Rahul Dravid’s resignation from the post of India’s full-time captain was as dramatic as was his selection. In September 2007, When then chairman of the selection committee, Dilip Vengsarkar was asked to comment on Dravid’ resignation as Team India captain from both Tests and ODIs, he was shocked, as he had no information about Dravid’s decision because The Wall had directly conveyed it to then BCCI President, Sharad Pawar.
Dravid was not someone to linger around with a job when he knew that someone could do it better than him and that’s why stepped down. Named as the successor to Ganguly in October 2005, Dravid’s tenure as India captain is hardly even remembered, although it was full of eventful tours, creation of new records and establishment of new heroes in the Indian cricket.
Just like he himself, during his playing days, remained under-rated, his captaincy till date is only remembered as a ploy of then-coach, Greg Chappell to bring down Sourav Ganguly. However, there is more to it.
Developing India as a chasing unit
India always faltered in chases in big games. The idea before Dravid’s captaincy was to make sure that India scores big runs and then defend it. However, it took a courageous and somewhat overpowering Greg Chappell and a risk-taking Rahul Dravid to make sure that India focuses on chasing down targets, especially in Day/ Night encounters.
The idea clicked so much that under Dravid’s ODI captaincy, India became a force in successful ODI chases – winning 27 in chases, of which 14 were consecutive wins. Under Dravid’s captaincy, India’s record in chasing totals was 27-14.
Nurturing the match finishers
The reckoning that MS Dhoni got and truly deserved came during Sri Lanka’s tour of India when he was regularly promoted up the order by Rahul Dravid. His 183 not out at Jaipur while chasing 300 turned him into the finisher that India were looking for.
Not only that, but even Yuvraj Singh also averaged the highest with the bat in one day cricket under Rahul Dravid. The left-hander’s average of 44 under Dravid was eight points above his career average of 36.
Apart from the early World Cup exit at the hands of minnows Bangladesh in 2007, Rahul Dravid as a captain in ODIs was more or less successful for Team India. He captained India in 79 ODI’s, winning 42 and losing 33, giving him a winning percentage of 53.2%. This was higher than that of Sourav Ganguly’s. But it was in Tests that Rahul shone as a true captain.
Outstanding performances in away Tests
After taking over the captaincy, Dravid led India in seven Test series, in which he won four and lost two. His last four series as a captain were in West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh, and England. In 15 away Tests, India lost only three. With these victories, Dravid was on his way to form a special overseas Test team before the 2007 World Cup derailed his quest.
His feats as a Test captain were astounding to say the least. First of all, Rahul Dravid led India to a Test series victory in the Caribbean for the first time in 35 years. India had not won a Test series in the Caribbean since 1971, but the Rahul Dravid-led side dominated 2006 series right through.
After a hard-fought fourth Test at Jamaica, India won the series 1-0. Rahul Dravid led from the front with his bat, scoring 496 runs in the series while Anil Kumble starred with the ball, claiming six wickets in the final innings.
India had been travelling to South Africa since 1992 but it took them 14 years and three winless tours to register their maiden Test win in the rainbow nation and this too came under Dravid. Winning a Test match on Johannesburg pitch against a South African pace battery, that included the likes of Ntini, Steyn, and Pollack, was a difficult task but proven easy by the visitors.
To England and there too, Rahul Dravid-led side created history. They became the first Indian team to win on the English isles since 1986 as Dravid became the second captain after Ajit Wadekar to win a Test series in England.
Providing ample support to youngsters
The one thing that Greg Chappell did well was to give chances to the youngsters. And Dravid backed them up. The likes of Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, RP Singh, and S. Sreesanth along with Munaf Patel were given consistent runs in the Indian team under Rahul Dravid.
Even Dhoni was given the right amount of exposure by Dravid and Chappell. His idea of playing with five bowlers meant that more bowlers got a chance to showcase themselves. These were eventually the players who would go on to make the core of the 2011 World Cup-winning team.
The fact that as a captain Dravid averaged 51 in Tests and 44 in ODIs gives us a fair idea that he enjoyed what he did. Leaving the captaincy at 33, also called peak age, only shows that Dravid saw a leader in Dhoni and wanted the team to benefit from it. ‘Once for the team, always for the team’ was indeed the motto of the most selfless and respected and at the same time underrated cricketer of Indian cricket.