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Dravid’s milestones recalled ahead of his 100th Test

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India’s skipper Rahul Dravid is all set to play his 100th Test at the Wankhede Stadium during the 3rd and final Test Match against England. The skipper would be joining the elite club of Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and statemate Anil Kumble, who have all played more than 100 Test matches in their respective career. Rahul Dravid has played a Test Match for the ICC World XI in the 2005/06 Johnnie Walker Super Series in Australia. To be exact, Rahul Dravid would be playing his 99th Test Match for India at Mumbai but nevertheless the BCCI is planning in a grand manner to felicitate one of its best ever batsman for appearing in 100 Tests in his career. The 3rd Test at Mumbai will also see Sachin Tendulkar pass an important milestone when he becomes the most capped player for India in Test matches after he surpasses Kapil Dev’s record of 131 Tests. Let’s take a look of Rahul Dravid’s Test Career highlights:

Rahul Sharad Dravid made his Test Match Debut at Lord’s, London in the 2nd Test Match of the 3-Tests Series. He made his Debut alongside Sourav Ganguly, whom he succeeded as the Indian Skipper in the later part of his career.

Batting at no.7 in his first innings ever in his Test Career, Rahul scored a classy 95 facing 265 balls with 6 fours. The 22-year-old debutant had played part in two important partnerships in that innings to secure the first innings lead for India – the first one being the 94 runs partnership for the 6th wicket with fellow debutant Sourav Ganguly, who went onto notch up a century; the second partnership was with statemate Anil Kumble and the pair put on 55 runs for the 7th wicket.

Scored his maiden Test Century at the Wanderers in Johannesburg scoring 148 in 362 balls with 21 hits to the fence. It was the 3rd and final Test match of the 1996/97 tour. Dravid achieved this feat coming in at no.3 to help India reach a good first innings total of 410. In the 2nd innings as well, Dravid excelled scoring 81. The match ended as a draw due to bad weather on the final day’s play and Rahul walked away with the Man of the Match award.

Crossed 1000 runs in his 14th Test Match. Had achieved this feat at Georgetown, Guyana during the 5th Test of the 1996/97 tour.

Had to wait for almost two seasons to notch up his 2nd Test century which he had done against Zimbabwe in the Only Test at Harare in 1998/99. This happened to be the only Test Match played by Robin Singh in his career!

Crossed 2000 Test runs during the 3rd Test against New Zealand at Hamilton in 1998/99. This happened to be his 25th Test.

He scored his maiden double century at Delhi in 200/01 against Zimbabwe. Dravid scored exactly an unbeaten 200 coming in 350 balls with 27 fours. Incidentally he remained unbeaten in the 2nd innings as well scoring 70 runs to help India win by 7 wickets. In this same match, Rahul Dravid went past the 3000 Test runs mark with this match being hi 39th.

With VVS Laxman (281), Rahul Dravid played one of the best ever innings in Test Cricket scoring 180 to help India win the 2000/01 Kolkata Test after India followed on with a huge deficit of 274 runs! India miraculously won that match by 171 runs. Both Laxman and Dravid put on 376 runs for the 5th wicket as India went onto pile up 657 runs on the board before declaring!

Dravid then crossed 4000 Test runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club during the 3rd Test of the 2001 series. This was his 48th Test.

He crossed 5000 Test runs at Headingley, Leeds during the 3rd Test of the 2002 Series. Dravid scored 148 to help India win the match by an innings and 46 runs. This one was his 63rd match of his career.

Dravid helped India to secure the 4-Tests Series at 1-1 in England in the 2002 Series with a marathon score of 217 coming in 468 balls with 28 fours. This was the fourth and final Test which was played at The Oval and India were under pressure after Vaughan’s 195 saw England make 515 in their first innings. Dravid’s double ton saw that India batted enough time and made 508 consuming 170 overs!

Coming into bat with India at 35 for one, Dravid scored 222 off 387 balls with 28 fours and a six at the Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera in Ahmedabad against the Kiwis in 2003/04. It was the 1st Test of that series and the match was drawn. Dravid scored 73 in the second essay.

The next milestone was crossing 6000 Test runs which was done down under during the 2nd Test at the Adelaide Oval. This was a match to remember for Dravid and Team India as Dravid got a double century 233 to be precise to help India keep the Australian first innings lead to just 33. Later India bowled out the Aussies for 196 and chased the target of 230 with Dravid guiding them with an unbeaten 72! For the record, Dravid’s 233 came in 446 balls with 23 fours and a six.

‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid scored a mammoth 270 in 495 balls with 34 fours and a six in the 1st innings of the 3rd Test at Rawalpindi. India won by an innings and 131 runs to win that decisive Test match. This was during India’s tour of Pakistan in 2003/04.

Rahul Dravid was named as the ICC Test Cricketer of the year 2004.

He led India for the first time in his career during the 3rd Test match at Nagpur against the Aussies in the 2004/05 Series. Dravid scored 21 and 2 as India surrendered the Final Frontier to the Adam Gilchrist led Australian Side.

Rahul Dravid went onto cross 7000 Test runs at Mumbai during the 4th Test against Australia in 2004/05 with this being his 82nd match

Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag were the two Indians to have played for the ICC World XI against Australia at Sydney in the One off Test Match of the ICC Super Series in 2005/06. Dravid made a duck and 23 and his team lost in that match. This was Dravid’s 92nd of his career.

He went past 8000 Test runs this season against the touring Sri Lankan team in the 2nd Test match at Delhi. This was his 94th match.

The 3rd and Final Test at Mumbai against England starting on March 18 would be his 100th of his career and his 99th for India.