A dab down the fine-leg of James Anderson, and Rahul Dravid was off to one of the most significant single he has taken.
By Achint GuptaWhile crossing those 22 yards quite a few images would have crossed his mind, and anticipation in the PCA stadium was that Jammy will show emotions, jump with joy, fist the air or at least take his helmet off and look thankfully towards the crowd.
After all, from his 25th century in March this year to this 26th one, the world has doubted Dravid's ability to bat like a champion.
But the Karnataka-lad did not show emotions. He raised his bat towards the dressing room, thanking his team mates who believed in his abilities, and then towards the crowd. Probably, all the hue and cry around him leading up to the Test match had made him numb or it was just that Dravid knew that he always had it in him. With this century, he ensured that those who haven't ever experienced ‘been-there-done-that' situations, never utter a word about brushing aside cobwebs.
Speaking after the match, Dravid did not seem to mind the media scrutiny on his indifferent form: "To be very honest, I was not getting the kind of runs I knew I was capable of. But I knew I was not too far away."
The vintage-Dravid century where he tired the bowlers with his stoic defense and scored some hard-earned runs, also made him the best number three batsman of all-time. The record guaranteed that all talks of swapping his batting position with VSS Laxman were buried deep, and the greatest anchorman of Test cricket was allowed to do his favourite job.
"The Wall' said he did not change his approach towards the game and continued to work in the same way: "I tried not getting out in the nets and that is what I always do. I did not look at too many of tapes over the last six months either."
The second morning of the Test saw Dravid cutting loose. In the third over of the day from Stuart Broad, Dravid played a cracking flick shot that raced to the fence.
A trademark Dravid shot, which also brought to his downfall in this season's first Test match against Australia in Bangalore.
In the Mohali nets in October he told coach Gary Kirsten, "The ball stopped and I couldn't control." Coach told him, "You will get it right soon." And yes he did get it right four Test matches later but at the same venue. Perhaps, that is where Kirsten's role in Dravid's century is important. An Indian fan would think what would a South African batsman who played against Dravid, can teach a legend who has amassed more than 10,000 runs? Kirsten kept Dravid involved at the nets and not for once allowed him to ponder over criticism.
After the century against Kolkata in 2001 against Australia (180), under the similar circumstances, this would be one of the grueling centuries Dravid has scored. May be in the context of his massive centuries and double-centuries this 130 would look small, but from Dravid fans' perspective, every of those 130 runs have given us 130 reasons of believing that India's best match-winner in Test match situation is still on the button.
