15 September,2011 08:53 AM IST | | Sunil Joshi
Rahul Dravid definitely deserves a lot more credit for his performances in ODI cricket. Not many have scored 10,000 plus runs. If you look back at his career, he performed in tough conditions even in the limited-overs arena. That's why he was our best batsman during the 1999 World Cup in England.
The first four seasons of the IPL proved he is still one of the fittest guys going around who can play the big shots. For most of his career, he had to keep proving that he was good enough to play one-day cricket. That was very unfair.
If it wasn't for him keeping wickets to accommodate an extra batsman, India wouldn't have enjoyed all its ODI success between the period of 2002 and 2005.
I think he took the right decision to retire. He's suggesting that you cannot play around with a career by recalling and dropping him at will.
Initially in his career, he had the tendency of hitting the ball too hard, but he learnt quickly. Later, he started to pierce the gaps with a lot more precision.
I think his wicketkeepingu00a0 really improved in the early 2000s. I remember when we won in England (in 2002), he took some outstanding catches. More than anything, it was his dedication that is unmatched.
Besides, his fitness levels have always been top-notch. Even today, he can still pinch quick singles and take diving catches in the slips.
If guys like Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli want to survive for so long, they must look at Dravid as a role model for his discipline and lifestyle. I have no doubt that Indian cricket will never see a cricketer like him again.
Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi played for Karnatka and India alongside Rahul Dravid.
