My Country's Captain

Today is a golden day in the history of Indian cricket. Rahul Sharad Dravid has been finally given the ultimate honour of leading his side in a Test match as a skipper in his own right and not by default. Here is what the chief selector has to say on Rahul's appointment:

"Rahul [Dravid] has done wonderfully well for us whenever given the opportunity including in Pakistan last year. Given how well he has done recently [as captain in the ODIs] it is important that he be given the opportunity [in Tests]."

Finally he has been given due recognition for his own worth of leading the side, not because Ganguly was injured/suspended/didn't feel like playing. Also with the news that Ganguly will probably be in the side for the same series is sufficient evidence of the fact that the selectors realise that as of today Dravid is better suited to lead India than Ganguly as captain alone even if Ganguly makes it to the side as a batsman. That realisation has come about a year later than it should have but better late than never.

After a long time, I proudly and respectfully look up to my country's captain and that is a great joy.

I fail to understand why such a muted celebration. I remember the great drama when Sachin regained captaincy in 1999 when he had gone away with his family to a hill-station and no one could trace him. Most newspapers have just printed the story with as few words as possible and even Prem Panicker's blog normally such a wonderful source of cricket insights is quiet about it. Let me be the one to take the lead in getting the chamapgne flowing, in congratulating Rahul and ushering in the Dravid era in Indian cricket.