‘I want to thank you for scoring a run after 40 consecutive dot balls’: How Dravid helped in Bindra's Olympics gold
14 years since that historic achievement at Beijing Olympics, which inspired many budding athletes, Abhinav Bindra revealed that Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid had played a huge role in him winning the gold.
The name Abhinav Bindra has been etched forever in the history of Indian Olympics. Back in 2008, Bindra had became the first ever athlete from the country to win individual gold in the Olympics when he finished top of the podium in 10-metre air rifle shooting in the Beijing Games. 14 years since that big achievement, which inspired many budding athletes, Bindra revealed that Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid had played a huge role in him winning the gold.
Seven months prior to Bindra's gold-medal haul at the Beijing Shooting Range Hall, Dravid played a memorable knock in a Test match against Australia in Sydney. Batting in 18, Dravid played 40 consecutive dot balls. The act, while leaving the bowling attack annoyed, it also frustrated the spectators at the ground. Hence, when Dravid finally took a single, scoring his first run after 40 straight deliveries, the Sydney crowd gave a standing ovation to the India batter. Dravid, acknowledging the praise, raised his bat.
"I want to talk about one particular innings of yours which had a big role to play in my career by the way. For me, it was your most important innings because it taught me a lot... It was the game where you scored one run after 40 consecutive dot balls," Bindra said during his conversation with Dravid in "In the Zone" podcast.
"It was January 2008. It was the Olympics year. I was there (in Australia) for a fitness camp. And at that point of time in my career I was struggling a little bit to get my first shot off in competition... because I used to be really nervous, my heart rate used to be really high and I used to be impatient sometimes and just go after it quickly and it was mostly disastrous for me.
"So, I watched you in this game on TV. Just showing immense amount of patience for 40 consecutive balls and that taught me so much. So I want to thank you. That innings had a big role to play... in Indian sports history because it helped in that Olympic season," he added.
Dravid's reply to the entire story was absolutely epic.
"I am glad somebody benefitted from that... It was a bit torturous really for lot of the people watching, even for me," he said.
