Rahul Dravid (Source: AFP)
Former India and the batting great, Rahul Dravid, was mainly known for his batting excellence in the Tests, but he also established himself as one of the legends in ODI cricket. He is still the fifth leading run-scorer for India in the ODIs, even after more than 14 years since his last ODI.
Rahul Dravid scored 10,889 runs in 318 innings of the 344 matches he played in his 15-year-long ODI career from 1996 to 2011. He also played the match-winning and crucial knocks to help India cross the line in the must-win games, be it in bilateral series or in the ICC tournaments. Hence, here’s a look at Rahul Dravid’s five best innings in the ODIs.
Rahul Dravid’s five best innings in ODIs
61 against Pakistan - Manchester ODI, 1999 World Cup
In the shadows of the Kargil War at the borders, the arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, were against each other on the field of cricket in the fourth super-six match of the ODI World Cup 1999. The immense pressure of this high-stakes match could be seen on the players of both the teams.
India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin won the toss and asked his batters to take charge first. India lost Sadagoppan Ramesh (20) at the score of 37 runs in 11.2 overs. Furthermore, Sachin Tendulkar (45) stitched a crucial 58-run partnership for the second wicket with Rahul Dravid.
Dravid went on to stabilize the innings for India with his much-needed 61-run knock off 89 balls, with four fours in such a high-pressure game against Pakistan.
His knock, followed by skipper Azharuddin’s 77-ball 59, helped India post 227 runs for the loss of six wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Furthermore, India bundled out Pakistan at 180 runs and won the game by 47 runs to register their only win in the super-six round.
145 against Sri Lanka - Taunton ODI, 1999 World Cup
India were taking on Sri Lanka in the 21st match of the 1999 ODI World Cup. The then-Sri Lanka skipper Arjun Ranatunga won the toss and asked India to bat first. The Men in Blue faced an early blow in Sadagoppan Ramesh at the score of just six runs in the first over. However, what followed this dismissal was an iconic moment in India's ODI history.
Sourav Ganguly (183) and Rahul Dravid stitched a historic 318-run partnership for the third wicket to help India post 373 runs for the loss of six wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Dravid scored 145 runs off 129 balls, with 17 fours and a six, to play a pivotal role in India’s 300+ total.
Eventually, India bundled out for 216 in the second innings and won by a massive 157 runs to advance further in the tournament.
50 against New Zealand - Hyderabad ODI, TVS Cup 2003
Though it was just a half-century, Rahul Dravid’s blistering knock against New Zealand in the ninth match of the TVS Cup 2003 was ‘way ahead of time’. On that day, Dravid played a form of cricket in ODIs that later became T20 cricket.
India batted first after winning the toss, and the centuries scored by Sachin Tendulkar (130) and Virender Sehwag (102) set a tone for India. These knocks were followed by Rahul Dravid’s blistering and unbeaten knock of 50 runs off just 22 balls, with five fours and three sixes to help India go past 350+ total, scoring 353 runs for the loss of five wickets in the first innings.
Furthermore, India bundled out the Blackcaps at 208 runs in the second innings and won the game by 145 runs.
92* against England - Bristol ODI, 2007
After facing a humiliating 104-run defeat against England in the first ODI, skipper Rahul Dravid led India with an exemplary knock in the second ODI of the seven-match ODI series.
Dravid won the toss and opted to bat first in Bristol, followed by a 113-run opening stand between Sourav Ganguly (39) and Sachin Tendulkar (99).
Furthermore, Yuvraj Singh also scored a crucial 49 runs off 53 balls, with six fours, before Rahul Dravid started smashing the English bowlers across all corners of the ground.
The skipper himself played a brilliant counterattacking knock of 92 runs off just 63 balls, with 11 fours and a six. Captain’s knock helped the visitors post 329 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the first innings.
Later in the second innings, India restricted the Three Lions to the score of 320 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the entire 50 overs and won the game by nine runs to level the series 1-1.
153 vs New Zealand - Hyderabad ODI, 1999
After losing the first ODI in Rajkot by 43 runs, India took on New Zealand in the second match of the five-match ODI series in 1999. India skipper Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and decided to bat first. India lost Sourav Ganguly early at the score of just 10 runs in 1.4 overs.
Following Ganguly’s dismissal, Sachin Tendulkar (186) and Rahul Dravid stitched a memorable 331-run partnership for the second wicket. Dravid went on to finish with his ODI career’s highest score, hitting 153 runs off 153 balls, with 15 fours and two sixes. On the back of Sachin-Dravid duo’s batting excellence, India scored 376 runs for the loss of just two wickets in the allotted 50 overs.
Furthermore, India’s bowling attack bundled out the Kiwis at 202 runs to win the game by a massive margin of 174 runs and level the series 1-1 after two matches. Later, India won the five-match ODI series 3-2.
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