India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid is confident that it won&#39;t just be &quot;one memory&quot; that would define this talented bunch of cricketers as a bigger and more challenging journey awaits them.

&quot;It&#39;s a memory they&#39;ll cherish for a long time and hopefully it&#39;s not a memory that defines them and they will have a lot more bigger and better memories as they go on ahead in their careers,&quot; coach Dravid said after India&#39;s fourth ICC U-19 World Cup title.

Dravid spoke about the effort that the entire batch put on for the last 14 month, which bore fruit.

&quot;I am really proud of the boys, proud of the effort that they have put in and proud of the support staff as well. I think the effort we have put in over the last 14 months have been sensational. They really deserved this, couldn&#39;t be really happier and proud for this bunch of boys,&quot; the legendary batsman said.

He was always aware that the since this was an U-19 team, the spotlight will always be on him but as usual he was magnanimous in praising the entire support staff comprising of fielding coach Abhay Sharma, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey to name a few.

&quot;Coaching this team, I tend to get a lot of attention, but it is really about the quality of support staff that we have had, there have been seven or eight of us, who have been together for the last 14 months. The effort they put in was incredible,&quot; he said.

&quot;I am proud to be a part of their (support staff) team and see it as that. We try and do what&#39;s best for the kids and hopefully they can put in the performances on the field and they have certainly done that in this tournament.&quot;

On cloud nine after lifting the trophy, India skipper Prithvi Shaw also credited the team, support staff and singled out Dravid for special mention.

&quot;Can&#39;t express what I&#39;m feeling right now, really proud. All credit to our support staff for really supporting us for the last two years. Rahul sir himself is a legend, &#39;The Wall&#39; as we all know him.

&quot;Full credit to our coaching staff. When you have two guys (Dravid and Paras Mhambrey), who have played international cricket, it gives you great insights,&quot; Shaw said about their coach. 
He was all praise for centurion Manjot Kalra.

&quot;It was a crucial hundred from Manjot. (Shubman) Gill was batting so well before he got out. Both our pacers -- Kamlesh (Nagarkoti) and Shivam Mavi, have been executing things so well through the tournament. It&#39;s been wonderful playing matches here.&quot;

Despite losing the final, Australian skipper Jason Sangha said he was proud of his team for the way they performed throughout the tournament.

&quot;Don&#39;t know what to say at the moment. Proud of the guys to get this far in the tournament. Best thing about today was guys tried to grind it. As a captain, you can&#39;t complain when everyone&#39;s giving 110 per cent,&quot; Sangha said. 
Sangha, however, admitted that they were completely outplayed by India in the final.

&quot;Full credit to India. They played very well. Best of luck for the guys for the IPL. Good for their supporters who came out today.&quot;

Shubman Gill, who was adjudged the Man of the Tournament for his 372 runs, said: &quot;I am really proud of my team. We were fortunate enough to have Rahul sir as our coach. He was just telling me to express my game and keep it on the ground.

&quot;Had a good time here. It&#39;s been very exciting for me. Hope to do well in IPL also.&quot;

Kalra was awarded the Man of the Match after he blasted an unbeaten 101 off 102 balls to steer India to a eight-wicket win.

He said: &quot;Great feeling. Enjoyed a lot. Conditions were very good. It was a flat wicket to bat on. In the team, it&#39;s been a great environment.&quot;

Left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma, who took six wickets in the series, said: &quot;Obviously, we have dreamt of this from last year. We had few plans and we stuck to it. It&#39;s always grateful to be part of this team. I can&#39;t explain the feeling. We&#39;ll celebrate this night - best night of our lives.&quot;

His teammate Riyan Parag described it as an amazing feeling to come up trumps in a tough match.

&quot;It&#39;s just amazing. I was thinking I wouldn&#39;t bat and I proved myself right. Just wanted Manjot to get to his century. I thought it&#39;d be a tough match. It was tough, but we made it look easy. It (pitch) was good for batsmen as well as the bowlers,&quot; he said.

India seamer Ishan Porel praised the bowlers for putting up a great effort in the tournament.

&quot;I&#39;m feeling on top of the world. Credit goes to support staff and team. A competitive effort. Got lots of messages from India. I can only say that our bowlers have been fantastic all through the tournament. It&#39;s a team effort,&quot; he said.

India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid is confident that it won't just be 'one memory' that would define this talented bunch of cricketers as a bigger and more challenging journey awaits them

