The two Rahuls and the regrouping of the golden era

In 2004, Rahul Dravid was leading India in a Test match in Multan, Pakistan, when he declared the innings with Sachin Tendulkar not out on 194. It caused an uproar in India. No one had treated the gam

In 2004, Rahul Dravid was leading India in a Test match in Multan, Pakistan, when he declared the innings with Sachin Tendulkar not out on 194. It caused an uproar in India. No one had treated the game as being greater than the individual in this country. And Tendulkar! How could Dravid? Tendulkar himself stoked the controversy by admitting he had felt let down. The players cleared the air between them, but fans never got over it.

Dravid, however, was clear in his mind. It was a decision based on cricketing logic. India needed to bowl a few overs before close of play to push for victory, and Tendulkar, who had slowed down post-tea, in the words of the then Indian coach John Wright, “needed to move on.”

What was best for the team was not ideal for the individual. In the end India won by an innings, and both the players and the country were given a lesson in putting the team ahead of the individual. It was, as Wright wrote, confirmation of Dravid’s “steeliness and serenity,” as the captain handled the response both from his teammate and fans back home with dignity.