7 Inspirational Life Lessons from the life of Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid is the embodiment of the "Spirit of Cricket." For those of us who genuinely love the game of cricket, who have been drawn to it by its wholesome and timeless qualities, and its innate grace and beauty, Dravid is the epitome of this spirit. He is the perfect gentleman in the gentleman's game.

There’s something magnetic in Dravid’s personality that inadvertently draws you in. Maybe it is the result of his affable "boy next door" persona, or maybe it's his courageous "never say die" spirit or maybe it's his humble "self-deprecating humor", whatever it is, to the nation he is a gift that never stops giving! Whether it was single-handedly winning countless Tests and One-day internationals in the most trying conditions, or his selfless sacrifices for the team, or his overcoming quick run-scoring limitations to become one of the greatest One-day players in the history of the game, or now in his role of coaching young cricketers, where he is mentoring a vast pool of mentally tough young cricketer's unseen in the annals of Indian Cricket history, Rahul Dravid has done it all!

He is constantly evolving and reinventing himself. Recently, in his appearance in the "Indiranagar ka gunda, hoon main" gig, he displayed the best of his self-deprecating humor and warmed the heart of the nation leaving everyone chuckling and laughing at the improbability of seeing him angry and out of control.

Personally, as an ardent life-long fan of Dravid, who pasted his wall-papers and posters all over the house, collected hundreds of his postcards, and has followed his life course hooked on to every word he says, I can proudly say Dravid has been a source of great inspiration in my life.

Here are 7 inspirational life lessons from the life of Rahul Dravid, that I draw inspiration from…

Lesson 1: The ability to balance professional with personal life

"While he was very particular about how he approached the game, he had the great ability to leave cricket on the field once the day was done.

He may be thinking about it, his batting may bother him, he will be itching to go back and try again, but he can compartmentalize his life very well. He won't order room service or brood indoors, he would rather go out, find something to do - go to a movie or watch a musical, which he loves. He will walk out to the sea to wind down or go to bookstores, or find something else to do.

He has dealt with all that goes on in cricket because he can separate the game and the rest of his life and put things in perspective. No matter what was happening in his cricket, at home he is husband, father, family man. "

says Vijeeta, Dravid's wife and a pillar of strength in his life.

In our lives, we find it so difficult to balance and separate professional with family life. Often at the end of the day, we brood over the happenings of the day.

Dravid on the other hand has always focused on the aspect of keeping things in balance. One of the things that he asserts while mentoring the young guns of Indian Cricket is the critical importance of balance.

 In an interview as NCA director in 2019, Dravid elucidates on this important lesson:

"it's really important to maintain a certain level of balance in everything you do. Be able to find that balance between not getting too excited when you succeed and not getting too disappointed when you fail. I just think being able to lead a balanced life helps."

This ability to not be too excited when one succeeds and not getting too disappointed when one fails is the state of complete equanimity which Dravid has mastered and is something that we must seek to emulate.

Lesson 2: Zen-like patience and ability to stay focused for long periods

The great Sachin Tendulkar may have had a much more celebrated and long career, but the record for most deliveries faced in Test cricket goes to Dravid. No one in cricket's long and illustrious history has placed a higher value on his wicket than Rahul Dravid.

On countless occasions, Dravid showed his Zen-like patience and ability to stay focused. On many occasions, not only did he save India from the jaws of defeat, but won her a number of matches. His ability to finish matches and create partnerships was second to none.

 Here are some quotes, which shed light on what the greats of the game thought about this quality of Dravid.

"If I want to put anyone to bat for my life, it would be Rahul Dravid"

-       Brian Lara

 "Try to take Dravid's wicket in the first fifteen minutes, if you can't then you can only try to get the remaining wickets on the other end"

-       Steve Waugh

“All these things going around is not aggression. If you really want to see aggression on the Cricket field, look into Dravid’s eyes.”

-       Matthew Hayden

This patience and focus which even the greats of the game are in awe of were not developed overnight by Dravid. He worked tirelessly on it. He focused on the basics, worked ceaselessly on his technique, and left no stone unturned for achieving perfection. Many cricketers might have been more talented stroke-makers but no one was as mentally strong as Dravid.

Just like Rome, "The Wall" was not built in a day.

This story below exemplifies how Rahul Dravid perceives patience and focus, and we can all learn a valuable lesson from it.

"My wife and I have built a new home with a lovely garden which houses lovely bamboo trees. I got reading on the Chinese bamboo and learned that the tree takes five years and three months to grow to its whole height of 80 feet. Yet, for the first five years, you only see a tiny green shoot, but in the next 90 days, it grows into a full-fledged tree. But in those first 60 months, it is growing its strong network of roots underground, to support the tree. In an era of instant gratification, we settle for shorter trees but remember patience has its reward. These are your years of growing that strong network of roots but be sure when you finally achieve your success, people will call it an overnight success. If only they knew of the Chinese bamboo."

