The Wall calls it a day

During India's 2011tour of England, a fan held a poster— “Sachin is God of Cricket. Saurav is God of Off-side. Laxman is God of 4th Innings. But when the doors of these temples close, even they take shelter behind THE WALL.” On his debut at Lord's, Rahul Dravid missed a brilliant century by mere five runs. Cut to 2011, dogged by poor performance and critics asking him to retire, Dravid hit a determined century and engraved his name on the Honour's board.                                    

A supreme example of grit and endurance, Dravid has always been the silent warrior. A team man with no frills, he kept wicket and moved up or down the batting order depending on the needs of the situation. In an era where the world worships Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid has carved a niche for himself. As Sachin said —“There is, and will always be, only one Rahul Dravid.”          

Incomparable

The Indian team, Captain, Coach, fans ... everybody and everything changed but the Wall will be as strong as ever. We may enjoy a solid helicopter six from Dhoni but never will we get a chance to watch a solid defence. We may enjoy Sehwag's upar cut; but we cannot experience a stylish square cut anymore. There's no one who can take Rahul Dravid's place.We will miss you forever.

ANIRUDHAN CHANDRASEKARAN, SRM UNIVERSITY

Strongest pillar

His dedication, perseverance and unwillingness to accept defeat are what made him the Wall of Indian cricket. He has been the reason why many of us love cricket. I Just have two words for Rahul Dravid —“THANK YOU”

ANURAG DANGI, CHINMAYA VIDYALAYA

Unsung hero

Commitment , class and consistency are three words that define Rahul Dravid's career. Dravid's contribution to Indian cricket includes many intangible contributions. He has always gone that extra mile for the team, be it wicket keeping or being flexible with his batting position.  Dravid has pretty much been the unsung hero of Indian cricket since his Test debut at Lord's where his impressive 95 was overshadowed by fellow-debutant Ganguly's century. All good things come to an end but there are some things one wished would continue till eternity. I have got so used to watching Dravid coming in at No. 3 that knowing it's not going happen is difficult to accept. Dravid , thank you for glorious memories and for being a role model for the ages. You'll be missed.