Rahul
Dravid, the legendary former batter and current head coach of the Indian team, turned 49 on Tuesday. Since retiring from the game in 2012, the former India captain
has been associated with the country’s cricket development projects. Dravid wore many
hats. He managed IPL side Rajasthan Royals, India U-19 and India A teams as a
coach. 

Also Read: Virat Kohli is a fantastic leader, will score big runs soon: Rahul Dravid

Dravid
achieved immense success as a coach of these developmental sides, with the U-19
team reaching the final of the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh and eventually
winning the coveted title in 2018 in New Zealand.

In 2019, he
was appointed as Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). It is
rare for a cricketer of such distinction to manage teams successfully. He was
eventually made head coach of the Indian team, with his former teammate VVS
Laxman replacing him at NCA in November 2021.

Also Read: SA vs India: Top 5 Test innings played by Indian batters in South Africa

Dravid as a
batter batted with rare grit and determination and was known for his flawless
technique. He is one of the very few cricketers who scored 10,000 plus runs in
both ODI and Test cricket.

As he
celebrates his 49th birthday in Cape Town with the Indian team on day 1 of the
third Test against South Africa, Opoyi chronicled records held by Dravid.

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Captain
Rahul Dravid

Rahul
Dravid was the first Indian captain to win a Test match in South Africa. In the
2006 Johannesburg Test, India defeated South Africa by 123 runs.  Next year in England, Rahul Dravid led India
to a historic Test series win in England. He became only the third Indian
captain to win a Test series in England. Ajit Wadekar (1971) and Kapil Dev
(1986) are the other two Indian captains who won a Test series in England.

Also Read: Masters of their backyard: World lauds India’s record win vs New Zealand

Four
consecutive Test hundreds

Rahul
Dravid is the only Indian batter to hit four consecutive hundreds in Test
cricket. He achieved this milestone in 2002. 115 against England at Nottingham, 148
against England at Leeds, 217 against England at The Oval and 100 not out
against West Indies at Mumbai.

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Dravid
belongs to an exclusive club

Rahul
Dravid is one of the seven batters who scored more than 10,000 runs in both ODI
and Test cricket. He scored 13,288 Test runs and 10,889 ODI runs. Sachin
Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara and
Mahela Jayawardena are other batters who have achieved this rare feat.

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Most 90s                     

Rahul
Dravid scored 36 Test hundreds. He could have taken this tally to 46 had he not
been dismissed in the 90s a record 10 times. Dravid, in fact, has the most number of
90s in Test cricket. He shares this record with Steve Waugh and compatriot
Sachin Tendulkar.

Also Read: SA vs Ind, 3rd Test: Virat Kohli’s men eye historic series win at Newlands

Most
catches

Dravid was
an extraordinary slip fielder. In 164 Tests, he took 210 catches, the most by a
fielder, not wearing wicketkeeping gloves, in Test cricket.

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Most
consecutive innings without ducks

Rahul
Dravid made legendry bowlers across the world frustrated with his unbreakable
technique. Due to this distinction, he could play 173 consecutive innings
without duck across the three formats – Tests, ODIs and T20Is.