India U-19 coach Rahul Dravid is confident that it won't just be "one memory" that would define this talented bunch of cricketers as a bigger and more challenging journey awaits them. "It's a memory they'll cherish for a long time and hopefully it's not a memory that defines them and they will have a lot more bigger and better memories as they go on ahead in their careers," coach Dravid said after India's fourth ICC U-19 World Cup title. Dravid spoke about the effort that the entire batch put on for the last 14 month, which bore fruit. "I am really proud of the boys, proud of the effort that they have put in and proud of the support staff as well. I think the effort we have put in over the last 14 months have been sensational. They really deserved this, couldn't be really happier and proud for this bunch of boys," the legendary batsman said. He was always aware that the since this was an U-19 team, the spotlight will always be on him but as usual he was magnanimous in praising the entire support staff comprising of fielding coach Abhay Sharma, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey to name a few. "Coaching this team, I tend to get a lot of attention, but it is really about the quality of support staff that we have had, there have been seven or eight of us, who have been together for the last 14 months. The effort they put in was incredible," he said. "I am proud to be a part of their (support staff) team and see it as that. We try and do what's best for the kids and hopefully they can put in the performances on the field and they have certainly done that in this tournament." On cloud nine after lifting the trophy, India skipper Prithvi Shaw also credited the team, support staff and singled out Dravid for special mention. "Can't express what I'm feeling right now, really proud. All credit to our support staff for really supporting us for the last two years. Rahul sir himself is a legend, 'The Wall' as we all know him. "Full credit to our coaching staff. When you have two guys (Dravid and Paras Mhambrey), who have played international cricket, it gives you great insights," Shaw said about their coach. He was all praise for centurion Manjot Kalra. "It was a crucial hundred from Manjot. (Shubman) Gill was batting so well before he got out. Both our pacers -- Kamlesh (Nagarkoti) and Shivam Mavi, have been executing things so well through the tournament. It's been wonderful playing matches here." Despite losing the final, Australian skipper Jason Sangha said he was proud of his team for the way they performed throughout the tournament. "Don't know what to say at the moment. Proud of the guys to get this far in the tournament. Best thing about today was guys tried to grind it. As a captain, you can't complain when everyone's giving 110 per cent," Sangha said. Sangha, however, admitted that they were completely outplayed by India in the final. "Full credit to India. They played very well. Best of luck for the guys for the IPL. Good for their supporters who came out today." Shubman Gill, who was adjudged the Man of the Tournament for his 372 runs, said: "I am really proud of my team. We were fortunate enough to have Rahul sir as our coach. He was just telling me to express my game and keep it on the ground. "Had a good time here. It's been very exciting for me. Hope to do well in IPL also." Kalra was awarded the Man of the Match after he blasted an unbeaten 101 off 102 balls to steer India to a eight-wicket win. He said: "Great feeling. Enjoyed a lot. Conditions were very good. It was a flat wicket to bat on. In the team, it's been a great environment." Left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma, who took six wickets in the series, said: "Obviously, we have dreamt of this from last year. We had few plans and we stuck to it. It's always grateful to be part of this team. I can't explain the feeling. We'll celebrate this night - best night of our lives." His teammate Riyan Parag described it as an amazing feeling to come up trumps in a tough match. "It's just amazing. I was thinking I wouldn't bat and I proved myself right. Just wanted Manjot to get to his century. I thought it'd be a tough match. It was tough, but we made it look easy. It (pitch) was good for batsmen as well as the bowlers," he said. India seamer Ishan Porel praised the bowlers for putting up a great effort in the tournament. "I'm feeling on top of the world. Credit goes to support staff and team. A competitive effort. Got lots of messages from India. I can only say that our bowlers have been fantastic all through the tournament. It's a team effort," he said.

This won't just be a memory that defines them: Rahul Dravid on U-19 World Cup glory

Ramiz Raja has praised the role of legendary batsman Rahul Dravid in developing the young Indian players, and said Pakistan needs someone like him to unearth talent.

Lamenting the 203-run defeat at the hands of India in the semi-finals, Ramiz said he was pretty shocked at the margin of loss.

He, however, said it was not surprising, given the fact that Indian youngsters were better groomed and prepared to handle pressure situations.

&quot;I am impressed with the temperament shown by some of the Indian players. They have a fine find in Shubman Gill and others. Rahul Dravid deserves lot of credit for preparing and grooming them so effectively,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters.

&quot;They learn such a lot from him not just about cricket but about everything else. How to conduct oneself, how to develop game sense and so on,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said he was disappointed with the lack of batting talent in the Pakistan U-19 team.

&quot;The way our players fielded and batted it wasn&#39;t pleasant to watch. I think in Pakistan we need a total revamp of our youth cricket system. The Cricket Board needs to pay a lot more attention to youth cricket,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said a respected former stalwart of Pakistan cricket should be given the responsibility of developing the young players.

&quot;We need to have give someone charge for a proper time period like India has done with Rahul Dravid,&quot; he said.

Ramiz said youth cricket was not about winning but more importantly about scouting new players and than developing them for the future.

Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters.

Ramiz Raja has praised the role of legendary batsman Rahul Dravid in developing the young Indian players, and said Pakistan needs someone like him to unearth talent. Lamenting the 203-run defeat at the hands of India in the semi-finals, Ramiz said he was pretty shocked at the margin of loss. He, however, said it was not surprising, given the fact that Indian youngsters were better groomed and prepared to handle pressure situations. "I am impressed with the temperament shown by some of the Indian players. They have a fine find in Shubman Gill and others. Rahul Dravid deserves lot of credit for preparing and grooming them so effectively," he said. Ramiz said having someone like Dravid as their coach and mentor was a big boost for the Indian youngsters. "They learn such a lot from him not just about cricket but about everything else. How to conduct oneself, how to develop game sense and so on," he said. Ramiz said he was disappointed with the lack of batting talent in the Pakistan U-19 team. "The way our players fielded and batted it wasn't pleasant to watch. I think in Pakistan we need a total revamp of our youth cricket system. The Cricket Board needs to pay a lot more attention to youth cricket," he said. Ramiz said a respected former stalwart of Pakistan cricket should be given the responsibility of developing the young players. "We need to have give someone charge for a proper time period like India has done with Rahul Dravid," he said. Ramiz said youth cricket was not about winning but more importantly about scouting new players and than developing them for the future.

Pakistan need mentor like Dravid for youngsters, says Ramiz Raja

Three-time champions India completed their Group B domination with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over an ill-equipped Zimbabwe in the ICC U-19 World Cup in New Zealand&#39;s Mount Maunganui on Friday.

India, who had already sealed a quarter final spot with back-to-back wins against Australia and Papua New Guinea in Group B, produced another professional performance to end the league stage unbeaten.

Such was their run in the group stage that they recorded two 10-wicket victories besides a 100-run rout of three-time champions Australia.

Zimbabwe batsmen seemed clueless against left-arm spinners Anukul Roy (4/20) and Abhishek Sharma (2/22) and folded up for 154 in 48.1 overs.

They were 110 for three at one stage but lost their last seven wickets for 44 runs.

The Rahul Dravid-coached Indian side chased down the small target with ridiculous ease as Harvik Desai (56 not out off 73) and Shubman Gill (90 not out off 59) took the team home in just 21.4 overs.

