'The Wall' for ever: As Rahul Dravid turns 47, a look at some of his milestones
There are so many reasons Dravid was called Mr Dependable, here are just a few.
By ET Online | Updated:
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Dravid, who began his journey with Team India in 1996 - making his debut at Lord’s, played 164 Tests, 334 ODIs and one T20I during the course of his illustrious 16 year long career.
In 2008, the Sydney Cricket Ground saw almost 40,000 spectators get up on their feet and applaud Rahul Dravid - it felt like just like one of those times when the former Indian skipper had scored a century. However, the reality was vastly different. The star batsman had just taken a single after enduring 40 balls from what was arguably one the best bowling attacks of the decade. That's just one of the many reasons why 'The Wall' was special - and will always be.
Dravid, who began his journey with Team India in 1996 - making his debut at Lord’s, played 164 Tests, 334 ODIs and one T20I during the course of his illustrious 16 year long career. While the cricketer announced his retirement in international cricket in March 2012, he continues to groom the next generation of players for Team India, monitoring the progress of India A and India under-19 cricket teams.
He is also the Director of Cricket Operations of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Rahul Dravid plays a shot during an IPL match between his team Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings during the 5th IPL at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, in 2012. As Dravid turns a year older today, we look at some of the milestones that marked his career that included 48 international centuries.
- Still regarded as one of India's best batsmen at No.3 in Test cricket, Dravid holds the world record of not being dismissed on duck in consecutive ODIs. The right-handed batsman created the record in 173 matches between 2000 and 2004.
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- The 47-year-old is the only cricketer to have played and scored two 300-plus ODI partnerships, once with Sachin Tendulkar and the other with Saurav Ganguly.
- If his batting skills were impressive, Dravid was also Mr Dependable when it came to fielding. Jammy, as he was lovingly addressed, holds the record for the maximum number of catches by a non-wicketkeeper in Test cricket. He took 210 catches in the 164 Tests that he played.
- A testament to Dravid’s solid defence that rightfully earned him the name of ‘The Wall’ is his record for facing the highest number of balls in Test cricket. The star batsman played 31258 deliveries in whites.
Thank You, Coach Dravid! What Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant Learnt From The Wall
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Rahul Dravid is a name that needs no recognition in India. Dravid, known as the Wall of Indian cricket, safeguarded the team, on and off the field. Often regarded as one of the greatest batsmen the game has produced, the classy cricketer turns a year older today.
Dravid, known to be a patient mentor and a great manager, has instilled the values of life in his juniors. From teaching wannabe Team India members how to tame their raging minds to accepting success and failure gracefully, he has been a lighting torch for the upcoming generations.
As head coach for the U-19 and India-A teams, the 46-year-old has produced some exceptional players who actively follow in the footsteps of their calm coach and present a great show on the field. And for these disciples of Dravid, learning was not always about cricket.
Honouring the 'Mr Dependable' of Indian cricket team, here's what these disciples have to say about what they learnt from their 'Guru'.
(In pic from left: Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Dravid, Rishabh Pant)
Rahul Dravid is a name that needs no recognition in India. Dravid, known as the Wall of Indian cricket, safeguarded the team, on and off the field. Often regarded as one of the greatest batsmen the g..
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Right-handed opening bastman Mayank Agarwal made his international Test cricket debut in December 2018 against Australia. Trained under Dravid, the 27-year-old credits his Guru for teaching him the tricks of great batting and the art of managing mental energy.
It was during the Test series against the hosts, Australia, that Agarwal fed on the knowledge and experience of Dravid. Debuting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Agarwal, had a top score of 77, and aspires to go higher under the guidance of India's Mr Dependable.
Right-handed opening bastman Mayank Agarwal made his international Test cricket debut in December 2018 against Australia. Trained under Dravid, the 27-year-old credits his Guru for teaching him the t..
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Right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer made his ODI debut in December 2017 against Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old is a man of calm composure and credits coach Dravid for it. Iyer has often stated that it was Dravid who taught him how to stay focused and not get distracted by matters not under his control.
Iyer, who is the skipper of the IPL Franchise Delhi Capitals (Formerly known as Delhi Daredevils), scored 162 runs in the home series against Sri Lanka.
Right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer made his ODI debut in December 2017 against Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old is a man of calm composure and credits coach Dravid for it. Iyer has often stated that it was ..
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Right-handed, top order batsman and former captain of India's U-19 team, Prithvi Shaw is another aggressive disciple of calm coach Dravid. The 19-year-old has often shed light on how his mentor has been instrumental in fixing a rather technical issue with his batting skills.
Shaw, who was earlier struggling to keep his back leg in line with the ball, credits him for helping him stick to his own batting style and focus to score more runs.
Shaw made his Test debut in October 2018 against West Indies and has a top score of 134 till date.
Right-handed, top order batsman and former captain of India's U-19 team, Prithvi Shaw is another aggressive disciple of calm coach Dravid. The 19-year-old has often shed light on how his mentor has b..
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Wicketkeeper-bastman Rishabh Pant is another student of Dravid who is grateful for teaching him how to be patient on and off the field. He also thanks his calm coach for teaching the art of playing in accord with the situation. Pant made his debut in international cricket in February 2017 against England.
With 20 catches and 350 runs in the four-match Test series, Pant broke former captain MS Dhoni's record after putting up a sensational show in the test series against Australia. Pant, who continues to shoot for the stars, thanks Dravid for his achievement and aspires to go higher with what he learnt from his Guru.
Wicketkeeper-bastman Rishabh Pant is another student of Dravid who is grateful for teaching him how to be patient on and off the field. He also thanks his calm coach for teaching the art of playing i..
