5 memorable innings by Rahul Dravid in overseas conditions

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Test cricket, as evident from its name, tests your character, patience, and perseverance to the hilt. Few players come to mind with such attributes but none more prominent than Rahul Dravid, fondly called as 'The Great Wall of Indian Cricket'. In Dravid, we saw one of those rare species in the modern game who valued batting for pride, somebody who prided himself in getting tough runs at times of adversity, which was evident from his overseas average of 77.07.Such was his determination that every time we saw him fight it out in tough conditions, it seemed as if his life depended on it. He mastered the dying art of battling time and exhibited greatness both on and off the pitch.

From narrowly missing out on scoring a hundred in his debut Test at Lords to scoring three in the England tour of 2011, Rahul Dravid has seen it all.

In a career spanning 16 years, we saw a plethora of tough innings from Dravid that went on to define his legacy. Let us now turn back the clock in time and rewind some of the memorable Test knocks by Rahul Dravid.


#5 South Africa vs India, Johannesburg, 1997

Rahul Dravid: 148 off 362 balls

He missed out on a hundred in his debut Test at Lords in 1996, but Rahul Dravid finally compiled his magnum opus on a pacy Wanderers track against the might of Shaun Pollock, Allan Donald and Lance Klusener in the third Test of the 1997 series between India and South Africa. Dravid looked at ease from the onset; he cut, pulled and drove meticulously against the likes of Pollock and Donald, compelling them to alter their line and lengths. The knock foreshadowed what was to come in the years to follow.

The Wall eventually fell on 148 but not before adding his name to the cricketing folklore. His innings ensured India a first Innings lead, for the first time in the series. He wasn't done yet as he followed it up with a glorious 81 in the second innings, to propel India to a commanding position in the game. Set 356 to win, South Africa was struggling at 228/8 when the rain gods intervened, leaving the tourists bereft of a much-deserved win.

#4 Australia vs India, Perth, 2008

Rahul Dravid: 93 off 278 balls

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The WACA pitch at Perth has long evoked nightmares for the overseas batsman due to the prodigious pace and bounce it offers.The visitors had played at Perth 15 years ago and though the only lone survivor (Sachin Tendulkar) would have carried happy personal memories, even he would not have forgotten the ignominy of the final innings when the last ten wickets had fallen for 59 runs. India was expected to get blown away against the might of the Aussie pace attack that included Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Stuart Clarke and debutant Shaun Tait. Batting first, India had a steady opening partnership with Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag, who put on 57 before Sehwag was picked up Johnson.

In walked India's No. 3 Rahul Dravid, the man India needed the most on this track. Dravid started cautiously, shouldering arms to many deliveries outside the off-stump and started constructing quintessential Dravid innings. On a pitch where most batsmen played and missed, the Karnataka player's partnership with Tendulkar, especially in the afternoon session on day one, provided technical virtuosity. Dravid may have fallen seven runs short of a well-deserved hundred, but his innings on a first-day pitch laid the foundation of one of the best overseas Tests win for India, bringing Australia's run of 16 games without a loss to a screeching halt.

#3 India vs Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 2004

Rahul Dravid: 270 off 495 balls

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April 15, 2004, saw Rawalpindi treated to some exemplary batsman-ship. Rahul Dravid produced a masterpiece with his willow and even the Pakistanis were left in awe of the great man. India was touring their arch-rival Pakistan after 15 years. After winning the ODI series 3-2, the Test series was locked at 1-1, with everything to play for at Rawalpindi. India bowled out Pakistan for a meager total of 224 in the first innings and any hopes of the hosts to restrict the Indians to manageable proportions was wiped off by India's wall as he batted for over six hours bringing up his 5th double hundred in the process, his third in the past six months.

Dravid cut and drove ferociously, yet the highlight of his innings was the way he shouldered arms to the balls around the fourth and fifth stump and his solid front foot defense, a true testimony of his patience and grit. Dravid's patience compelled the Pakistani bowlers to alter their lengths, a move he cashed on, hitting 34 fours and a six in the process. Dravid eventually fell for 270, but not before he had batted Pakistan out of the game and the series. India racked up a mammoth lead of 376 and bowled the hosts out for 245 in their second innings setting up a win by an innings and 131 runs. India went on to win the Test series 2-1, and Rahul Dravid was adjudged the 'Man of the Match' for his innings that led the visitors to their first series win in Pakistan in 50 years.

#2 England vs India, Leeds, 2002

Rahul Dravid: 148 off 307 balls

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It was a typical English day at Leeds when Sourav Ganguly, India's captain won the toss and to the surprise of many cricket pundits opted to bat first. Virender Sehwag tried hard curbing his instincts, to negate the new ball before falling for a meager 8 runs. It was now left to Sanjay Bangar and Rahul Dravid to deal with England's pace attack under hostile conditions. The ball was swinging outlandishly, yet Dravid showed immaculate control and judgment. He meticulously left the ball outside the off stump and anything on the legs was dismissed with precision. His willingness to repeatedly take blows on the body, offering his chest and shoulder to stomach the bounce was awe-inspiring. With his desire to bat out the ugly overs, Dravid's 148 paved way for the shenanigans of Sachin Tendulkar(193) and Sourav Ganguly(128) to take over as India amassed a barely believable score of 628/8d. India eventually went on to win the match by an innings and 46 runs but not before Rahul Dravid had affirmed his status as a modern batting great.

#1 Australia vs India, Adelaide, 2003

Rahul Dravid: 233 & 72*

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Arguably Dravid's finest hour in International cricket came at the Adelaide Oval in India's tour down under in 2003/04, where he fittingly hit the winning runs helping India win their first Test in Australia after 21 years. Dravid and Laxman completed an encore of their memorable partnership at the Eden Gardens three years ago, putting on a monumental 303 runs stand after India had been reduced to 85/4 in pursuit of Australia's 556.

Dravid made 233 and 72 not out, batting five minutes short of 14 hours, as he lit up the Adelaide Oval with amazing stroke play against the likes of Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel and Stuart MacGill. For Dravid personally, it was a sweet redemption after he had endured a torrid tour down under in 1999/00, where he had self-admittedly over-complicated things. It was that hurdle that Dravid had wished to address on the tour to Austrlia in 2003. He sought advice from his mentor Steve Waugh on mental disintegration and when the Aussie presented the ball to him after he'd hit the winning runsin Adelaide, his journey to greatness was complete.

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Edited by Sarah Waris