Rahul Dravid: The Wall, Test Cricket's Most Dependable Batsman

Rahul Dravid is regarded by many cricket historians as the purest Test batsman India produced. Nicknamed 'The Wall' for his impassable defensive technique and concentration under pressure, Dravid scored 13,288 Test runs in 164 Tests at an average of 52.31. He held the record for most balls faced in Test cricket at retirement — 31,258 deliveries, a measure of his patience and occupation of the crease. Dravid was the player teammates most wanted at the other end when India's batting was under pressure.

Kolkata 2001 and the Partnership with Laxman

The most celebrated partnership of Dravid's career came in the second Test of the 2001 series against Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. India had been forced to follow on — 274 runs behind — and were 232-4 in their second innings when Dravid joined VVS Laxman. Over the next seven and a half hours, Dravid and Laxman added 376 runs for the fifth wicket (Dravid 180, Laxman 281) to give India a declaration total of 657-7. India then bowled Australia out for 212 to win by 171 runs — only the third team in Test history to win after following on. The partnership is considered the greatest in Indian Test cricket history.

Batting Technique

• Dravid's most distinctive technical feature was his off-side play — his cover drive and square drive were textbook strokes with minimal risk. His head position at the point of impact, tilted toward the ball, was taught in coaching manuals.
• His defence was impenetrable on most surfaces. Against short-pitched bowling, he was less dominant than some contemporaries but rarely looked discomfited.
• He kept wicket for India in ODIs for a period in 2003-04 to accommodate extra batsmen in the side — a concession that he acknowledged cost him ODI batting productivity.