Rahul Dravid took a trip down the memory lane when he reminisced about the historic Kolkata Test against Steve Waugh-led Aussies in 2001, when India fought back after being forced to follow-on to script one of the greatest wins in the company of V.V.S. Laxman.
Speaking at a panel discussion organised on ‘Excellence in Adversity’ hosted by journalist Shekhar Gupta here on Friday night, Dravid said: “As wickets kept falling in that Test, the one thing that I and Laxman decided was to change the game and tame the Australians by playing one ball at a time and the rest of it is history.” “When the going gets tough, it’s important to slow down, relax, remain calm and take one thing at a time; persevere and remain focused,” was his advice.
The other eminent speaker at the panel discussion were former Chief of Army Staff Gen V.P. Malik who recalled how he led India through the Kargil War and praised the valour and leadership skill displayed by the young officers during the war.
He quoted a few lines penned by Maj Padmapani Acharya (the gallant officer from Hyderabad who was a martyr and later conferred Maha Vir Chakra) to his father.
“Don’t worry about casualties father, it is the nature of this job, what better way to go than serving the country and its people,” were Padmapani’s famous lines. “Planning and mentoring are the virtues of success in any field,” V.P. Malik reminded.
Double amputee Mark Inglis of New Zealand, who scaled Mt. Everest with his prosthetic limbs, said: “When I look at that picture, I don’t see a double amputee. I see a guy who won’t get frostbite on his feet/legs!! Adversity is an opportunity to step up” he pointed out.
According to Uday Reddy, CMD of Tanla Solutions, which organised the event, every business, every leader and just about anybody in the world has had a brush with adversity.
“And each one of us has emerged from it in one way or the other. Tanla’s story is one of excelling from adversity and emerging towards infinite possibility,” he commented. “We don’t believe in the stars, we believe in a strategy,” he said.
