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The Unsung Hero


THE UNSUNG HERO


Another evening getting back from office as I am stuck in one of those absolutely reasonless traffic jams, I ponder over the madness that awaits me at home. Every TV ,well almost every TV in the country is dishing out the IPL mania these days and will continue to do so till sanity returns in about 4 weeks time..

Half way through the tournament I realize that this IPL has reinforced one interesting aspect of life .Irrespective of the stage in life ,or the format of the game in this case, the fundamentals prerequisite for success do not change  

 Since time immemorial the world has always favoured extraordinary talent over perseverance, flamboyance over persistence and sporadic brilliance over dependability. While only a fortunate  few are blessed with the former virtues , the majority of us lesser mortals have to make do with what we have and compensate with other attributes within our control in our endeavour to excel in whatever professions we have sought out.

The media these days has accentuated this trait to the extent that it is virtually “un cool” to succeed with good old grit and determination. traits that have been the corner stone of innumerable success stories in all walks of lives

Leading this pack of unsung heroes who do not always get the credit due to them is Rahul Sharad Dravid popularly referred to as “The Wall of Indian Cricket” one of the greatest cricketers of all times. 13,000 and a few runs , second highest scorer in test cricket, 10,000, runs plus in One Day Cricket, most number of catches ever in Test cricket by an individual , most number of century partnerships, ICC player of the year , Wisden Cricketer of the year,, architect of several Indian victories ,last man standing on several Indian great escapes on the cricket field the list of accomplishments just goes on and on . A cricketer whose game is built and designed for the longer version ( for a few die-hard fans like me the only version that counts) who worked tirelessly and with immense confidence in adapting his game to the 50 over version. Despite being dropped for this format, he clawed his way back on the strength of undisputable performance and when he called it a day had more than 10,000 runs against his name.

When the further abbreviated version of the game emerged no one gave him any chance of   even trying his hand at it . Five   seasons of IPL madness have come and gone and in this 6th season  his performance with the bat and on the field as well would put the so called 20-20 specialists to shame .

He goes about his job silently and without any fuss, his work ethics and preparation for each match should serve as an example for the flamboyant youngsters of date. A team man to the core his self-effacing nature and his ability to stay out of the limelight should be a lesson for the youngsters and especially sportspersons of date who would do anything for their 15 minutes of glory

 It is not when the going is good that the disposition of a person is revealed. It is only when he is pushed out of his comfort zone that a man’s resolve is tested and true character is revealed. No one has epitomised this better than Mr Dependable of Indian Cricket.

 While acknowledging the undisputed greatness of the Tendulkar’s and the Lara’s of the world I choose to pay tribute to the Dravid’s of the world , primarily because they serve as a shining beacon and an example to all youngsters of today. In today’s world which clamours for instant gratification and fame, it is of paramount importance to pay tribute to those mortals who succeeded not because that were bestowed with huge amounts of flair and panache in whatever profession they chose but despite lack of it , to those few who believed in their abilities ,in  the dedication to improve on it with sheer determination and perseverance. To a majority of those children of a lesser God who are blessed with only the normal measures of talent and ability we must make the hard , long climb to success ,step by step on the stair way unfettered by the fact that a favoured few have access to a high speed elevator. For those majority including yours truly ,Dravid  is a beacon of  inspiration and a living example who belies the oft repeated adage and proves  that Nice guys don’t have to finish last ,but can finish first.



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