Four Karnataka cricket legends shared the stage at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday, leaving the audience spellbound.

B.S. Chandrasekhar, E.A.S. Prasanna, Syed Kirmani, and Rahul Dravid regaled the audience in the company of senior journalist, Rajdeep Sardesai. The former India internationals were present to support Sardesai’s new cricket book Democracy’s XI.

Dravid, the star attraction, stated that he was fortunate to start his career in a State that has produced several world-class cricketers. “The great thing about the cricket culture in the city is that you get to interact with international cricketers when you are young. I remember, when I was 18 or 19, we took a 48-hour train journey to Calcutta to play a Ranji Trophy match. I had G.R. Viswanath (then Karnataka chairman of selectors and team manager) and Kirmani sitting in my compartment. They were happy to share their inputs with me, and I was constantly picking their brain. As an 18-year-old, what more can you ask for,” Dravid said.

He alluded to the fact that his seniors were not averse to knocking back a few cold beverages. “Forty-eight hours is a long time, you have to find ways to pass time. There were some card sessions, and I won’t say what else happened. All I can say is that the weather was warm, and that in those days, there were no fitness tests and diet rules,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Ashwin Achal / Bengaluru – October 29th, 2017