Captain Prithvi Shaw did not open, letting the other batsmen spend more time in the middle before the quarterfinals.

Desai, who was one of the two changes in the team alongside Riyag Parag, made the opportunity count with a solid century.

Gill, who has a first-class hundred to his name representing Punjab, was in devastating form smashing 14 fours and a six en route his second successive half century.

Gill fittingly hit the winning boundary, a straight drive for four.

Zimbabwe batsmen seemed clueless against left-arm spinners Anukul Roy.

Three-time champions India completed their Group B domination with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over an ill-equipped Zimbabwe in the ICC U-19 World Cup in New Zealand's Mount Maunganui on Friday. India, who had already sealed a quarter final spot with back-to-back wins against Australia and Papua New Guinea in Group B, produced another professional performance to end the league stage unbeaten. Such was their run in the group stage that they recorded two 10-wicket victories besides a 100-run rout of three-time champions Australia. Zimbabwe batsmen seemed clueless against left-arm spinners Anukul Roy (4/20) and Abhishek Sharma (2/22) and folded up for 154 in 48.1 overs. They were 110 for three at one stage but lost their last seven wickets for 44 runs. The Rahul Dravid-coached Indian side chased down the small target with ridiculous ease as Harvik Desai (56 not out off 73) and Shubman Gill (90 not out off 59) took the team home in just 21.4 overs. Captain Prithvi Shaw did not open, letting the other batsmen spend more time in the middle before the quarterfinals. Desai, who was one of the two changes in the team alongside Riyag Parag, made the opportunity count with a solid century. Gill, who has a first-class hundred to his name representing Punjab, was in devastating form smashing 14 fours and a six en route his second successive half century. Gill fittingly hit the winning boundary, a straight drive for four.

Under-19 World Cup: India beat Zimbabwe to top Group B

Team India defeated Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets in the ICC Under-19 World Cup.&nbsp;

It was an easy win for Team India&nbsp;in a low scoring encounter as&nbsp;Indian bowlers destroyed Papua&#39;s batting order restricting&nbsp;them at a paltry&nbsp;67 all out.

Indian pacer Ankul Roy claimed his career-best figures as he took 5 wickets in 6.5 overs.&nbsp;For his spectacular spell, he was awarded player of the match.

Earlier, India had won the toss and opted to bowl first at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

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Anukul Roy&#39;s 5/14 leads India to flatten PNG for 64 in Tauranga! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvPNG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvPNG</a> LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/eqUyIdI5T9">https://t.co/eqUyIdI5T9</a> <a href="https://t.co/PT1GaBTQr4">pic.twitter.com/PT1GaBTQr4</a>
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Shivam Mavi was at full throttle taking two quick wickets of Igo Mahuru and Heagi Toua. Recently, former cricket legend of India, Sourav Ganguly, praised him for his splendid performance against Australia.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Arshdeep Singh claimed&nbsp;one wicket each and contributed to India&#39;s victory.&nbsp;

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Just how good is Prithvi Shaw!? He hit 57 out of India&#39;s 67 runs against PNG today - watch the highlights of his innings at the link below! 
 
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For India, openers&nbsp;Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Karla took charge and&nbsp;achieved&nbsp;the target easily in just 8 overs.

India had earlier beaten Australia by&nbsp;100 runs in the first match of the U-19 World Cup.

Indian pacer Ankul Roy awarded player of the match for taking 5 wickets in 6.5 overs

Team India defeated Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets in the ICC Under-19 World Cup. It was an easy win for Team India in a low scoring encounter as Indian bowlers destroyed Papua's batting order restricting them at a paltry 67 all out. Indian pacer Ankul Roy claimed his career-best figures as he took 5 wickets in 6.5 overs. For his spectacular spell, he was awarded player of the match. Earlier, India had won the toss and opted to bowl first at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. Anukul Roy's 5/14 leads India to flatten PNG for 64 in Tauranga! #U19CWC #INDvPNG LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/eqUyIdI5T9 pic.twitter.com/PT1GaBTQr4 — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) January 16, 2018 × Shivam Mavi was at full throttle taking two quick wickets of Igo Mahuru and Heagi Toua. Recently, former cricket legend of India, Sourav Ganguly, praised him for his splendid performance against Australia. Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Arshdeep Singh claimed one wicket each and contributed to India's victory. Just how good is Prithvi Shaw!? He hit 57 out of India's 67 runs against PNG today - watch the highlights of his innings at the link below! ▶️ https://t.co/XeNshywrcu pic.twitter.com/n4reYmYgM1 — ICC (@ICC) January 16, 2018 × For India, openers Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Karla took charge and achieved the target easily in just 8 overs. India had earlier beaten Australia by 100 runs in the first match of the U-19 World Cup.

U-19 World Cup: India beats Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets, Ankul Roy shines

India are off to a winning start in the ICC U19 World Cup 2018 after the team defeated Australia by 100 runs in the opening match at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand.

The Men in Blue had posted a mammoth total of 328 runs against Australia, after skipper-opener Prithvi Shaw played a brilliant 94-run knock along with 180 runs partnership with fellow opener Manoj Kalra.

Prithvi Shaw is also named the Player of the Match for his stellar performance.

Shaw faced 100 balls and hit eight boundaries, including two sixes in his innings, falling just six runs short of a century after being caught behind off Will Sutherland.

In-form Manoj also troubled the Australian pacers with his 86-run knock before falling off Param Uppal&#39;s bowling.

Even the Indian bowlers tormented Australian batting to the sword with pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi claiming three wickets each and ending their innings at 228 after 42.5 overs.&nbsp;

Opener Jack Edwards is the only player in Australian squad to score highest runs, 73 off 90 balls, with the rest of the batting line collapsing early without causing any much harm to India.

