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Rahul Dravid

Player Details
Team Name India
Full Name Rahul Dravid
Date of Birth 11th January 1973
Place of Birth Indore (Madhya Pradesh - India)
Batting Style Right Handed
Bowling Style Right-arm offbreak
Player Profile
Rahul Dravid, a cricketer who seamlessly blends an old-world classicism with a new-age professionalism, is the best No. 3 batsman to play for India - and might even be considered one of the best ever by the time his career is done. He already averages around 60 at that position, more than any regular No. 3 batsman in the game's history, barring Don Bradman. Unusually for an Indian batsman, he also averages more overseas - around 60, again - than at home. But impressive as his statistics are, they cannot represent the extent of his importance to India, or the beauty of his batsmanship.

When Dravid began playing Test cricket, he was quickly stereotyped as a technically correct player capable of stonewalling against the best attacks - his early nickname was 'The Wall' - but of little else. As the years went by, though, Dravid, a sincere batsman who brought humility and a deep intelligence to his study of the game, grew in stature, finally reaching full blossom under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. As a New India emerged, so did a new Dravid: first, he put on the wicketkeeping gloves in one-dayers, and transformed himself into an astute finisher in the middle-order; then, he strung together a series of awe-inspiring performances in Test matches, as India crept closer and closer to their quest of an overseas series win.

Dravid's golden phase began, arguably, in Kolkata 2001, with a supporting act, when he made 180 to supplement VVS Laxman's classic effort of 281 against Australia. But from then on, Dravid became India's most valuable player, saving them Tests at Port Elizabeth, Georgetown and Trent Bridge, winning them Tests at Headlingley, Adelaide, Kandy and Rawalpindi. At one point during this run, he carved up four centuries in successive innings, and hit four double-centuries in the space of 15 Tests, including in historic away-wins at Adelaide, Rawalpindi and Jamaica. As India finished off the 2004 Pakistan tour on a winning note, on the back of Dravid's epic 270, his average crept past Sachin Tendulkar's - and it seemed no aberration.

Dravid's amazing run was no triumph of substance over style, though, for he has plenty of both. A classical strokeplayer who plays every shot in the book, he often outscores team-mates like Tendulkar and Laxman in the course of partnerships with them, and while his pulling and cover-driving is especially breathtaking, he has every other shot in the book as well. He is both an artist and a craftsman, repeatedly constructing innings that stand out not merely for the beauty of their execution, but for the context in which they come. By the time he entered his 30s, Dravid was already in the pantheon of great Indian batsmen, alongside Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar. In October 2005, he was appointed captain the one-day side, began with a thumping 6-1 hammering of Sri Lanka in a home series, and was soon given responsibility of the Test side as well, taking over from the controversy-shrouded Sourav Ganguly. After two disappointing defeats to Pakistan and England, Dravid masterminded a historic series win in the West Indies, the first since 1970-71. What else could he achieve? Anything.
 
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  Tendulkar, Kumble, Dravid endorse serial on Chandrasekhar ( 14th Jul, 2008 )
  Dravid, Ganguly ignored for Champions Trophy ( 8th Jul, 2008 )
  Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly to skip Asian Awards ( 26th Jun, 2008 )
  PCB gears up to showcase Pak as safe venue ( 17th Jun, 2008 )
  It needs only eleven mucks to win Twenty20 games: Ranatunga ( 17th Jun, 2008 )
  Coaching and learning is important: Dravid ( 5th Jun, 2008 )
  IPL will be remembered for the triumph of the underdogs ( 2nd Jun, 2008 )
  We did not have T20 batsmen in our team: Crowe ( 30th May, 2008 )
  Tough task for selectors to pick ODI team ( 29th May, 2008 )
  IPL is here to stay: Dravid ( 28th May, 2008 )
  More in News >>
 
Career Statistics
Last ODI vs Bangladesh at Mirpur-National Cricket Stadium - 25th May 2007
BATTING STATISTICS
MAT INNS NO RUNS BF HS AVE SR 100 50 4S 6S
ODIs 318 295 38 10381 14679 153 40.39 70.72 12 77 916 36
Tests 107 182 22 9174 21754 270 57.34 42.17 23 46 1138 13
 
BOWLING STATISTICS
  MAT BALLS RUNS WKTS BBI EXT AVE SR ECON
ODIs 318 186 170 4 2/43 0 42.5 46.5 5.48
Tests 107 120 39 1 1/18 0 39 120 1.95
 
 
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