Rahul Dravid is part of several cricketing folklore and is fondly remembered as 'The Wall' by his fans. The 49-year-old has amassed over 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs and has shared some invincible stands with former teammate VVS Laxman. Despite hanging his boots, Dravid still remains a key figure in the Indian cricket setup. He has coached the U-19 team to a World Cup title and is now serving as the coach of the men's senior side with a similar mission.
Dravid shared some of his experiences with Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra while interacting on the shooter's podcast - In the Zone. During the conversation, Dravid recalled the time when he scored a century while playing school cricket and his name was printed in the newspaper, but with an incorrect spelling. “The editor obviously thought that there was a spelling mistake and there could be no one as Dravid. So, it had to be David, right?” said the ex-cricketer.
Brick by brick: How Rahul Dravid became 'The Wall'
“Because it’s a lot more common name. So, I think it was a good lesson for me as well to realize that while I might be really happy and excited about scoring a 100 in school cricket but I am still not well known. And people don’t even know my name. They can’t even trust my name to be right and have to change it,” he added.
In an old video, Dravid while addressing a gathering had called Bindra's gold at Beijing an inspiration. “In 2008, I was in the middle of a lean patch. The runs had dried up and I was on the wrong side of the 30s. That isn’t a good territory in Indian cricket. I needed to pick myself up, I wanted to. I knew I had at least a couple of years of cricket left in me. Around this time, I watched with glee as Abhinav Bindra shot his way towards an Olympic gold in Beijing. I still remember the adrenaline rush that I felt at that time. Reading Abhinav’s autobiography was fascinating for me. I think his story must be read by anyone on the quest for excellence,” Dravid had said.
{{/usCountry}}In an old video, Dravid while addressing a gathering had called Bindra's gold at Beijing an inspiration. “In 2008, I was in the middle of a lean patch. The runs had dried up and I was on the wrong side of the 30s. That isn’t a good territory in Indian cricket. I needed to pick myself up, I wanted to. I knew I had at least a couple of years of cricket left in me. Around this time, I watched with glee as Abhinav Bindra shot his way towards an Olympic gold in Beijing. I still remember the adrenaline rush that I felt at that time. Reading Abhinav’s autobiography was fascinating for me. I think his story must be read by anyone on the quest for excellence,” Dravid had said.
{{/usCountry}}“Abhinav’s achievement emboldened me to give it that last push with my own career to dig deep again and to do whatever it took, as difficult as it might seem. His no-shortcuts, no-excuses approach is something we can all aspire for, in whatever tasks big or small that we undertake,” he added.