Talking about the Indian batting line-up in late 1990s and the 2000s, the one point which inevitably surfaces is the 'Fab Four', consisting Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman.
Although the likes of Sachin, Laxman and Ganguly were more known for their Swashbuckling knocks, there was one gentleman who stood apart from all the above greats. Devoid of aggression, his batting was all about skill, patience and grace.
When others failed, he stood and delivered for his team. Most of India's overseas test matches, in last 10 years or so, have been the tales about his lone vigils. The name is Rahul Dravid.
Born on 11th January 1973 at Indore, Dravid made his test debut against England at Lords, at the age of 23. The match, which was better known for another debutant Sourav Ganguly's classy ton, would be incomplete without mentioning Dravid's fighting 95.
Coming at number seven, he stood out at the middle for six hours and along with Ganguly, ensured a crucial 85 runs first-inning lead after England got skittled out for 344. He then went on to score 13,288 runs in 164 tests, 10,889 runs in 344 ODIs and 31 runs in one T20 International match. He was named one of the best five cricketers of the year by 'Wisden Cricketers' Almanack' in 2000 and won the 'Player of the Year' and the 'Test Player of the Year' awards at the inaugural ICC awards in 2004.
Despite being one of the prolific batsmen of the game's modern era, Dravid was also known for his captivating fielding skills. He took more than 400 catches across 508 Tests and ODIs. As a wicketkeeper, he effected 14 stumpings.
It was his patient knocks at number three for India in test matches, which earned Dravid the title 'The Wall'.
Now on his 43 rd birthday, here are the five best knocks played by Rahul Dravid in test matches.
1. 270 against Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 2004: The three test match series between India and Pakistan came down to Rawalpindi at a scoreline of 1-1 and it was Dravid, who rose up at the big occasion again After winning the toss, India bundled out their arch-rival for just 224, but very soon found themselves in a spot of bother. Shoaib Akhtar claimed the in-form Virender Sehwag in the very first delivery of the Indian innings, leaving India reeling at 0-1. Dravid came in and started his 740-minute long vigil. He forged a crucial third wicket partnership of 129 runs with Parthiv Patel and backed it up with three other long partnerships with Laxman, Ganguly and Yuvraj. His mammoth 270 led India towards a huge first innings total of 600. India went on to register their historic test series victory over Pakistan as the hosts were restricted to 245 only in second innings, handling India a massive win of an innings and 131 runs.
2. 233 against Australia, Adelaide, 2003: After the fiercely contested Brisbane test, which ended in a draw, Adelaide was expected to be the another battleground between India and Australia and it lived up to the expectation. Batting first, the Aussies put up a huge total of 556, propelled by Ricky Ponting's 242. In reply, India started positively by putting up an opening stand of 66 runs, only to be left reeling at 85-4, thanks to a fiery spell from Andy Bichel. Dravid, who witnessed the top order destruction from the other end, decided to turn the tide. He first formed a partnership of 303 runs with Laxman. While Laxman departed after scoring a gritty 148, Dravid carried on along with the lower order and scored his first double-ton against the Aussies. His nine-hour stay at the crease ensured a handsome total of 523 runs for India, leaving Australia with a paltry lead of 33 runs. In the second innings, Ajit Agarkar's aggressive spell of 41/6 skittled out Australia for a mere 196, leaving a tricky target of 230 for India on the last day. Dravid followed his first innings heroics by scoring a brilliant 72, as India pulled off the chase with four wickets to spare. Dravid also surpassed Ravi Shastri's 206, the highest by an Indian against Australia in Australia, while India won a test match in the Aussie backyard 23 years after.
3. 217 against England, Oval, 2002: Talking about Indian cricket and English summer, it would be a shame not to mention Dravid's love affair with the English conditions. After winning the toss at the lifeless Oval wicket, England batted first and scored 515 guided by skipper Nasser Hussain's 195. India, in reply, lost Sehwag early. It was again Dravid's heroics which saw India giving a fitting reply to the English bowling in form of 508 runs. Dravid took 468 balls to score 217, the second double-ton of his career. Although this innings is not so much a fondly remembered one, it is a testimony of Dravid's patience, class and determination.
4. 180 against Australia, Eden Gardens, 2001: The tale of the historic Kolkata test, which marked a turnaround for the Indian Cricket as they humbled Steve Waugh's Australia in an emphatic fashion, would be incomplete without mentioning Dravid's grit. India, while being routed for 171 in reply to Australia's first innings total of 445, was staring down the barrel. While everybody thought of a massive innings defeat for India, as Steve Waugh decided to follow on the home side, both VVS Laxman and Dravid thought something else. Their partnership of 376 runs for the seventh wicket not only saved India from a crushing defeat, but also put the Ganguly-led side in a commanding position, as the hosts ended up with a huge total of 657/7 declare. Dravid played 446 deliveries for another composed knock of 180 runs, while his partner Laxman registered his career best 281. India then went on to win the match by restricting the Aussies to 212 on the fifth day of the match.
5.104 against New Zealand, Motera, 2010: May not be great by Dravid's standards, but a timely reminder that "form is temporary, class is permanent". 2010 was not a great year for Dravid, as he failed to score big knocks against Australia or Sri Lanka. Also, he had to miss the home series against South Africa earlier that year, due to a career threatening jaw injury. But against the Kiwis at Ahmedabad, India got a glimpse of the old Dravid. Although the knock was scored on a placid Motera pitch, it served as a great morale booster for him. Although he had a poor run against South Africa later in 2010, he went on to become the highest run-getter for India during the 2011-12 season, including four centuries in India's disastrous England tour. He eventually retired in 2012 after a horrid run in Australia.