venkyrenga
U19 12th Man
I believe that not many would know a batsman better than their fans. So lets hear from them. If possible give a brief note on why those innings were special.
I will start first,
Rahul Dravid
1. 180 v Australia, Kolkata, 2001
Probably the greatest overshadowed innings ever. Coming in at no.6 with a follow on and still trail by 42 against one of the greatest bowling attack, even saving the match seemed far out of sight. Dravid and Laxman batted the entire day and won the match, kicking off a new era of historical wins for India.
2. 233 and 72* v Australia, Adelaide, 2003
This was almost a repeat of Kolkata, 2001 but this time it was in Australia in their own territory. At 85/4 and trail by 472 India was struggling to avoid a follow on against the all-conquering Aussies. Dravid and Laxman put on a 303 run partnership. Dravid went onto score a double ton and another valuable 72* in the second innings guiding India to their first victory in Australia in 22 years.
3. 148 v England, Headingley, 2002
India came into bat with a overcast weather and lush green pitch perfect for fast bowling. There was bounce in the pitch and the ball was swinging sharply but it turned out to be a perfect show of technique and fortitude from Dravid. He made sure the middle order was not exposed to the new ball in these conditions. And India went on to register their first win in England in 16 years.
4. 81 and 68 v West Indies, Kingston, 2006
The pitch was one of the most unpredictable and a heaven for bowlers. The West Indies pacers led by Jerome Taylor proved unplayable to everyone but Dravid. Wickets were falling like pack of cards on the other side but Dravid stunned everyone with his defensive technique, cover drives and pull shots. By the end of 3rd innings no other batsman in the match scored even a fifty whereas Dravid scored two of them guiding India to a series win in West Indies for the first time in 35 long years.
5. 148 and 81 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 1997
It was that South African bowling attack led by Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock in their prime. A young Dravid made them to change their line and lengths from the start with those clinical cover drives and classical pull shots. At a time when overseas victories were non-existent for India Dravid with his maiden test ton took India very close to one, only to be denied by the weather. If not for the rain interrupting the game when South Africa was 8 down India would have got their first ever win in South Africa. The knock gave a glimpse of what was to come in the years of his cricket career.
Honorable mention:
270 v Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 2004
I will start first,
Rahul Dravid
1. 180 v Australia, Kolkata, 2001
Probably the greatest overshadowed innings ever. Coming in at no.6 with a follow on and still trail by 42 against one of the greatest bowling attack, even saving the match seemed far out of sight. Dravid and Laxman batted the entire day and won the match, kicking off a new era of historical wins for India.
2. 233 and 72* v Australia, Adelaide, 2003
This was almost a repeat of Kolkata, 2001 but this time it was in Australia in their own territory. At 85/4 and trail by 472 India was struggling to avoid a follow on against the all-conquering Aussies. Dravid and Laxman put on a 303 run partnership. Dravid went onto score a double ton and another valuable 72* in the second innings guiding India to their first victory in Australia in 22 years.
3. 148 v England, Headingley, 2002
India came into bat with a overcast weather and lush green pitch perfect for fast bowling. There was bounce in the pitch and the ball was swinging sharply but it turned out to be a perfect show of technique and fortitude from Dravid. He made sure the middle order was not exposed to the new ball in these conditions. And India went on to register their first win in England in 16 years.
4. 81 and 68 v West Indies, Kingston, 2006
The pitch was one of the most unpredictable and a heaven for bowlers. The West Indies pacers led by Jerome Taylor proved unplayable to everyone but Dravid. Wickets were falling like pack of cards on the other side but Dravid stunned everyone with his defensive technique, cover drives and pull shots. By the end of 3rd innings no other batsman in the match scored even a fifty whereas Dravid scored two of them guiding India to a series win in West Indies for the first time in 35 long years.
5. 148 and 81 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 1997
It was that South African bowling attack led by Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock in their prime. A young Dravid made them to change their line and lengths from the start with those clinical cover drives and classical pull shots. At a time when overseas victories were non-existent for India Dravid with his maiden test ton took India very close to one, only to be denied by the weather. If not for the rain interrupting the game when South Africa was 8 down India would have got their first ever win in South Africa. The knock gave a glimpse of what was to come in the years of his cricket career.
Honorable mention:
270 v Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 2004
Last edited:
