When Rahul Dravid walked out to bat against New Zealand in Hyderabad on November 15, 2003, he knew quick runs are the order of the day. It was a must-win game for India and a win was needed to enter the final. Well, what followed, what we got to witness, was The Wall in an all-new avatar which was a totally different side to him altogether.?
Reuters
By the time Dravid came out to bat, India were cruising at 283/3. Before he could get his bearings they lost another and were 284/4. Now the base was already set by two individuals at the top of the order. Sachin Tendulkar (102) and Virender Sehwag (130) put on 182 runs for the first wicket to set the base for a big total. But it took some good finishing from Dravid to ensure that we eventually did get a good total.
Reuters
Both openers departed, Sourav Ganguly got a start but could not capitalise and Yuvraj Singh departed cheaply. As the innings progressed into the death, VVS Laxman too fell without any substantial contribution. What was needed was a marathon knock that would send the wind out of the Kiwi sails.?
Well, that is just what India got. Mohammad Kaif played a small cameo but at the other end, Dravid entered a different zone altogether. New Zealand did not know what hit them as Dravid started to play the big shots and runs began flowing in double quick time. Mind you, these were not slogs, but proper cricketing shots with a tad of innovation on the side. It proved to be just what was needed and powered India to 353/5. We won by 145 runs and earned a place vs Australia in the final at Eden Gardens. We would lose that game.
Cricinfo
But enough of going off-topic. Back to the matter at hand. While Dravid was at the crease, 70 runs were scored at almost 10 an over. Out of those 70, The Wall smashed an unbeaten 50 runs which came in just 22 balls. 5 fours and 3 sixes punctuated his innings and it was a delight to watch. It was a mini storm and the Kiwis were blown away.
Years later, in his first and last T20I for the Men in Blue, Dravid would slam 3 sixes in 3 balls to show he was fit for the format. It just proved that if the situation demanded he could play aggressively. But that is a tale for another day. The knock in Hyderabad showed us that when needed he can attack the bowling, and while he may be by reputation a defensive player and accumulator, it is best not to make the dormant volcano active, or else the fielding team has to run for cover. Sehwag-style at its best from Dravid.?