England vs India 2014 - 2nd Test: Rahul Dravid rings the bell at Lord's before start of play on Day 1

Rahul Dravid rings the Lord’s bell

Former Indian captain and the one of the world’s most respected batsmen, Rahul Dravid rang the Lord’s bell to signal the start of the 2nd Test match between India and England today.

It has been the tradition since 2007 when the then MCC Chief Executive Keith Bradshaw introduced the practice of ringing the bell.

The right-handed batsman made 96 on his Test debut at Lord’s in 1996. In his last international outing at Lord’s, he made a brilliant unbeaten 103. Dravid joined other Indian stalwarts Sunil Gavaskar, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Dilip Vengsarkar to have had the honour of ringing the bell that signals the start of the play.

The other former players who had the honour includes Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Steve Waugh, Shaun Pollock and Sanath Jayasuriya. Reknowned sprinter Yohan Blake had the oppourtunity in 2012.

The batsmen had a remarkable career that ended with more than 24000 international runs. A veteran of 164 Test matches holds the record for most number of catches as an outfielder in Test matches – 210. He is also a member of the World Cricket Committee.

The 41-year-old Dravid also holds a life time membership at the Marylebone Cricket Club and was part of the MCC vs Rest of the World match, as part of the club’s bicentenary celebrations that took place on the 5th of July.

Here’s a clip of Dravid, ringing the bell. The smile is heartwarming: