RAHUL DRAVID, today is a name in World cricket who has earned the maximum respect from his opponents across the World...It’s safe to conclude two things...
1.seeing the records of last 5 years, we can say he is India’s No1 test batsman..
2.he is the best batsman presently in the world to bat at no.3(Ricky Ponting comes a very close 2nd, followed by kallis)
Selecting top Dravid’s innings is indeed a herculean effort because in his ten year old test career this man has played many great innings.Almost all his centuries have taken india either to victory or safety, that’s why his centuries are so important to India...
Infact here’s an interesting stat..
Of the eighteen tests in which Dravid scored a ton, India has lost a match on only one occasion, won on nine occasions and drew the match on nine ocassions.....
Well, my top 5 RD innings are in no particular ranking...
So here’s RD TOP 5
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1.148&81* vs SA at Johanesburg
Jan 2-6 1997
Result:Match Drawn
Well, this was RD’s first century and as with every cricketer the most important as well.Unfortunately for him, his herculean efforts in the Test still could not take India to a well deserved victory..Rains on the fifth day’s morning and resilience of Daryll Cullinan helped SA steer the match to a draw...
Coming to RD’s innings, well India were going into this match having already lost the series and not many gave them a chance of avoiding a whitewash because SA were well and truly on a roll..they had defeated India in a convincing manner in the first two tests and if anything the JOBERG track was expected to help the seamers even more...But RD played an excellent knock, got his first century against a fine bowling attack which had DONALD, POLLOCK, MCMILLAN, KLUSENER in it’s ranks, more importantly all in the best forms of their life...That was a time when SA was playing their best Cricket..RD ensured that India reached a good first innings total..One more good thing about this innings was that he played well with the tailenders and had useful partnerships with KUMBLE & SRINATH...____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2.181 vs Aus at Kolkata
Mar 11-15 2001
Result:India won by 171 runs
Well, I guess cricket lovers dont need to think hard to remember perhaps the greatest test victory by an Indian side....Yes, this Test match is the same one where VVS scored that famous 281 and BHAJJI took 13 wickets and a hat-trick but to me that match was memorable also because of RD’s century....Being asked to follow on India were 232/4 when Dravid walked in to join LAXMAN
and the partnership that followed is what every INDIAN cricket fan must be remembering and cherishing even today.....
WARNE had made RD his bunny in the previous two innings convincingly bowling him neck & crop, and commentators and so called critics had started comparing RD’s inability to play Warne with that of South-african CULLINAN but RD played Warne with great aplomb, moving his feet excellently and giving him the charge...Apart from Warne Aussies had MCGRATH, GILLESPE and KASPOROWIZ as well, all bowling at their best....RD’s reaction after the century was the one which I would always remember, I have never seen an expression so animated from him and the happiness on his face was clear..He has proved his detractors wrong....His and VVS’s determination played a big hand in India going on to win the series 2-1 after being 1 down in that famous FINAL FRONTIER series.....
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3.148 vs Eng at Headingley
Aug 22-26 2002
Result:India won by an innings and 46 runs
If there was a word to describe this India win there would be just one PERFECT....India posted a big first innings total and bowled out England twice, watching India finish off the match so professionally was like watching a dream come true, that too on foreign soil....India were 1 down, going in this third test and it was RD’s timely century in the second test that helped them draw and keep the series scoreline at 1-0.....
The wicket at leed’s was supposed to be a paradise for fast bowlers...England had 4 decent bowlers Caddick, Tudor, Hoggard & Flintoff in their ranks....The conditions were overcast and looked perfect for fast bowling...Viru got out early, and things started looking bleak...In came RD to join BANGAR...He took some blows on his body early on but stuck to the crease..On the other end even BANGAR was stonewalling everything..eventually things became easy..RD got his century and on the second day, with conditions much better India butchered English bowling...SACHIN scored 191 and SAURAV 128 but RD’s innings came when it really mattered against the new ball on the first morning....it won’t be wrong to say the worth of his innings was much much more than that of SACHIN or SAURAV.....
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4.233 & 72* vs Aus at Adelaide
Dec 12-16, 2003
Result:India won by 4 wickets
Even this match must be fresh in the minds of all cricket lovers...A test win against Australia in Australia is the ultimate achievement for any side, especially sides from the sub-continent...watching this match’s highlights still give me goosebumps..that winning shot by RD and his punch in the air are moments which would rank right alongside KAPIL DEV lifting the WC trophy...Forgive me, if I am exaggerating...but that’s how I feel about this victory!!!!
This was the second match of the series with the scoreline 0-0...India were chasing Aussies mammoth first innings total of 556 and after a decent start staring down the barrel at 85-4...In came VVS and he and RD decided to weave their KOLKATA magic yet again on the AUSSIES, this time in their own backyard...though there was no MCGRATH or WARNE Aussies still had GILLESPIE, BICHEL & MCGILL... AGARKAR’s heroics with ball made an Indian win possible...Again RD came to the party in second innings, scored a time;ly and patient unbeaten 72 and took India to a historic win.....
RD batted in this test for around 14 hours which was remarkable, all possible because of this man’s immense grit and determination...
I remember all the INDIAN commentators voices were chocked with emotion, when they congratulated RD that day
An innings for which RD deserves a salute from every Indian Cricket Fan..
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