Cricket da saaga

About a week ago, Rahul Dravid, much to everybody's surprise, quietly stepped down from the Indian captaincy. Going by precedent, the Indian media should have been having a field time by now; gorging on whatever the rumour mill provided them with. Fortunately (and thankfully), things are different this time. So much so that it borders on the uncomfortable! I mean I would rate Dravid's resignation as one of the biggest shocks to have come in the last few years of Indian cricket. Add the fact that it came without any foreboding, speculation or spectacle. And all you get as reactions are civilized talk shows (like the one Sonali Chander does on NDTV)? No mudslinging. No leaked e-mails. No disowned quotes. No blamegame. No passing the buck. Not many anonymous opinions. Whats the matter guys? Wake up and smell the spices. Without them, the cury doesn't taste half as good! I am a novice at how the Indian cricket-media machinery operates. Whom it feeds. And who it feeds off. And It only makes me wonder whether the protagonists of this "K-Serial-like" Indian cricket opera and the media are more often than not, hand in glove. But it looks like a done deal. The latter keeps the former in the news. And the former keeps the latter in the business. Finally a word for the main act of this episode - Dravid himself. Hats off to him for cutting the crap. And going about the whole issue in his characteristic dignified way. I admittedly am not the greatest fan of his game; and he may not be the greatest of captains, but his character and integrity are things which not many of our "great" captains and cricketers can match.Way to go, Rahul! -BBS