Rahul Dravid: God of slips

Envy and admiration rarely go together. But when one watches Rahul Dravid in a slip cordon, taking those breathtaking blinders, these contrasting feelings run through the veins.

Is Dravid naturally gifted, genetically designed to be a slipper or is it hours and hours of practice at the nets?.

On the second thought, it should be easier on our conscience for we lesser mortals are not even engineered to create such beautiful cricketing moments. But what about iconic names like Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman who stand next to him in the slip cordon. Both of them are fine slippers in their own right but deep down even they know Dravid is a class apart.

Is Dravid naturally gifted, genetically designed to be a slipper or is it hours and hours of practice at the nets? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.

A closer look reveals the perfect alignment of Dravid’s body while waiting for an edge to come his way. With his palms open and hands bend at the elbow, Dravid crouches really low. With the two legs nicely spaced and body weight equally distributed, the back makes a beautiful arch forward, giving him a perfect balance to move either side.

It’s only in the fitness of things that the world record of highest number of catches  in Test cricket rests on his shoulder as effortlessly and gracefully as he makes those catches.

Source: Cricket Nirvana