Edwards even bowled for his team and claimed four wickets for 65 runs. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
India, who opened their 2018 U-19 WC campaign against Australia, are three-time champions, with their the last triumph coming in 2014.&nbsp;

Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, the team displayed that there is no dearth of talent in the squad.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Prithvi Shaw is named the Player of the Match for his stellar 94-run knock

India are off to a winning start in the ICC U19 World Cup 2018 after the team defeated Australia by 100 runs in the opening match at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. The Men in Blue had posted a mammoth total of 328 runs against Australia, after skipper-opener Prithvi Shaw played a brilliant 94-run knock along with 180 runs partnership with fellow opener Manoj Kalra. Prithvi Shaw is also named the Player of the Match for his stellar performance. Shaw faced 100 balls and hit eight boundaries, including two sixes in his innings, falling just six runs short of a century after being caught behind off Will Sutherland. In-form Manoj also troubled the Australian pacers with his 86-run knock before falling off Param Uppal's bowling. Even the Indian bowlers tormented Australian batting to the sword with pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi claiming three wickets each and ending their innings at 228 after 42.5 overs. Opener Jack Edwards is the only player in Australian squad to score highest runs, 73 off 90 balls, with the rest of the batting line collapsing early without causing any much harm to India. Edwards even bowled for his team and claimed four wickets for 65 runs. India, who opened their 2018 U-19 WC campaign against Australia, are three-time champions, with their the last triumph coming in 2014. Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, the team displayed that there is no dearth of talent in the squad.

U-19 World Cup: India's 'young guns' end Australian innings at 228,  win by 100 runs

Skipper Prithvi Shaw led from the front with a 94-run knock and shared a 180-run stand with fellow opener Manjot Kalra (86) to power India to a challenging 328 for seven against Australia in their ICC Under-19 World Cup match, here today.

The splendid top-order batting vindicated Shaw&#39;s decision to bat in their tournament-opener.

There was no respite for the Australian bowlers even after the departure of Shaw and Kalra with Shubhman Gill tormenting the bowlers with his 63-run knock.

It was not that Shaw and Klara plundered boundaries, instead, they raised their knocks with some stupendous risk- free batting.

Shaw, though, missed out on a century by six runs as he was caught behind off Will Sutherland, son of former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland.

The Indian captain faced 100 balls and scored eight boundaries, including two sixes in his knock.

His opening partner also missed out on a ton, falling for 86 which came off 99 balls with 12 shots to the fence and on over the ropes.

There were no steady partnerships after their departure even as Gill kept one end solid with his 54-ball knock which had six fours and a six.

The middle order batsmen lost their wickets, trying to accelerate the run-rate as Himanshu Rana (14) and Anukul Roy (6) fell cheaply.

Abhishek Sharma though managed to come up with an 8-ball 23-run cameo which propelled India past the 300-run mark. He hit two sixes and as many fours.

As Indian batsmen looked for some quick runs, Australian medium fast bowler Jack Edwards ended up taking four wickets. It was Edwards, who dismissed Rana and then later added wickets of Abhishek and Shiva Singh (10) to his tally.&nbsp;

The splendid top-order batting vindicated Shaw's decision to bat in their tournament-opener

Skipper Prithvi Shaw led from the front with a 94-run knock and shared a 180-run stand with fellow opener Manjot Kalra (86) to power India to a challenging 328 for seven against Australia in their ICC Under-19 World Cup match, here today. The splendid top-order batting vindicated Shaw's decision to bat in their tournament-opener. There was no respite for the Australian bowlers even after the departure of Shaw and Kalra with Shubhman Gill tormenting the bowlers with his 63-run knock. It was not that Shaw and Klara plundered boundaries, instead, they raised their knocks with some stupendous risk- free batting. Shaw, though, missed out on a century by six runs as he was caught behind off Will Sutherland, son of former Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland. The Indian captain faced 100 balls and scored eight boundaries, including two sixes in his knock. His opening partner also missed out on a ton, falling for 86 which came off 99 balls with 12 shots to the fence and on over the ropes. There were no steady partnerships after their departure even as Gill kept one end solid with his 54-ball knock which had six fours and a six. The middle order batsmen lost their wickets, trying to accelerate the run-rate as Himanshu Rana (14) and Anukul Roy (6) fell cheaply. Abhishek Sharma though managed to come up with an 8-ball 23-run cameo which propelled India past the 300-run mark. He hit two sixes and as many fours. As Indian batsmen looked for some quick runs, Australian medium fast bowler Jack Edwards ended up taking four wickets. It was Edwards, who dismissed Rana and then later added wickets of Abhishek and Shiva Singh (10) to his tally.

U-19 World Cup: Prithvi Shaw hits 94 as top-order fires India to 328/7 against Aussies

By&nbsp;Rishibha Kumari

How far can a cricket fan go to immortalise his&nbsp;idol? A Chennai-based sports startup Sportwalk has created a comic book titled- &#39;The Wall&#39;, which highlights the 15 best cricketing moments from Rahul Dravid&#39;s career.

Today, the former cricketer and captain of the Indian team is the head coach of the Under-19 Indian cricket&nbsp;team.

In an exclusive chat with WION, the creators of the comic book revealed that they were inspired by Dravid&#39;s&nbsp;humility and the way he won hearts by his performance on and off the field.

&quot;It was a humble tribute that we wanted to pay to the great man that is Rahul Dravid. He is a cricketing idol for all of us. Like if you like sports, you have to love Rahul Dravid. He is an embodiment of the perfect gentleman and he is a great role model for every youngster,&quot; said Abhranil Roy who heads the digital media team at Sportwalk.

For them, the inspiration to make a comic book on Dravid came by meeting the Rahul Dravid fan clubs based in South India. The cricketer&#39;s&nbsp;journey excited them and they were overwhelmed by the response they received upon the conception of this idea. They chose Dravid&#39;s birth date January 11&nbsp;to launch the comic book.&nbsp;

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The Wall (Others)
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&quot;The response has been really good so far. We were specific on launching this comic book on his birthday that is January 11. When we posted the cover picture of this comic book earlier, people were positive about the entire idea and this was encouraging,&quot; said co-founder Divakar KS.

