A TRIUMPH OF CHARACTER

At one end, a Van Gogh with his sublime brush strokes, enchanting a world dominated by straight lines. At the other, the master artist who honed his skills to perfection through years and years of dedication, struggling to draw even the straight line. V V S Laxman enchanted, while Rahul Dravid exasperated. The product of the union - a 175-run stand giving India a semblance of hope in the Sydney Test.

This was a Dravid struggling to put bat to ball, and leaving or patting away balls which would have sped to the fence on a normal day. He led a charmed life, caught off a no-ball once and dropped on another occasion. For somebody who had eked out a painful 5 off 66 balls and 16 off 114 balls in Melbourne, every single run seemed to be a cause for celebration.

The final output from Dravid's blade - 53 off 160 balls. A mediocre effort by any definition of class, but still worth its weight in gold. He had stayed long enough to craft a 175-run partnership with Laxman. And soon after Dravid's exit, Laxman was gone too.

It is easily forgotten that Dravid is performing a role he clearly is not comfortable in. Here's a man who inspired India to triumphs abroad from number three at Adelaide (233* & 72*), Rawalpindi (270) and Kingston (81 & 68). One can argue that a player of Dravid's calibre has no business having a block when it comes to opening the innings, but a long-time success story at number three deserves better than such tinkering with his position

Even at number three, Dravid has struggled to strike a rhythm this year, the nadir being the 12-run crawl at the Oval off 90-odd balls, when the team was pushing for victory against England (under his captaincy). Is throwing Dravid into a position where he is not comfortable the right step, when the batsman is striving to get back into form?

It's not the first time Dravid has become a victim to the pressures of 'team balance'. The early 2000s including World Cup 2003 had Dravid double up as the wicket-keeper too, so that India could bat deep. Never a specialist keeper, Dravid was far from the ideal option, but he still acquitted himself well.

It is a tribute to the man that he held on grimly at Sydney. He may not have defeated his inner demons yet, but on the crease he showed the willingness to battle those demons and stay put. Character is also about surviving in a hostile environement, where the fans and the media are baying for your blood.