Rahul Dravid: The most versatile cricketer of all time

Rahul Dravid (Pic: AFP)

In the room full of hard strikers like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag, there lived a man who believed in playing orthodox cricketing shots. The man who made the bowlers struggle for his wicket- Rahul Sharad Dravid. He was born into a Marathi family and was raised in Bengaluru.

Dravid always believed in answering his opponents with his bat rather than getting involved in verbal spats. So far, he is still the best and most complete Test batsman India has ever produced. From batting all day long to showcasing masterful strokes, Dravid never took a step back. He was often referred to as "Mr. Dependable" and "India's Wall" for his extraordinary batting performances.

England great Kevin Pieterson once consulted Rahul Dravid for playing spin bowling all over the world. When asked the world's most lethal fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar "Who is that one batsman he used to think about not facing?" The speedster replied, "I can dismiss every batsman but not him, Rahul Dravid." Cricketers all around the world respect Rahul Dravid for his attitude and dedication towards the game.

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Rahul Dravid was one of the five best cricketers to be mentioned in the Wisden Cricketer's Almanack in the year 2000. The 376-run stand between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid against Australia will be etched in the hearts of Indian cricket fans forever. Both played the remaining time on Day 3 and never gave the Aussies a chance to secure a wicket on the entire Day 4.

The batting Great Rahul Dravid holds the record for most consecutive innings in ODIs without a duck which is 120. He also tops the list for most consecutive innings without a duck across all formats which is 173. The Test specialist Dravid has most nineties his entire test career which is 10. He was stunning not only with his bat but also in fielding. He even holds the record for the most catches in his career which is 210.

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Dravid was a complete team man. He was flexible to bat at any position. He has even kept the wickets during several matches. He was the first ever player to win the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year award in 2004. After his retirement, Dravid is the current head coach of the Indian Men's Cricket Team. Under his coaching, the Indian side finished as the runner-up in the ICC World Cup 2023, finalists in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 and semi-finalists in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

After Vijay Hazare and Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid is also the third Indian batsman to score a century in both Test innings. Serving the Indian Cricket in many ways, Rahul Sharad Dravid is truly a living legend.