September 8, 2024

‘Rahul Dravid won on the principles of cricket and principles of life’: Matthew Hayden’s sacred praise for Indian legend

Matthew Hayden praised Rahul Dravid’s character, highlighting his fairness in a sport often driven by the desire to win at any cost. Hayden admired how Dravid, known for his calm and composed demeanor, faced every challenge with grace throughout his career.

Dravid, celebrated for his reliability and serenity, was a key figure in Indian cricket. His legendary innings came to the forefront during the 2001 Test match against Australia at Eden Gardens. Dravid, alongside VVS Laxman, formed an incredible 376-run partnership, leading India to a remarkable victory. Laxman scored 281 runs, a record for the highest individual score by an Indian at the time, while Dravid contributed a crucial 180 runs, showcasing his exceptional skill and resilience.

Recently, Rahul Dravid was honored with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards. During the event, Matthew Hayden was invited to speak about Dravid.

Hayden reminisced about Dravid’s famous partnership with VVS Laxman at Eden Gardens, where their incredible performance disrupted Michael Slater and Australia’s plans entirely.

“Sadly, from an Australian cricket point of view, it was the incredible partnership that he had up at Eden Gardens. There was nothing more sacred but that partnership with VVS Laxman. We walked onto the bus that day up in Kolkata and there was a fresh box of Cuban cigars and Michael Slater said we’ll be smoking these at the end of the day and we’ll have retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” Hayden said about Dravid during Ceat Cricket Rating Awards.

The 52-year-old further hailed Dravid’s character and said whatever he did had a great sense of fairness in a game that can tempt anyone to win at all costs.

“Well, you had something to say about that batting all day with VVS Laxman in an extraordinary partnership. Obviously, the one in Adelaide as well was just something else. Under pressure, Australia put everything on the line against Rahul and did it with great grace, great composure, and always a great sense of fairness. In a game, which can tempt you to win at all costs Rahul Dravid won on the principles of cricket and the principles of life,” he concluded.

Rahul Dravid named Rajasthan Royals head coach

Recently, Rahul Dravid was appointed as the head coach of the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), just weeks after stepping down as the national coach following the T20 World Cup victory.

At 51, this will be Dravid’s second term with the Royals; he previously served as their captain before taking on a mentor role in 2014. Under Dravid’s coaching, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, won their first global title in 11 years by defeating South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Barbados this June.

Rishabh Pant’s pep talk, gestures give immediate result as Saini dismisses Dhruv Jurel: ‘Doesn’t matter who’s captain’

Rishabh Pant recently gave a motivating pep talk to the India B players and suggested a strategy to Navdeep Saini, which led to Dhruv Jurel’s dismissal in the next over during the Duleep Trophy.

Although Pant didn’t have the best start with the bat in the Duleep Trophy 2024, his performance as a wicketkeeper has been exceptional. There were some concerns about his keeping skills in red-ball cricket, which might have influenced the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee as they prepared the Indian Test team for the upcoming series against Bangladesh on September 19. This was Pant’s first red-ball match in nearly 21 months.

If Rishabh Pant’s performance as a wicketkeeper in the first Duleep Trophy match is any indication, the selectors should have no doubts about his abilities. Pant was not only agile and energetic behind the stumps but also played a key role in strategizing.

Although Abhimanyu Easwaran was the official India B captain, Pant emerged as a significant leader on the field. On Day 3 of the match against India A at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Pant led a pep talk for the team after an early breakthrough with the dismissal of Riyan Parag.

Pant also gave advice to Navdeep Saini on how to bowl, indicating the seam position. In the final delivery of that over, Saini bowled a cross-seam ball that surprised Dhruv Jurel, hitting him on the pad. The umpire had no hesitation in giving Jurel out, and the review confirmed the decision with three red lights. The India B players celebrated, but Pant’s contributions in that moment were crucial to securing the wicket.

‘Doesn’t matter who is captain, Pant will always be a leader’

“It doesn’t matter who is the captain. Rishabh Pant is always a leader in the field. The chat he had in the break… He suggested a few things to Saini and looks like it has worked,: said former India opener WV Raman, who was in the commentary box at that time.”

Pant, who had previously made a stunning diving catch to dismiss Mayank Agarwal off Saini’s bowling on Day 2, continued his impressive performance on Saturday morning. This time, he took a sharp catch to dismiss Riyan Parag. Although he didn’t need to dive, his quick movement and effortless catch highlighted his improved fitness.