Rahul Dravid could’ve quit when he was ahead

Imran Khan probably did it best, right after winning the World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar came close. His last Test innings of 96 in Bangalore fell tantalisingly short of giving India victory in a series decider against Pakistan, but it was a master class on a wicket where the ball turned square; the second highest scorer from both sides was Dilip Vengsarkar who got 50 in the first innings.

Measured against those yardsticks, Rahul Dravid will know on hindsight that he left it at least one series too late. His decline actually began a few years earlier when he lost his place in the one-day side. But he had a remarkable resurgence in 2011; maybe he felt unfettered after a good IPL season, came out in a more positive frame of mind and it clicked. In technique and temperament, he has been second to none in the side and he proved that in England last year when he was the only batsman to stand up to the English bowlers on pitches tailor-made to their strengths. Unfortunately, with little support around him, he could not convert his form with the bat into results for the team.

He was also partly to blame for this himself, dropping so many catches that the English tabloid press speculated that we probably call him The Wall because catches keep bouncing off him.

That may have been unkind to a player who holds the record for the highest number of catches in Tests for any player other than a wicket-keeper, but the dropped catches were a sign that his reflexes were slower, his body a little stiffer and his mind not fully concentrated. Age was catching up with him and he had no illusions about this because he announced his retirement from one-day cricket soon after being recalled to the ODI side in England. But he missed his moment of glory by not walking away from Tests too after his exploits in the English summer.

His Test batting form continued in the home series against the West Indies, but this was on friendly ground against a friendly opposition. The Australian series was simply one too many; Dravid has never looked as much at sea as he looked in those four Tests. He was rooted to the crease, loathe to move forward even when the ball was pitched up. And the Aussie bowlers, assisted by plenty of grass on the wickets, were bowling a full length consistently right through this series. The result was dismissal after dismissal in almost identical fashion for Dravid, bowled between bat and pad. It was a pathetic end for a player who was most admired for his technique and temperament which had got India some famous victories abroad.

Still, as Dravid put it himself, he did not want to drag it on and you have to give him credit for that. He could have waited for the much easier home series coming up in six months’ time to sign off with a few big knocks, something that VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar appear intent on attempting. I really wonder if anybody other than them is waiting with bated breath to see if they manage that, but in the meantime the rebuilding of Indian cricket will remain on hold. But thank you Dravid for opening up one more slot, and not waiting for our comatose selectors to do their job.

c_sumit@dnaindia.net