'10 Minutes Before The Toss, Azhar Said I Was Playing: Rahul Dravid Recalls His Test Debut Against England

Rahul Dravid, a former Indian captain and the current head coach of Team India, claimed that he heard of his Test debut just ten minutes before the toss.

India’s 1996 tour of England was noteworthy in several aspects. Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, two of India’s modern-day greats, were produced there. During that tour, three additional cricketers—current India batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and Venkatesh Prasad—also made their Test debuts.

The first Test that Dravid and Ganguly played together was the Lord’s Test on June 22. 26 years after that tragic day in London, Dravid, the current head coach of India, claimed he remembers every aspect of those five days. Ganguly scored a hundred and Dravid notched up 95.

“There are many aspects of my career that I have forgotten, but my Test debut feels like it was yesterday. You know that I can recall or picture having the opportunity to play in a Test match for India, “ Dravid told India’s first-ever Olympics individual gold medalist Abhinav Bindra on his podcast ‘In The Zone.’

An injury to Sanjay Manjrekar had created an opportunity for Rahul Dravid:

Dravid, who later came to fame as one of India’s all-time greatest cricketers, claimed that he learned of his Test debut just ten minutes before the toss. Sanjay Manjrekar’s injury had delivered Dravid with the opportunity.

“Azharuddin told me I would be playing 10 minutes before toss because Manjrekar had sort of failed a fitness test, and then that sensation just took over. It was a mix of excitement and relief that my dream had come true, as well as apprehension and anxiousness “explained Dravid.

Dravid is regarded as one of the best batsmen in cricket history and scored 24,177 runs in international play. He goes by the nicknames Mr. Dependable and The Wall in everyday speech.

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