Sport

Rahul Dravid is quiet-dignity personified -- a man who knows his mind and manner, and that of his fellow players, without ever showing that he knows what others know, or do not know.

He who takes pleasure in concordant sounds, philosophers contend, has concord within. The metaphor for us would, of course, be the concordant sound of the bat meeting the ball, and vice versa.

Cricket rejoices in harmony -- just as much as individual players resonate harmoniously to themselves and to the game itself. The bat and the ball -- depending on the area of one’s specialisation -- resound just as fully as they are inclined to do with players’ abilities, intelligence, and qualities. A player maybe natural, groomed, coached, or trained -- but, it is always up to oneself as to how you arrange your cricketing spheres and regulate your movements in relation to your game on the playing arena. You do well, as maybe humanly possible, and you make both harmony and melody sound beyond compare. If you don’t, you just don’t -- but, when you do your best you quite often succeed.

This is Rahul Dravid’s basic philosophy -- he holds the bat and his management baton with simplicity. The effect is, however, profound. Dravid also knows that he if holds the willow, and his mind, with precision, he can avoid becoming stale. This is what truly gives him the grip to control matters on the field with the sheer weight of his mental gravity, if not fancy.

Dravid is, in other words, quite aware that he can handle light matters easily -- because, light matters are just blown away, here and there, by light strokes of thought and direction. Not the difficult issues, which need a mix of both gravity and levity. This is how he confronts his difficult tasks -- as gravity lightens, he can lift it up, and, thereafter, a measure of levity can hold him steady by the stability of gravity itself to handle complexities.

For Dravid, cricket is played as much, or more, in the mind, as is the physical or skill component. This he does in three steps. His first thought is promulgated in reason, his second in action, and the third in execution. Interestingly though, he does not gamble with uncertainty; he plans his forays, and sticks to them, or changes them when needed, without fuss. Not that he’s spot on always; he’s prone to error just as much as all of us are. What makes him different is his attitude: positive and strong. He is ready to accept his faults in a given situation, even after a certain match is recorded in the annals of history. This is his greatest attribute -- a man always willing to learn and improve at every step of the way…

Dravid thinks of himself as a student of the game, not master. He does not visualise ready-to-use remedies for a given situation; rather, what he does is think of useful measures in the event of a possible outcome. It is here that he differs from Ganguly -- who’s instinctive, sudden, street-smart, and belligerent.

Not for Dravid to pay back a Flintoff with a frenzied ‘hoist’ of the India colours, in the form of a shirt. But, Dravid is Dravid, and Ganguly is Ganguly -- they are just as good, or better, as they come. And, they have done India proud in their own manner. Ganguly, of course, was one of India’s most successful captain, and this is no small achievement. You may sure not like him, but you sure cannot ignore him! However, the redeeming part is Dravid and Ganguly get on famously with each other -- and, possess mutual respect and trust. This augurs well for Indian cricket, come what may!

It’s again too early to judge whether, or not, Dravid will follow the trend of some batsmen-captains falling down the aisle in terms of averages with the bat once in the saddle -- if given the job in the long-term. A lengthy stint is the only way for us -- to debate on the proposition -- albeit we’d all be only too happy to have Dravid, the super-specialist batsman, at the pinnacle of his glory at all times… until he hangs his boots.

Dravid relates his cricket to two main branches of thinking: creative thinking, and analytical thinking. Creative thinking pertains to thinking for new ideas, and options: of seeing a new pattern of relationship between things that was not obvious before. It also extends to finding new forms of expressing things, and combining existing ideas to producing new and better ones, when none exists.

Analytical thinking is connected to submitting to a situation, problem, opposing batsman, or bowler, or decision by way of a clear step-by-step examination. It is also related to testing your own players’ strengths, and weaknesses, against objective standards -- of seeing beneath the surface to the root cause of things… on a rational basis.

The two modes of thinking are not opposites. Which is why Dravid thinks creatively and analytically to solve on-field components, and decide which of any ‘given’ creative possibilities is the best. At the same time, he’s also skilled in both types of thought -- to be a creative-analyst. Because, quality thinking, for Dravid, is the novel foundation of getting it done, and also getting it right.

Quality thinking consists of doing things right, or getting them right -- and, remembering to relate to them each time. As one wise guy put it: “You are what you think, and not what you think you are.” Or, as Dagwood, emphasises in a "Blondie" comic strip: “You know, it makes a lot of sense if you don’t think about it.” This explains a vital component of thinking -- that analytical thinking needn’t always be automatic. It has to be eternal vigilance. Dravid, if you notice closely, does exactly this on the playing arena -- with his ‘thinking’ cap on, and while batting, or while fielding, or looking at strategies.

So far as creative thinking goes, you have got to do your homework first. Remember: ability or facts alone are not enough. Creative prizes do not go to people who can simply acquire abilities, or facts. It goes to those who can mould, synthesise, and combine them in new ways. As Joseph Conrad placed it in clear perspective: “Imagination, not invention, is the supreme master of art, as of life.” Dravid does just this, again, quietly, when confronted with bowlers that take the Indian batsmen ‘off-the-hunt,’ or knock their stuffing out. It’s not that Dravid can perform miracles at the drop of the hat. All he does is -- do his best, and not think of what could have been if it was anything better, or worse!

The bottom line: Dravid uses his imagination fully, and generously. Next, he channelises his and his fellow players’ intuition, or intuitive abilities, for a greater purpose. His motto: “You’ll soon be better with ‘that’ capacity to think!” Or, as Harold H Bloomfield, once put it: “Trusting your intuition can cure us of ‘psychosclerosis,’ a hardening of the mind and spirit that stems from over-dependence on rationality, and analysis.” It’s just the idea you need -- to awaken your latent genius within. Ask Dravid what he often does for his thought and thinking, and you’ll know!

What’s more, Dravid is mentally, extremely tough, to use a cliché. He also does not flinch in the light of difficult situations. He is courage- and dynamism-personified -- a man who does not believe in doing the ordinary, or doing great things just for personal glory.

This is also Dravid’s own benchmark. That when you are focused and intense, you’ll sure ‘feel’ great and intense, and travel a mile, and on to accomplishment in anything you do on the field.

You’d sure call it the hallmark of an accomplished, confidently upbeat player, who is, doubtless, certainly a true leader in his own right.