Let’s be bluntly honest – it’s a young man’s game.
Twenty20 cricket doesn’t care about tradition or reputation. In the Indian Premier League there is no time to craft a classical innings over several hours or bowl, uninterrupted, between lunch and tea. In this game you’re on the clock from the moment you step on the field.
So why is there a 40-year-old out there? Is he trying to recapture his lost youth or perhaps he’s on the verge of a mid-life crisis? Surely it’s time to find some other way of filling his days?
Rahul Dravid is there because he wants to be, not because he has to be. His place in the annals of cricket history is assured. He has frustrated bowlers and profited from them for decades. He may have retired from all other forms of the game but he is reminding us exactly why he was known, simply, as ‘The Wall’.
He is leading by example and it is paying dividends for the Rajasthan Royals. The former Indian captain is doing what he has always done – scoring runs on a reliable basis and inspiring the next generation in the process.
If Dravid is feeling the pace, it’s not showing on the field. He already has two half centuries to his name in IPL6, matching his total from the entire 2012 season. More important knocks seem sure to follow as the Jaipur-based franchise aims to build on a solid start.
The Royals were the IPL’s first big winners; they claimed the original Championship in 2008 but it has been an uphill slog ever since. Not once since that landmark victory has Rajasthan qualified for the playoffs, despite scoring more runs than any other team during the 2012 regular season.
Dravid may be rolling back the years, but he can’t do it all by himself. He needs batting partners who are willing to take risks and pressure the fielding team; and he needs bowlers who can deliver consistent line and length to restrict the opposition run rate. Easier said than done of course, but these are the basics for any team planning on success.
The Royals have talent with both bat and ball. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who can dominate a game single handed, has just returned to bolster the team. Watson was hugely influential in the 2008 campaign and will be keen to rediscover his best form.
Ajinkya Rahane is carrying on where he left off last year. The 24-year-old opener, who was the Royals’ leading run scorer in 2012, has made a decent contribution in every game so far. At the same time, no doubt, benefitting from Dravid’s vast experience, Rahane is emerging as a star in his own right.
Kevon Cooper is another who has caught the eye. He does not fit the mould of the legendary West Indian quick bowlers, but his medium pace is having a significant effect. The Trinidadian has already claimed eight victims and is an early candidate for the Purple Cap.
Whether Dravid’s team can continue to push the usual suspects remains to be seen. Big tests lie just ahead, beginning with a visit from Ricky Ponting’s Mumbai. If they survive that, there is a pair of tough looking road games; first against Chris Gayle and company in Bangalore, followed by a trip to Chennai to tackle the Super Kings.
Rahul Dravid has passed many milestones in his celebrated cricketing career and to him, turning 40 is just another statistic. No need to teach this old dog new tricks, he already had them up his sleeve.