The writer of the comic book. Himanshu is amused at how the comic book has turned out and he is&nbsp;enthusiastic about what lies ahead. He also revealed that there were many cricketing moments and they did their research well to prioritise the best 15 cricketing moments.

He said, &quot;This is the first time I&#39;ve attempted this. It is an uncharted territory for me, it was a challenge but as we&#39;re talking about somebody as big as Rahul Dravid. It helped that we had certain guidelines as we had to capture 15 moments from his career. The initial challenge was to identify those moments, things that his fans could relate to. I hope the comic book takes Rahul Dravid fans to a trip down the memory lane.&quot;

The chief cartoonist revels in the way the comic book appears visually as he calls it his masterpiece. He recalls his journey as a cartoonist and he hopes for the best outcome for this project.&nbsp;&quot;I started practising during my college days and eventually developed my own style. Then Divakar approached me with the idea of telling sports stories using comics. Since I found this idea unique, I started doing it.&quot; said Adheedhan R, the chief cartoonist.

The company Sportwalk&nbsp;that also organises sports-related events and sells merchandises online&nbsp;is&nbsp;also the first sports&nbsp;startup to associate with Comic Con India. They&nbsp;are&nbsp;currently working on more comic book&nbsp;projects, sports&nbsp;events and merchandises.&nbsp;

The merchandise and comic books are available on their online store -&nbsp;www.sportwalk.co.

The comic book on Dravid titled - 'The Wall' is already creating a buzz on social media and is invoking nostalgia among millennials who've watched him play on TV

By Rishibha Kumari How far can a cricket fan go to immortalise his idol? A Chennai-based sports startup Sportwalk has created a comic book titled- 'The Wall', which highlights the 15 best cricketing moments from Rahul Dravid's career. Today, the former cricketer and captain of the Indian team is the head coach of the Under-19 Indian cricket team. In an exclusive chat with WION, the creators of the comic book revealed that they were inspired by Dravid's humility and the way he won hearts by his performance on and off the field. "It was a humble tribute that we wanted to pay to the great man that is Rahul Dravid. He is a cricketing idol for all of us. Like if you like sports, you have to love Rahul Dravid. He is an embodiment of the perfect gentleman and he is a great role model for every youngster," said Abhranil Roy who heads the digital media team at Sportwalk. For them, the inspiration to make a comic book on Dravid came by meeting the Rahul Dravid fan clubs based in South India. The cricketer's journey excited them and they were overwhelmed by the response they received upon the conception of this idea. They chose Dravid's birth date January 11 to launch the comic book. The Wall (Others) × "The response has been really good so far. We were specific on launching this comic book on his birthday that is January 11. When we posted the cover picture of this comic book earlier, people were positive about the entire idea and this was encouraging," said co-founder Divakar KS. The writer of the comic book. Himanshu is amused at how the comic book has turned out and he is enthusiastic about what lies ahead. He also revealed that there were many cricketing moments and they did their research well to prioritise the best 15 cricketing moments. He said, "This is the first time I've attempted this. It is an uncharted territory for me, it was a challenge but as we're talking about somebody as big as Rahul Dravid. It helped that we had certain guidelines as we had to capture 15 moments from his career. The initial challenge was to identify those moments, things that his fans could relate to. I hope the comic book takes Rahul Dravid fans to a trip down the memory lane." The chief cartoonist revels in the way the comic book appears visually as he calls it his masterpiece. He recalls his journey as a cartoonist and he hopes for the best outcome for this project. "I started practising during my college days and eventually developed my own style. Then Divakar approached me with the idea of telling sports stories using comics. Since I found this idea unique, I started doing it." said Adheedhan R, the chief cartoonist. The company Sportwalk that also organises sports-related events and sells merchandises online is also the first sports startup to associate with Comic Con India. They are currently working on more comic book projects, sports events and merchandises. The merchandise and comic books are available on their online store - www.sportwalk.co.

Rahul Dravid, former cricketing legend, turns comic book superhero

Optimism mingled with an eagerness to know what lies ahead as India&#39;s potential future stars geared up to lock horns with Australia in their big- ticket campaign opener of the ICC U-19 World Cup here tomorrow.

Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, there is no dearth of talent in the sqaud, and the former India captain&#39;s sprightly boys would have got acclimatised to the conditions by now having arrived many days prior to the start of the tournament.

India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014.

While Dravid, who has been at the helm of U-19 and India A squad for some time, may not like to focus on individuals, it is very difficult to not see the likes of skipper Prithvi Shaw as the a vital cog in the team&#39;s batting wheel.

Alongside Shaw, who has created ripples with his exploits in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, there is Himanshu Rana, who has also amased plenty of runs in Youth ODIs.

Punjab&#39;s Shubhman Gill at number three is one of the most exciting young batsmen going around, and with a few impressive first-class games this Ranji Trophy season, he will have gained in confidence.

The top-order&#39;s performance is likely to be crucial to India&#39;s chances in the tournament. The middle-order is likely to be manned by Anukul Roy and Abhishek Sharma, and they would certainly want to make heir presence felt.

Another exciting name doing the rounds is Bengal pacer Ishan Porel. With Mohammed Shami rarely turning up for his state team owing to national commitments, Porel has caught the eye in the limited opportunities that came his way.

Porel is set to spearhead the pace attack and he could be complemented by Shivam Mavi, who will be aided by the seaming conditions in this part of the world.

Mavi attracted the attention of the selectors after his performance in the zonal level &#39;Challengers&#39; tournament where he bagged nine wickets in four matches.

His right-arm fast-medium bowling helped India whitewash England in England last year.

Shaw said he is happy with the team&#39;s preparations.

