Virender Sehwag says Rahul Dravid was a perfect teammate who would do anything for team’s cause.
Rahul has a special place in my heart. Not many are aware how much he has contributed to the turnaround in my career. I was dropped before the 2007 World Cup and he insisted that I be reinstated for the championship.
I scored a century and a half-century in the tournament. Since then my career graph has gone up. I won back-to-back Wisden Cricketer of the Year awards (in 2008 and 2009). I’m immensely grateful to him.
I’ve had a great time with him, both in the dressing room and on the cricket field. Batting with him had been a great experience. He would encourage me to go for hundreds. When I was nearing a century in Melbourne (2003), he was batting with me, constantly egging me on.
We’ve had many a great partnership, the most memorable being the one in Lahore when we were associated in a stand of 410 runs. It was an education as I watched him from the other end.
I remember the conditions were difficult to bat on. He would constantly tell me to focus and concentrate on my innings. The weather was not so great. The light was bad; the floodlights had to be switched on. We knew there would not be a result in the Test but we had to bat well. So we went on and on. We shared a lot of things during that partnership. We missed a world record. We didn’t regret it though.
I’ve not come across many players like him. He was a perfect team man. He did everything for the team. He always thought for the team. He opened the innings for the team. He batted at No 3 for the team. He batted at No 6 just for the sake of the team. He kept wickets in one-dayers for the team. He was a cricketer committed to the team’s cause. Rahul in the dressing room was a comforting and reassuring thought. We were sure we could overcome any calamity. It was an honour to have shared the same dressing room with him.
For me, his best knock was the double hundred in the 2003 Adelaide Test which we won. The 270 in Rawalpindi against Pakistan was of high class too. He was one of the best No 3 batsmen in world cricket, particularly when we are playing outside India. If you look at other No 3s in the world, you may find their overseas records are not as great as Rahul’s. There were two great qualities in his batting — his impeccable technique and elephantine patience. No one can perhaps match him in these aspects. He would go out in the middle with a perfect mindset. He would be perfectly prepared mentally.
His retirement ends an era in Indian cricket. Finding a player of his class, stature, commitment, dedication, sincerity and accomplishment will not be easy. The void he has created will be difficult to fill. He will be missed, particularly when we’re playing overseas. He has been the best cricketer I’ve come across after Sachin Tendulkar. Be it Tests or ODIs. We will miss him — as a batsman, fielder, teammate.
— As told to Vijay Tagore
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