Journalism of Courage
Rahul Dravid was born in 1973. Though from a Marathi family, he was brought up in Bangalore. He started playing cricket at the age of 12 and represented Karnataka in age-group cricket. (File Photo)
Rahul Dravid made his Test debut at Lord's in 1996 against England. He came into the team as a last-minute replacement for injured senior batsman Sanjay Manjrekar. Dravid score 95 on Test debut, missing out on his century by 5 runs. (File Photo)
While Rahul Dravid's Test career got off to a tremendous start straightaway, he suffered an indifferent start to his ODI career. In the 1999 World Cup though, he showed his class in 50-over cricket. He put on a record breaking partnership with Sourav Ganguly worth 318 runs – the first ever three hundred run partnership in ODI history. (File Photo)
2001: Eden Gardens. Australia. The 2001 Test, which featured the famous 376-run partnership between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, can be said to have been the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket, given that India had won the Test after having made to follow on by the rampaging Australia side. (File Photo/PTI)
The turn of the millenium saw Rahul Dravid become a constant fixture in the India batting order. Along with Sachin Tendulkar, Saourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble, he formed the core of the team that played for the nation for many years. (File Photo)
One of Rahul Dravid's greatest efforts came in Adelaide in the 2003/04 tour Down Under. India registered their first Test victory in Australia since 1980/81 on the back of a double century by Dravid in the first innings and a fighting fifty in the second innings. (File Photo)
Rahul Dravid was named as vice-captain in Sourav Ganguly's Team India and he led the team in Ganguly's absence. He led India to their first-ever Test victory in Pakistan in 2004. (File Photo)
For all the runs he scored and the victories he earned for India, Rahul Dravid's greatest achievement was probably to be The impenetrable Wall. He faced the most balls in Test history - 31,258 balls. Even Sachin Tendulkar, whose career began much before Dravid's and ended after him, is only second on the list of most balls faced in Test cricket to Dravid. (File Photo)
Rahul Dravid was part of the generation of India players who stepped aside from the T20I circuit to let younger players take over the new format. He was part of the IPL for many years though, first for Royal Challengers Bangalore and then for Rajasthan Royals. (IPL)
Rahul Dravid is presently a mentor and coach, currently serving at the NCA. Before this, he was in charge of the India U-19 team for a few years, with a major triumph having come with the 2018 World Cup win. A line of youth products - including the likes of Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill have passed under his tutelage in the India U-19 team. (Express Archive)