&quot;We&#39;ve been here a week now, played a couple of games. Everything has gone well, the preparation of the team has been good. Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup but at the same time we are looking forward to our first game,&quot; he said.

Asked if there are any Indian players in particular he thinks could have a lot of success at this tournament, Dravid said, We don&#39;t like to focus too much on the individuals. We believe we&#39;ve got a very good squad together and the opportunities for us to play well as a team are there.

&quot;We&#39;ve been playing some very good cricket of late, so rather than focusing on individuals and naming a few people, at this age we really believe that every one of these kids is talented.

&quot;...They&#39;ve got the ability to go on and do well in this tournament, and not only in this tournament but also to go on and play professional cricket and do well there.&quot;

In the last edition of the tournament in 2016, India finished runner-up after losing to the West Indies in the final.

Like his counterpart from India, Australia captain Jason Sangha has also made a mark in the domestic scene and adding to the tournament flavor will be the son of Steve Waugh, Austin. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland&#39;s son Will is also in the national squad.

 
Teams (from)

India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh.

Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.

India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014.

Optimism mingled with an eagerness to know what lies ahead as India's potential future stars geared up to lock horns with Australia in their big- ticket campaign opener of the ICC U-19 World Cup here tomorrow. Coached by the distinguished Rahul Dravid, there is no dearth of talent in the sqaud, and the former India captain's sprightly boys would have got acclimatised to the conditions by now having arrived many days prior to the start of the tournament. India are three-time champions, the last triumph coming in 2014. While Dravid, who has been at the helm of U-19 and India A squad for some time, may not like to focus on individuals, it is very difficult to not see the likes of skipper Prithvi Shaw as the a vital cog in the team's batting wheel. Alongside Shaw, who has created ripples with his exploits in the domestic circuit for Mumbai, there is Himanshu Rana, who has also amased plenty of runs in Youth ODIs. Punjab's Shubhman Gill at number three is one of the most exciting young batsmen going around, and with a few impressive first-class games this Ranji Trophy season, he will have gained in confidence. The top-order's performance is likely to be crucial to India's chances in the tournament. The middle-order is likely to be manned by Anukul Roy and Abhishek Sharma, and they would certainly want to make heir presence felt. Another exciting name doing the rounds is Bengal pacer Ishan Porel. With Mohammed Shami rarely turning up for his state team owing to national commitments, Porel has caught the eye in the limited opportunities that came his way. Porel is set to spearhead the pace attack and he could be complemented by Shivam Mavi, who will be aided by the seaming conditions in this part of the world. Mavi attracted the attention of the selectors after his performance in the zonal level 'Challengers' tournament where he bagged nine wickets in four matches. His right-arm fast-medium bowling helped India whitewash England in England last year. Shaw said he is happy with the team's preparations. "We've been here a week now, played a couple of games. Everything has gone well, the preparation of the team has been good. Our goal is obviously to win the World Cup but at the same time we are looking forward to our first game," he said. Asked if there are any Indian players in particular he thinks could have a lot of success at this tournament, Dravid said, We don't like to focus too much on the individuals. We believe we've got a very good squad together and the opportunities for us to play well as a team are there. "We've been playing some very good cricket of late, so rather than focusing on individuals and naming a few people, at this age we really believe that every one of these kids is talented. "...They've got the ability to go on and do well in this tournament, and not only in this tournament but also to go on and play professional cricket and do well there." In the last edition of the tournament in 2016, India finished runner-up after losing to the West Indies in the final. Like his counterpart from India, Australia captain Jason Sangha has also made a mark in the domestic scene and adding to the tournament flavor will be the son of Steve Waugh, Austin. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad. Teams (from) India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh. Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.

Rahul Dravid's India team faces Australia in U-19 World Cup opener

It&#39;s considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow.

From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition.

The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition.

The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies.

India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

The tournament&#39;s stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day.

&quot;We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn&#39;t hold the tournament for 10 years, so I&#39;ve no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it&#39;s a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament,&quot; Dravid had said in the lead up to the event.

Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies.

This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level.

The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home.

Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut.

 
The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14).

He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86).

The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago.

Adding to the tournament flavour will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini, Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland&#39;s son Will is also in the national squad.

With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh.

The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live.

Squads

India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh.

Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat.

Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy.

Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera.

Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan.

Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.

New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson.

Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad.

England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker.

Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent.

Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were.

Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua.

Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk.

South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith.

West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young.

Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba.

It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow

It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow. From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition. The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition. The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies. India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The tournament's stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day. "We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn't hold the tournament for 10 years, so I've no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it's a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament," Dravid had said in the lead up to the event. Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies. This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level. The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home. Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut. The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14). He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86). The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago. Adding to the tournament flavour will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini, Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad. With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh. The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live. Squads India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh. Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat. Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy. Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera. Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan. Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh. New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson. Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad. England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker. Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent. Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were. Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua. Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk. South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith. West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young. Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba.

U-19 World Cup: An opportunity like never before

Rahul Dravid. The Wall. The Legend. Fierce grit, passion, focus, stamina and humility &ndash; these words would, perhaps, amply describe the cricketer that Dravid was.&nbsp;

In a career spanning 16 years, Dravid, renowned for his technical proficiency, amassed 13288 Test runs and 10889 ODI runs, along with 48 international hundreds. In his prime, Dravid led India to its greatest heights in that golden phase of Indian cricket in the early 2000s.&nbsp;

Today, the 11th of January, marks Rahul Dravid&rsquo;s 45th birthday. On this special day, let&rsquo;s have a look at why this legendary Indian cricketer was truly one of India&rsquo;s greatest.&nbsp;

His resolve was exceptional

Very few cricketers in the history of the game have had the kind of resolve that Rahul Dravid had exhibited during his career. We got the first glimpse of that in his maiden Test hundred (148) against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1997. You could put him against any opposition, in any circumstance and on any pitch, and Rahul Dravid almost always would remain resilient until the very end and never gave his wicket away cheaply; there was always a price tag on it.

He was the most adaptable Indian batsman of his time

One of the best ways to judge an international cricketer is to note his adaptability in different conditions. Rahul Dravid scored highly in this regard. He adapted astoundingly well to conditions when the team toured overseas. Dravid&rsquo;s ability to acclimatize to any pitch even whilst playing on alien conditions is the reason that his overseas average stands at an outstanding 53. This was one of the chief reasons why India began winning outside of the&nbsp;home turf during that phase.

His majestic knock of 233 against Australia is one of Indian cricket&rsquo;s most notable achievements&nbsp;

At a time when Indian cricket used to constantly struggle overseas, Rahul Dravid produced one of the finest and most consequential knocks of Indian cricket. His 233 against Australia at Adelaide in 2003 not just helped India overhaul the home team&rsquo;s massive first innings score, but eventually helped them attain an elusive win in the country after long hiatus of 22 years. It was an innings of penance, grit and resolve. He spent a massive 594 minutes at the crease and ensured that India had the upper hand. While VVS Laxman&rsquo;s 281 is much talked about, Dravid&rsquo;s 233 isn&rsquo;t given as much credit as it should. But there is no denying that it is one of Indian cricket&rsquo;s most notable achievements.&nbsp;

He was willing to serve any role for the team&nbsp;

At many phases of his career, Rahul Dravid was made to bat in different positions in the team to suit the comfort of other players. He also donned the wicket-keeping gloves &ndash; most notably in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa &ndash; to allow the captain the comfort of using an extra bowler or a batsman. Dravid always put the team&rsquo;s interests much above his and was willing to serve any role the team desired of him. He was Indian cricket&rsquo;s brave heart in the truest sense of the word.

He was India&rsquo;s Mr. Dependable&nbsp;

If there was one epithet that suited Rahul Dravid even more than &lsquo;The Wall&rsquo; it was &lsquo;Mr. Dependable&rsquo;. He was India&rsquo;s Mr. Dependable right from the beginning of his career until the very end. He shouldered the responsibility of seeing through trying phases and on countless occasions helped them come out of absolute dire straits. He never shied away from responsibility and, in fact, thrived in it. The team was dependent on him to bail them through and on most occasions, Rahul Dravid did not fail them.

He is an inspiration and a perfect role model

While today&rsquo;s young sportspersons tend to be ultra-aggressive and in your face, they would do well to find inspiration from Rahul Dravid. If ever there was a sportsperson who could inspire generations, it is Rahul Dravid. The grace and humility with which he conducted himself throughout his career was special. He just let his bat do the talking and never indulged in unnecessary histrionics to lay forth his views. Dravid was calm under pressure and shied away from controversies and from unnecessary sledging. He has been the perfect role model of how a sportsperson should conduct oneself and go about their duties. Even today, Dravid continues to serve the game passionately by coaching India&rsquo;s future stars in the U-19 setup.&nbsp;

Some little-known facts about Rahul Dravid&nbsp;

Did you know?&nbsp; Much before he was bitten by the cricket bug, Rahul Dravid was enthralled by hockey. In fact, if his schoolmates are to be believed, he was quite proficient in the sport and was once even chosen to represent Karnataka&#39;s junior hockey state team.

Did you know?&nbsp; A local school tournament is named after Rahul Dravid&rsquo;s famous nickname, &ldquo;Jammy&rdquo;. In Bangalore, the &#39;Jammy Cup&#39; is held annually. Interestingly, the Man-of-the-Match after every game of this tournament is named as the &lsquo;Jammy of the Day&rsquo;

Did you know?&nbsp; Rahul Dravid also has an international Test wicket to his name. Bowling his simple off-breaks in the fourth Test against the West Indies in 2002 at Antigua, he got the vital scalp of wicket-keeper batsman Ridley Jacobs, caught at first slip by VVS Laxman. That remained Dravid&rsquo;s solitary Test wicket.

Rahul Dravid&rsquo;s phenomenal career numbers, along with his honesty and unflinching devotion to the game, has been a true inspiration not just to cricket fans, but to sportspersons all across the globe. They will serve as a guiding light for the coming generations for years.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Rahul Dravid’s phenomenal career numbers, along with his honesty and unflinching devotion to the game, has been a true inspiration not just to cricket fans, but to sportspersons all across the globe.