- Dravid, while delivering a speech to young kids in BITs Pilani

Lesson 3: Always putting the team first - The wolf who lived for the Pack

For Dravid, no matter what, the needs of the team always came first. When India struggled to find a wicket-keeper who could also bat, team management and captain Sourav Ganguly turned to Dravid for help. Although he appeared awkward at times and was criticized for some crucial dropped catches, he never gave up for the sake of the team. This was Dravid stepping up to the challenge for the team again. The results of this were phenomenal, between 2002 and 2004, India won the Natwest Trophy, the ICC Champions Trophy, and reached the final of the 2003 World Cup with Dravid as their wicketkeeper!

Another incident comes to mind that demonstrates how Dravid always puts the team first. During India's infamous Zimbabwe tour in 2005, which left an indelible mark on Indian cricket with the Sourav-Chappell row coming to light, Dravid saved Indian cricket from a calamity of sorts. Sourav wanted to leave the tour in the middle, and Chappell wanted Dravid to take over, but Rahul stood firm by his captain, believing that the Indian captain leaving in the middle would be disastrous for the team. Sourav stayed back, and Dravid won everyone's heart in the dressing room.

Even in his last innings, he selflessly did what he always did throughout his career, putting the needs of the team first. Here’s what Harsha Bhogle had to say about it:

"For a career full of grace, charm, timing, and poise, it was sad that it had to end with a slog. But that was once again what the team just needed. Dravid will always be 'The wolf who lived for the pack'."

- Harsha Bhogle, on Dravid's last innings.

This ability to always put the team's goal above his own is something we can all learn from the incorrigibly selfless "Mr. Dependable".

Lesson 4: Unrelenting thirst for improvement and the ability to accept reality with grace

"One of Rahul's great strengths is his ability to accept reality. He believes you cannot complain about anything because there is no end to complaining. And he knows there is no end to improving either. He always looks within, to gain, to learn, and to keep working at his cricket."

- Vijeeta, Rahul's wife.

Even in his late 30s, Dravid's attitude of continuous improvement demonstrates this mindset as cited by Vijeeta. During this time, he worked tirelessly to ensure that he was in peak physical condition to play the game. He worked tirelessly on his limitations and tried to understand his body in the minutest detail. Because he sweated profusely, he had a sweat analysis done to see how it affected his batting. He went on difficult protein diets to try to reach peak fitness and maintain it. He worked with an eye coordination specialist to strengthen his eye muscles to improve his eye coordination. Even at the fag end of his career, Dravid went to great lengths to improve each and every aspect of his game.

Another instance of his dedication to improvement that comes to my mind is a conversation about bat speed with the 'original little master' Sunil Gavaskar.

 "He is constantly looking for ways to improve, sometimes to the point of obsession. You're doomed if you start thinking about bat speed when executing a shot. But that's who Dravid is; he'll go to any length to improve. His unwavering desire to improve is what has propelled him to be one of the best Batsmen in World Cricket."

- Sunil Gavaskar, commenting on the discussion with Dravid

Dravid's ability to accept reality with grace is something that is deeply ingrained in his mindset. In our own lives, we complain and are bitter about the politics we face at work, but it's safe to say it would be nothing compared to what someone like Dravid faced during and even after his playing days. But his immense love for the game always trumped his dislike for politics and helped him cope with reality.

Here's what Dravid had to say about this,

"Cricket has given me so much in life that I will never be bitter. There is so much to be thankful for, no matter what happens, that never goes away"

-       Dravid, on accepting reality

The ability to selflessly love, accept reality and seek to improve relentlessly despite challenges is something we can all learn from Rahul Dravid -The Timeless Man of Steel.

Lesson 5: Calm under pressure with a never say die spirit

The Indian team was known to be poor travelers in overseas tests due to the over-reliance on spin and, batsmen who couldn't cope with seaming bouncy conditions. But under the fearless leadership of Sourav Ganguly, India consistently started winning tests overseas. Who was the biggest contributor to the team? Of course, Rahul Dravid. In the 21 tests won under Ganguly, Dravid's average was a staggering 102.84!

Whenever the Indian team was in trouble "Mr. Dependable" stood up like an "Unconquerable Wall". We all remember the 2001 test vs Australia in Kolkata, Eden Gardens, right? Dravid along with Laxman wrote an unforgettable story of grit, determination, and never say die spirit, battling through heatstroke, dehydration, and muscle cramps, to give India her greatest Test match victory.

