What to learn from Rahul Dravid

 At the outset let me tell you that I am a huge fan of Rahul Dravid. Irrespective of which team you support the world over people, commentators, former players and current players all admire this man. 
The reason Rahul Dravid is so likable is his even-headedness. I think one of the best compliments Rahul got was in 2007 when he handled the bad press and public ire when the team was ousted in the first round of the World cup with immaculate temperament.
 As Martin Luther King noted "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” 
Rahul Dravid after the defeat said "That’s the beauty of sport" and he was graceful in defeat. He even went to Tamim Iqbal and congratulated the young man for his innings which took the game away from India. 
Sachin Tendulkar is a genius not everybody can emulate him but Rahul Dravid can be used as a Role model for his perseverance, grit, determination, never say die attitude, hunger to keep on improving (this is evident in his ODI career evolving), and practice. Finally he does have talent though not as talented as a Lara or Tendulkar but he has maximised his potential which is the most that we can ask from anyone.  
The great Imran Khan said that there are T's to succeed in test cricket. They are talent, temperament, and technique. For Twenty Twenty talent is enough but for test cricket all three is needed. Dravid has all the three especially technique and temperament in abundance.
Finally there are times when RD has struggled. Especially in the 2007 Australian tour he was totally out of form but that’s the measure of the man that even in those innings he used to play a minimum of 100 balls which means he was trying his hardest even when he was finding it tough. Truly when the going gets tough the tough get going and Rahul Dravid is one such person who has seen it all and is an amazing role model for all.
The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.

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