Former Indian captain, Rahul Dravid is the only cricketer who can challenge ‘captain cool’ MS Dhoni for the being the calmest Indian cricketer ever. Both of these stalwarts can create a prototype on on-field and off-field behavior for young cricketers to follow.
However, Dravid’s wife Vijeeta Dravid shared a not-before-shared instance where he almost transformed into Hulk, and almost demolished the dressing room.
The incidence comes from England’s tour of India in 2006 and it was the 3rd and final Test at Mumbai. The game was fairly leveled as India led the series 1-0 and a win here would help them to seal the series 2-0.
India was given a target of 313 to win in the 4th innings, on the last day and at 75/3. The situation was demanding a good batting from stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid at the crease. Chasing on a fifth-day wicket at Mumbai was never easy and England only had Shaun Udal and Monty Panesar in their squad to take advantage of the pitch conditions.
English skipper Andrew Flintoff knew he needed to dismiss either of Tendulkar or Dravid out. He started the day himself and on the third ball, got Dravid to Knick one behind the stumps to Geraint Jones.
Dravid’s dismissal triggered the batting order collapse of the Indian team as Shaun Udal picked 5 wickets to run through the Indian batting line-up and they got bundled out for 100 and lost the match.
A few months earlier, this same Indian batting lineup had not only saved but won the match against Pakistan from a similar match situation and Tendulkar and Dravid were the heroes for India and the pain of not doing so again triggered the devil inside Dravid this time.
He was so irritated at himself, that he threw a chair in the dressing room in disgust and anguish. His wife elaborated the situation while speaking to espncricinfo.com.
Talking about Dravid’s behavior at home, Vijeeta said, “He has dealt with all that goes on in cricket because he can separate the game and the rest of his life and put things in perspective. No matter what was happening in his cricket, at home he is husband, father, family man. He has never said, “Oh I’ve had a bad day.” He wouldn’t speak about his work unless asked. Other than dropped catches.”
She further added, “Only once, I remember, he returned from a Test and said, “I got a bit angry today. I lost my temper. Shouldn’t have done that.” He wouldn’t say more. Many months later, Viru [Sehwag] told me that he’d actually thrown a chair after a defeat to England in Mumbai. He’d thrown the chair, Viru said, not because the team had lost but because they had lost very badly.”
