Dravids Test

The West Indies team today is not near as formidable as that of the 1970s when a Test at Kingstons Sabina Park would strike such terror amongst visitors. Yet,in helping India this week to their second win at the ground,Rahul Dravid harked back to what now appears to be a bygone era when batsmen would weather the bowling,the conditions and their own impatience to build partnerships and work up a challenging total. Its an ethic he cultivated when he debuted 15 summers ago at Lords,to the week,and its one hes kept to now,as the senior-most member of the team this week in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar.

His second-innings 112,the only century of the Test,took him to a career aggregate of 12,215 runs and it hints at the longevity of an uncommon compact,one he explained to his current teammates: You have to weather the storm. The intensity of a particular spell like that will last six to eight overs,and in Test cricket you need to fight your way through that,and things will become easier8230; So,I tell these guys to enjoy the contest.

The 15 years of Dravids career have been the longest 15 years of Test cricket. In 1996,the Windies domination was just ending,and Australias not yet established. In the time since,one-days have propelled the acceleration of scoring in Tests,Twenty20 has changed crickets commerce and viewership patterns,and we have even begun to worry about the Test matchs eventual demise. Splendid,then,to have one of Test crickets greatest players roll out of a bad patch and enchant us all yet again with the way the game was once played.