In the last 5 years India has won more Test matches abroad (13) than in any other 5 (or even 10) year period. To put it into perspective, in the 15 years prior to 2000-2001, India won just ONE Test match on foreign soil. The backbone of the Indian batting order has become Rahul Dravid, whose effort in the most recent victory, the crashing of the West Indian citadel at Sabina Park, will be remembered for a long, long time.
They say the proof is in the pudding. Rahul Dravid's career average currently stands at over 58 runs per innings. Yet, in Indian victories abroad, the number bulges to a Bradman-esque 94.93, with over 1500 runs, inclusive of 4 centuries and 7 fifties in 13 Tests. Almost every major Indian win abroad has featured the calm presence of Dravid for long periods of time at the crease. The epochal wins at Headingly in 2002, Adelaide in 2003-4, Rawalpinidi in 2003-4, and Kingston in 2006 would not have been possible without his contributions and, fittingly, he was the man of the match in ALL four of them. In fact, the only major abroad victory that has not featured Dravid prominently (I am excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe from this) is Multan in 2003-04 when Virender Sehwag (309) and Sachin Tendulkar (194*) led India to a famous victory.
As a parting shot, ponder this - if you thought Dravid's average is mind-boggling, Sachin Tendulkar averages 108.70 in Indian victories abroad!
1 comment:
With all respect to Sachin,I dont think he has helped us a alot in winnning matches abroad, He may have an average more than 100 for matches India has won, but in most of the matches Dravid would have withered the early pitch conditions
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