Rahul Dravid (The Wall, Mr, Dependable)

Rahul Dravid is hailed as India’s most dependable batsman. Dravid, who started his cricket at 12, grew up playing in the streets of Bangalore. His school, St. Joseph’s had a good team and Dravid did well in the junior tournaments to get selected in the State under-15, under-17 and under-19 tournaments. Dravid was fortunate to have someone like G.R. Vishvanath to help him. In 1996 in England he almost alone of the younger Indian batsman, proved to have the technique to cope with conditions that aided seam and swing. Rahul has been one of the pillars of the Indian batting with his blend of technical proficiency, patience and stylish strokes.

A number of times he has bailed India out of trouble and to top it win it for India. There isn’t another player in World Cricket who has performed so consistently in crunch situations as much as Dravid. Dravid has matured so much as a cricketer over the years that even the former greats; hail him as one of the best technicians and crisis man of all eras. Having a cricketer like Dravid adds such an assurance to the entire team as well as the supporters. The top order thought that they can play the way they want knowing that Dravid is there to stop any possible hiccups. The lower order was always calm to see Dravid ‘The Wall’ on the crease.

He was so different. Staid, studious, sweat trickling down that austere face. When he was captain, his answers seemed, so rehearsed. What a value-add he was to the Star team!

For sheer consistency, Dravid has few equals. He has maintained a Test career average of over 50. Dravid is very much like the batsman who likes to play his shots, mostly on the rise, relying more on timing than brute force. His temperament is exemplary and his concentration legendary. A batsman who revels in crisis, Dravid against New Zealand in January 1999, joined the ranks of Vijay Hazare and Sunil Gavaskar as one of only three Indians to have scored a century in each innings in a Test.

He is one of the modest, unassuming and well-behaved players of Indian cricket time. Most recently he has been awarded the Wisden Test Player Award for his excellent performance in the previous season. A cool head over the shoulder makes him the most sought player on the cricketing world arena.

Full name:             Rahul Sharad Dravid

Born:                      January 11, 1973, Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Major teams:       India, Asia XI, ICC World XI, Karnataka, Kent, Marylebone Cricket Club,                  Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore

Nickname:            The Wall, Mr. Dependable, Jammy

Batting style:        Right-hand bat

Bowling style:      Right-arm offbreak

Education:             St. Joseph's Boys' High School

Some stats of Dravid:

Rahul Sharad Dravid became the 207th player to represent India in Test matches

1999 edition of the ICC World Cup in England: With 461 runs from 8 games that India played, Dravid emerged as the highest run getter in the tournament.

Rahul Dravid became the only Indian to score four centuries in consecutive innings when he brought up his hundred in Mumbai against West Indies. His previous three hundreds, 115, 148 and 217, came on India's tour of England in 2002.

Rahul Dravid was awarded the Padma Shree Award by the Government of India in 2004.

One of the most prolific achievements of Dravid's long and illustrious career was being awarded the ICC Player of the Year and the Test Player of the Year at the inaugural awards ceremony held in 2004.

Till date, Rahul Dravid is the only batsman to have registered a hundred in every Test paying nation. He achieved this rare feat during his century knock against Bangladesh in Chittagong in December 2004.

Rahul Dravid became only the sixth batsmen in the history of ODI cricket to scale the 10,000 peak.

Rahul Dravid became only the sixth batsman in Test history to enter the 10,000 club during his century knock at Chepauk against South Africa in 2007.

During India's dismal tour of England in 2011, Dravid became only the third Indian to carry his bat through an innings during his knock of unbeaten 146 in the fourth Test at The Oval.

He is only cricketer to have made his debut and retired in the same game in T20 cricket.

Rahul Dravid became only the second cricketer, after Sachin Tendulkar, to accumulate 13,000 runs in Test cricket. He achieved this feat in his 160th Test.

Dravid finished with 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31 from 164 Test matches.

In a rare achievement for a batsman, out of his first 32 hundreds, only one came in a losing cause.

Dravid became the first player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket at the number three position.

Rahul Dravid is the only non-Australian cricketer to address the Bradman Oration. He delivered the Bradman Oration last year on December 14 at the War memorial in Canberra.

After the legendary Don Bradman, Rahul Dravid, during India's tour of England in 2011, became only the second non-English cricketer to have hit 3 or more centuries in a two different test series.

World Records of Dravid:

Rahul Dravid holds the world record for facing the most number of deliveries in Test cricket - 31,258 .

There have been only two 300+ partnerships in the history of ODI cricket and both have featured Rahul Dravid! Dravid added 318 runs with Sourav Ganguly against Sri Lanka at Taunton during the 1999 World Cup to register the then highest partnership record for any wicket. Six months down the line, he bettered that record with none other than Sachin Tendulkar as two scripted together the mammoth 331 run-stand against New Zealand at Hyderabad.

Rahul Dravid holds the world record for most number of catches, 210, by a non-wicket-keeper fielder in Test cricket. In fact, he is the only one with a double century of catches. He picked up his 200th catch in the Durban test against South Africa in December 2010, after catching Dale Steyn off Harbhajan Singh

Rahul Dravid holds the world record for being involved in most number of century stands in Test cricket. In fact, 19 of his 88 century partnerships have been with a single partner, Sachin Tendulkar, another world record for a pair.

Dravid holds the Indian record for 93 successive matches without missing any Test since debut. In fact, he held the world record for 93 matches until Adam Gilchrist overtook him.

Rahul Dravid holds the world record for most number of consecutive innings (120) without scoring a duck.

We miss you Jammy......