Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.
Venue- Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney [January 2-6, 2008].
Since the arrival of T20 cricket, we have observed that the batsmen at large have forgotten the art of defending the ball. They try to score runs on each and every delivery. This intent-based batting might work in white-ball cricket or on the flat decks. But the moment the ball starts swinging and spinning, it will become impossible to survive in between; forget about scoring runs. In such a situation, only those will survive and conquer who know the art of defending the balls.
If you will ask me about one such knock wherein I felt that the batsmen showed that defense is the best form of attack, it has to be Dravid's 53-run knock in the SCG. It is because there was a phase in his innings wherein he played 40 consecutive dot balls. However, at no stage did it appear that he was struggling. To be honest, he defended each and every delivery with so much style and elegance that the crowd cheered him loudly. Yes, he did not score a hundred that day. But the way he batted for 160 deliveries showed us what test cricket and defense are all about. You may not have the best of days every day, but the struggle to keep moving forward is what defines you as an individual.
In the summer of 2025, the Indian cricket team will be touring England to play 5 test matches. I hope they will follow the footsteps of Rahul Dravid, and we will scale the English once again.
To watch the defence of Rahul Dravid, Click Here.
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