One name that often comes up in these discussions is Indian legend Rahul Dravid, and with good reason. The recent ICC Hall of Fame inductee earned the nickname, ‘The Wall’ for his sound defensive technique, and in his long and celebrated Test career he kept out more deliveries than any other batsman in Test history.
But Dravid, who is now retired and coaches India U19s, was a fan favourite not just for his impassability as a batsman, but also for his humble and self-effacing personality, and when the question was put to him in a video interview for ESPNcricinfo, he raised another candidate for the role: Sachin Tendulkar, the Little Master, and Dravid’s good friend and long-time team-mate. “I’d say the best guy I played with was Sachin, in terms of his quality and class,” he said.
Dravid’s modesty and good humour was again to the fore when answering the question of the funniest sledge he ever received. He picked one delivered by the Australian fielders as he walked out to the crease to join VVS Laxman while following on in 2001. Famously, the pair added 376 together to help India to one of the greatest victories in Test history.
“When I walked in at Kolkata, I was reminded that I’d been batting at No.3 in the first Test, and by the time we reached the third innings in Kolkata I was No.6,” he recounted. “So I was told that by the end of the series I’d be No.12, which I thought was really funny.”
