A cricketer and a gentleman

Rahul Dravid: 'a fine batsman, a good leader and a popular cricketer' © Getty Images

Somewhere in Sydney there is a guy who occasionally rides his motor-bike proudly wearing a Rahul Dravid India one-day shirt. In Qatar there are a bunch of expat Indian workers whose prized possession is a bat signed by the Indian team courtesy of Dravid.

The India captain is not only a fine batsman, a good leader and a popular cricketer, he's also a solid citizen; a man of his word. When in 2004 I asked him in Pakistan if I could have his one-day shirt at the end of the series for a mate of mine in Sydney he not only graciously said, "Yes," he also had it cleaned and presented it to me neatly wrapped in a plastic bag. When I asked brother Greg if he could obtain a bat signed by the Indian team for a mate of mine in Qatar who wanted to reward some of his workmates, it was Dravid who did the needful.

This is the generous human being most people don't see off the field. On the field there is plenty of opportunity for fans to watch the Indian captain; they don't call him "The Wall" without good reason. There was a time when Dravid seemed too obsessed with technique and in those periods he would forget the main object of the exercise was to score runs. In these periods of inaction at the crease his scoring was often becalmed and he was vulnerable to good bowlers.

Eventually it was this flaw that cost him the number three spot in the famous 2001 series against Australia. When he was demoted to number six he didn't sulk or become bitter, he first played a significant contributing role in the series turning partnership with WS Laxman. Then he set about correcting the flaw in his approach and by the time India next played Australia he was carving out a wonderful double century and hitting the winning runs in the second innings at Adelaide Oval from the number three spot.

Such is the determination and pride that drives Dravid. He always had those qualities but what this intelligent cricketer realised was that cricket matches were won by accumulating runs at a reasonable rate and wickets Were lost when the scoring slowed to a trickle. Since that turning point in his career in 2001 he has been in a ding-dong battle with Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting to be recognised as the best batter of the period.

It was no surprise to see Dravid in the thick of the dogfight for a first innings lead in the recent Mohali Test, nor to see him still at the crease when the winning runs were collected for India to go one up against a determined England side.

Captaincy has made no difference to Dravid's batting; if anything it has made him more determined and aware of what needs to be done for India to win. His captaincy is as you would expect, thoughtful and pro-active; he's always on the look out for an opportunity to gain the upper hand in a match. It is indicative of Dravid's intelligence and diplomacy that throughout an eventful and at times trying period as captain of India, where some extremely tough decisions have been taken his behaviour has been exemplary. As a cricketer Dravid strikes that happy balance between competing hard and still retaining his integrity. His approach on and off the field has won him many friends all round the world.