Another demonstration of this never-say-die attitude was in the last year of his career. Dravid was struggling and was 38 years of age by then. Many had written him off. Up came the series against England in 2011. In hostile conditions, where other Indian batsmen crumbled like a house of cards, Dravid was the lone warrior. Even though India lost the series 4-0, Dravid was applauded throughout the cricketing community for his undying fighting spirit. He scored 3 centuries at an average of 77 and batted like a man possessed in a lonely battle with little support from the other end.

Soon after the series, in his peak form, he retired from Cricket. What he said in that speech will be etched in my memory forever and succinctly describes who Dravid was and what the game meant for him,

"My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity, and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride"

– Dravid, at his retirement speech

Lesson 6: Unwavering Faith in Self and openness to Re-invent Self

 The year was 1998. Rahul Dravid was dropped from the ODI team on account of his poor strike rate. Having always been coached to hit the ball on the ground and not in the air, he seemed ill-suited for ODI's. But he had tremendous self-belief and faith in his ability. He worked extremely hard in first-class matches and nets. Such was his form in the domestic circuit, that he forced his way into the 1999 World Cup squad. Many had reservations regarding his strike rate before the tournament.

But what happened next was a master-class of fearless batsmanship. In the World Cup, Dravid scored a staggering 461 runs at an average of 65.85. He was the highest run-scorer in the tournament despite playing fewer matches. His strike rate of 85.5 was the highest among the top run-scorers in the tournament. And rest as they say is history. Dravid went from strength to strength ending up scoring more than 10,000 runs in his ODI career and is widely regarded as among the finest ODI batsmen of all time.

Whenever there was a problem, Dravid took it as a challenge and gave it his 100% effort and dedication. With unwavering faith in his ability, he never stopped trying or reinventing himself. He never took the easy path, always the right one.

Post his retirement, everyone thought Dravid will become a commentator. Not only was he a great conversationalist but also provided sharp insights with his incredible reading of the game. Commentary seemed the easy path and he was so natural!

But again, Dravid chose the more difficult but ultimately the right path for himself. He wanted to give back to the game which had given him so much. One of the things that he mentions on numerous occasions is how he hates to see young talent going to waste. He even turned down the prestigious opportunity to coach the Indian Cricket Team in order to mentor and assist young aspiring Indian cricketers in reaching their full potential. Its thanks partly to Dravid, that the Indian Cricket team won the recent humdinger of test series in Australia. After the miracle victory at Gabba, each of the youngsters praised Dravid for his invaluable mentoring that helped them realize their true potential. Dravid is a gift to India which never stops giving!

The ability to continuously re-invent himself for the greater good, giving back to the community, choosing the right path instead of the easy one, is something we can all learn from the inspirational Rahul Dravid.

Lesson 7: Nice guys can finish first - Being a good human being

 "If you can't get along with Dravid, you are struggling in life"

– Brett Lee

Throughout his professional and personal life, Dravid has been a personification of goodness; a shining light of the human spirit in all its glory. The refreshing concoction of humor, humility, and honesty is what separates him from the rest. Never seeking the limelight, always the silent guardian, happy to be in the background working tirelessly for the greater good.

Here is an illustration of his brilliant self-deprecating humor sprinkled with honesty and humility which always makes me chuckle,

"I was poor at maths so I chose commerce; and in the second year of Bcom, I decided to do CA in case cricket didn't work out. After opening the first book, I doubled my efforts in Cricket."

-       Dravid, speaking about his graduation years

Another sample that typifies his innate niceness was a conversation with Harsha Bhogle.

Harsha Bhogle to Dravid: You made a very good hundred in Headingley in 2002. Tell us about that.

Dravid: Yeah, that was a good inning but Sanjay Bangar played well too. He was asked to open on a tough pitch and fought very well. It's not easy to do that.

Harsha Bhogle: You were brilliant for India in test cricket from 2002 to 2005

Dravid: But we won test matches because of our brilliant spinners. Harbhajan and Kumble used to take heaps of wickets on Day 4/5 of the test match.

Harsha Bhogle: That is how Rahul Dravid is. You tell him he played well and he will tell you that somebody else played well too! I don't know if he is a human being. How can someone be so selfless?

People are always looking for stealing credit, especially in their professional lives. They go to great lengths to take credit for someone else's work. Dravid, on the other hand, leads us and demonstrates to us that even nice guys can come to finish first when backed by courage, hard work, and honesty.

The lesson of just dedicatedly doing the work and forgetting the fruits of the labor is something we can all learn from the life of Dravid.

This has been a long post, and to be honest, I don't want it to end. But I believe the essence of why I am inspired by Dravid has been captured here. I hope you enjoyed it and will make an effort to incorporate some of these lessons into your life.

If you are a Dravid fan, do let me know, “How has he inspired you in your life?”