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Kohli’s single-run celebration evokes Rahul Dravid’s legendary 2008 SCG grit

Soumyajit Dutta

Rahul Dravid celebrates a single after 40 consecutive deliveries [Source: @oppi_shayan/X.com]Rahul Dravid celebrates a single after 40 consecutive deliveries [Source: @oppi_shayan/X.com]

A single run is the smallest unit in cricket, often forgotten in the grand narrative of centuries and match-winning knocks. But sometimes, that one flick off the pads or a nudge into the covers carries the weight of the world, transforming it into a momentous achievement.

The world witnessed a modern-day example of this recently. Virat Kohli, synonymous with towering achievements, found himself in an unfamiliar battle. After back-to-back ducks in Australia, the pressure was palpable as he walked out to the crease in Sydney. All it took was one delivery from Josh Hazlewood, a lean forward, a crisp flick to mid-on, and a scampered single. 

The run that broke his drought was met with a roar from the crowd, a cathartic release shared by the player and his fans. Kohli’s immediate reaction, a beaming smile and a vigorous fist-pump, was a raw display of relief, a celebration not of a milestone, but of a burden lifted.

The grit of 'The Wall' in 2008

This emotion, however, finds its most legendary expression in a story from 2008, featuring ‘The Wall’. It was at the same Sydney Cricket Ground, but in the white-hot crucible of a Test match against Australia. Rahul Dravid, the embodiment of masterclass in defence, was engaged in a different kind of battle. 

It wasn't a flurry of boundaries, but a masterclass in resilience. He played forward, he left, he blocked. Ball after ball, over after over, the scoreboard refused to tick. He endured 40 consecutive dot balls, a period of intense, silent pressure where his very will was being tested. But, again, nothing unnatural. He is 'The Wall' after all!

Crowd give standing ovation to Rahul Dravid

Then, it happened. A small push off the bat, a sharp call, and finally, a run. He moved from 18 to 19. What followed was pure magic. The Australian crowd, known for its tough sporting spirit, rose to its feet as one. 

The whole crowd was paying tribute to the grit that Rahul Dravid showed against the fiery attacks from Andrew Symonds, Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. Acknowledging the crowd, Dravid simply raised his bat quietly with a huge smile on his face.

While Kohli’s celebration was a quiet outburst of personal relief, Dravid’s standing ovation was something else entirely. A collective, almost respectable appreciation from the opposition's home crowd. 

It was a testament to the fact that in cricket, a single run can sometimes be louder than a hundred, and the strongest walls are built one stubborn, defensive block at a time.