As Jammy turns 52, we take a look at some of his records that are still intact even though he retired 12 years ago
Over the decades, Indian cricket has been continuously blessed with players who possess a calm demeanour. Among many, MS Dhoni was bestowed with the moniker of ‘Captain Cool.’ However, in our opinion, if there was any player who was much cooler than Dhoni, it was Rahul Dravid. Fondly known as ‘The Wall,’ Dravid’s conduct on the field was like a gentleman.
Not to forget, with the bat, he played some of the greatest innings in Indian cricket history, especially in the Test format. As Jammy turns 52, we take a look at some of his records that are still intact even though he retired 12 years ago.
Rahul Dravid has always been credited for his batting and his time behind the wicket. However, even when he was not standing behind the stumps, he was an extremely fit player, which turned him into a great fielder. In Test cricket, Dravid holds the record for most catches taken, i.e., 210 catches. However, it seems his world record will soon be broken, given Joe Root now has 207 catches, whereas Steve Smith has 195 among active cricketers.
Rahul Dravid was known for spending days on the crease. He holds the record for facing the most number of deliveries in the history of Test cricket. During his career, he faced 31,258 balls, which is equivalent to 5,209.4 overs and 57.9 full days of Test cricket. At present, no active cricketer has reached the 30,000 mark. Retired players such as Sachin Tendulkar faced 29,437 balls, whereas Jacques Kallis faced 28,903 balls.
Rahul Dravid loved irritating the bowlers by tiring them out. For him, it was more about defending and sticking on the crease, and nobody could do better than him, not even Sachin Tendulkar. While Tendulkar is the highest Test scorer in the game’s history, Dravid spent a record 44,152 minutes on the crease, the most in Test cricket’s history, which is equivalent to 735 games.
Given Dravid’s defensive game was so good, getting out for a duck wasn’t simply his thing. In fact, in ODI cricket, he played 120 games without getting out for a duck. In Test cricket, the number is even better, as he played 173 games without getting out for a duck.
Rahul Dravid shares the space for most 90s scored in Test cricket history with Steve Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar. All three players share the record with 10 90s in Tests. It must be noted that Dravid played the least number of games, i.e., 163, compared to Waugh and Tendulkar.
Last but not least, Rahul Dravid holds the record for forging the maximum triple-century partnerships in Test cricket. He was part of six triple-century partnerships, whereas Don Bradman and Graeme Smith, with five each, are next on the list.
On his special day, we wish him a long and healthy life and hope that he remains connected to Indian cricket to guide the next generation of young Indian cricketers.
