid comes from a different generation. His quiet, understated and methodical approach isn’t always a straight fit with a group of young players who are mercurial. Even if you are a legend, it’s not always easy to impress ideas upon them, especially when they are stars in their own right.
Rohit Sharma
, for whom Dravid was his “first international captain”, was probably the go-between when it came to the younger crop of players and the 51-year-old coach. The skipper himself said it wasn’t easy for Dravid as he had to “suppress his instincts many times”.
“It is not easy to match the wavelength of these boys. So, Rahul bhai suppressed himself. He understood what the boys wanted, he made that his priority. It is not easy for anybody to do all these, but Rahul bhai did that for the whole team. He understood what the boys needed and worked accordingly,” Rohit said.
Dravid agreed.
“There are things which are different. They are fantastic talents, their energy, their confidence are of a different level. We had to take this confidence ahead and win an ICC trophy that was eluding us. But it’s because of them we are getting a moment to celebrate like this,” the outgoing coach said.
There’s no denying that the Rohit-Dravid captain-coach combo will be remembered in Indian cricket just the same way Ganguly-Wright, Dhoni-Kirsten and Kohli-Shastri will be remembered. They seemed to understand each other very well which worked wonders for the team, and Dravid insisted it is the personal bond that he will miss most.
“Hope we still remain friends,” Dravid laughed. “But honestly, I will miss Rohit the person the most. The kind of respect, care and commitment he has shown to me, it’s really touching. He will be a great captain, a great player, but he is the person who I will be most fond of.”
“What’s the legacy that you’re leaving behind?” The question had to be asked. Dravid, the master of understatement, was in his elements again when he said he is “not a legacy person”.
“I am glad we gave the best we could and lucky to be working with such a hard-working, intelligent group of coaches. But I am happiest for those Indian fans who keep coming back.”
Dravid said he will be “moving on” and going on with his life from next week.
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