Retiring Dravid passes on baton to Kohli

New Delhi: 'Every end is a new beginning,' goes the proverbial saying. As Rahul Dravid's retirement closed a significant chapter in India's one-day history, Virat Kohli's century in the fifth ODI against England gave hope of just that.
Of course, simply no one can replace Dravid. The 38-year-old has never had it easy in the shorter format of the game, beginning rather inauspiciously with just three runs in his debut game against Sri Lanka in 1996. However, the man known as 'The Wall' just buckled down, worked hard and adjusted his game. He eventually established himself as the mainstay of India's batting line-up, amassing 10,820 runs in 343 ODIs coming into his last game.

On Friday in Cardiff, as he donned the blue Indian jersey for the final time, Dravid approached the game, typically, with unwavering focus and minimum fuss. Coming in after India had lost two quick wickets, he steadied the innings as he has done countless times before, guiding the young Virat Kohli at the other end as the two put on an invaluable 170-run partnership for the third wicket.
But Dravid will be used to that. The unassuming right-hander has often found his feats overshadowed throughout his career. His maiden ODI hundred in 1997 came in the same match when Saeed Anwar re-wrote the history books, scoring 194 to help Pakistan to victory. When Dravid made his highest ODI score, a run-a-ball 153 against New Zealand in 1999, it was his partner Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 186 that stole the attention. In fact, his 83 one-day fifties are superseded only by Tendulkar (95). He also has 12 centuries to his name as the seventh-most prolific run-getter in ODI history - Not a bad return for a man many did not consider fit for limited-overs cricket.
Dravid's selfless service to Indian cricket is well-known, be it his spell as a stand-in wicket-keeper or his willingness to move up and down the order to suit the team's needs. Few can match the dignity and determination he has shown during a 15-year career that has seen its fair share of lows, including India's ignominious exit from the 2007 World Cup. It will indeed be hard to replace this unsung hero, and, returning to the one-day team after a near four-year hiatus, he deserved a better send-off.
Yet, in Kohli - India's new hope in the middle-order, who has impressed as much with his attitude as with his runs - and Dhoni - the man who replaced Dravid as captain and led India to the World Cup win - lies the future of Indian cricket. And, as those two racked up the runs against England in Cardiff on Friday, albeit in a lost cause, there was a sense that Dravid's retirement will not dim India's bright prospects.