Chicago

Brutal. -30 deg F. And it is only the first day of winter. Fun!

Some pictures from the drive along the Pacific Coast

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Is this the end of Dravid?

Sometimes it is just too painful to watch one of your favorite players look so shabby and out of place. Watching him play the last few Test matches, you get the feeling that Dravid is going through a mental trauma. What is sad about it though is that this trauma is self-inflicted. He is too fine a batsman and too determined a player to have such wretched patch for such a long time. His mind just isn't there. He is unable to accept the fact that a player of his caliber can fall to such depths. And it doesn't appear that he will be able able to pull himself out of this rut. He seems so aloof on the ground and doesn't appear to be getting any help from his teammates let alone his captain. I believe Dhoni has let him down in a big way and may even be waiting for Dravid to go out on his own. Sad.

After his second stint in the Chennai Test, I have no doubt that this will be Dravid's last Test series. I think he is going to retire at the end of the series. I would have loved to see him score a century or two before he departed, but I would rather not see so much pain on his face. So long, Dravid!