Rahul Dravid. The Wall. The Legend. Fierce grit, passion, focus, stamina and humility – these words would, perhaps, amply describe the cricketer that Dravid was. In a career spanning 16 years, Dravid, renowned for his technical proficiency, amassed 13288 Test runs and 10889 ODI runs, along with 48 international hundreds. In his prime, Dravid led India to its greatest heights in that golden phase of Indian cricket in the early 2000s. Today, the 11th of January, marks Rahul Dravid’s 45th birthday. On this special day, let’s have a look at why this legendary Indian cricketer was truly one of India’s greatest. His resolve was exceptional Very few cricketers in the history of the game have had the kind of resolve that Rahul Dravid had exhibited during his career. We got the first glimpse of that in his maiden Test hundred (148) against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1997. You could put him against any opposition, in any circumstance and on any pitch, and Rahul Dravid almost always would remain resilient until the very end and never gave his wicket away cheaply; there was always a price tag on it. He was the most adaptable Indian batsman of his time One of the best ways to judge an international cricketer is to note his adaptability in different conditions. Rahul Dravid scored highly in this regard. He adapted astoundingly well to conditions when the team toured overseas. Dravid’s ability to acclimatize to any pitch even whilst playing on alien conditions is the reason that his overseas average stands at an outstanding 53. This was one of the chief reasons why India began winning outside of the home turf during that phase. His majestic knock of 233 against Australia is one of Indian cricket’s most notable achievements At a time when Indian cricket used to constantly struggle overseas, Rahul Dravid produced one of the finest and most consequential knocks of Indian cricket. His 233 against Australia at Adelaide in 2003 not just helped India overhaul the home team’s massive first innings score, but eventually helped them attain an elusive win in the country after long hiatus of 22 years. It was an innings of penance, grit and resolve. He spent a massive 594 minutes at the crease and ensured that India had the upper hand. While VVS Laxman’s 281 is much talked about, Dravid’s 233 isn’t given as much credit as it should. But there is no denying that it is one of Indian cricket’s most notable achievements. He was willing to serve any role for the team At many phases of his career, Rahul Dravid was made to bat in different positions in the team to suit the comfort of other players. He also donned the wicket-keeping gloves – most notably in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa – to allow the captain the comfort of using an extra bowler or a batsman. Dravid always put the team’s interests much above his and was willing to serve any role the team desired of him. He was Indian cricket’s brave heart in the truest sense of the word. He was India’s Mr. Dependable If there was one epithet that suited Rahul Dravid even more than ‘The Wall’ it was ‘Mr. Dependable’. He was India’s Mr. Dependable right from the beginning of his career until the very end. He shouldered the responsibility of seeing through trying phases and on countless occasions helped them come out of absolute dire straits. He never shied away from responsibility and, in fact, thrived in it. The team was dependent on him to bail them through and on most occasions, Rahul Dravid did not fail them. He is an inspiration and a perfect role model While today’s young sportspersons tend to be ultra-aggressive and in your face, they would do well to find inspiration from Rahul Dravid. If ever there was a sportsperson who could inspire generations, it is Rahul Dravid. The grace and humility with which he conducted himself throughout his career was special. He just let his bat do the talking and never indulged in unnecessary histrionics to lay forth his views. Dravid was calm under pressure and shied away from controversies and from unnecessary sledging. He has been the perfect role model of how a sportsperson should conduct oneself and go about their duties. Even today, Dravid continues to serve the game passionately by coaching India’s future stars in the U-19 setup. Some little-known facts about Rahul Dravid Did you know? Much before he was bitten by the cricket bug, Rahul Dravid was enthralled by hockey. In fact, if his schoolmates are to be believed, he was quite proficient in the sport and was once even chosen to represent Karnataka's junior hockey state team. Did you know? A local school tournament is named after Rahul Dravid’s famous nickname, “Jammy”. In Bangalore, the 'Jammy Cup' is held annually. Interestingly, the Man-of-the-Match after every game of this tournament is named as the ‘Jammy of the Day’ Did you know? Rahul Dravid also has an international Test wicket to his name. Bowling his simple off-breaks in the fourth Test against the West Indies in 2002 at Antigua, he got the vital scalp of wicket-keeper batsman Ridley Jacobs, caught at first slip by VVS Laxman. That remained Dravid’s solitary Test wicket. Rahul Dravid’s phenomenal career numbers, along with his honesty and unflinching devotion to the game, has been a true inspiration not just to cricket fans, but to sportspersons all across the globe. They will serve as a guiding light for the coming generations for years. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Happy Birthday, Rahul Dravid! You are India's greatest batsman.

It was quarter-final match between India and Pakistan at Bangalore during 1996 World Cup. The atmosphere was charged up and spectators were on the ground with all sorts of banners to cheer their side. However, one banner was conspicuous with its presence and it said: &ldquo;Where is Dravid&rdquo;.&nbsp; It manifests that how dominating Rahul Dravid was in domestic Cricket by the year 1996 and his inclusion in Indian playing eleven had become so much imminent.

&nbsp;

Twenty-two years down the line when the great wall of India Rahul Dravid turns 45, I fondly recall this incident. During this time period, Dravid had not only arrived but had become one of the brightest stars and a great ambassador of the game in the whole annals of Indian Cricket.

&nbsp;

Statistics has its own tales to narrate about Rahul Dravid &ndash; that Rahul Dravid scored more than thirteen thousand Test runs &ndash; that he is highest run getter in Test Cricket for India after Sachin Tendulkar &ndash; that Dravid holds the world record of maximum nos. of catches in Test matches &ndash; that he scored with an average of fifty plus and has scored thirty-six Test Centuries &ndash; that Dravid scored Test century in each Test playing nation &ndash; that Dravid scored two Test centuries in a single Test on two different occasions &ndash; that Dravid scored four Test centuries in four consecutive innings in 2002, and many many others.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The list is long but sorry to say all these statistics are insignificant. Rahul Dravid is the bloke, whose worth and greatness cannot be gauged by these number; its way beyond.

&nbsp;

Indian Cricket can broadly be divided into two time zones, before the year 2000 and post 2000. The huge turn around in Indian Cricket started in 2000 when Sourav Ganguly took over the rein. During 2000-2005, Indian Cricket evolved to a different level altogether and one man who undisputedly and unequivocally deserves most of the credit for this process of revamping was Rahul Dravid.

&nbsp;

Dravid made his Test debut in England during the summer of 1996 (three months later his ardent followers flashed that banner at Bangalore) but the inning which showed the world what actually Dravid was, came a few months later in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a well-crafted 148 by him against blazing Allan Donald and company. He arrived with a huge thud.

&nbsp;

Coming back to the resurgence of Indian Cricket during 2000-2005; Indian side moved up the ladder, notch by notch, step by step and Dravid played his part to perfection, propelling his side, pushing his side at each step relentlessly and with mercurial consistency.

&nbsp;

Let&rsquo;s have a quick reap of that special upward journey.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It all started in a very emphatic way by India&rsquo;s epic victory against Australia in Kolkata in March 2001. He along with Laxman built that immortal partnership which gave India one of its most famous Test victories.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Next step up the ladder was India&rsquo;s tour to England in 2002; Dravid was in the form of his life. He scored more than 600 runs in four Test matches and India won the Test in England after 16 years. Dravid scored three centuries (one of them was double).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Next step up the ladder (or I can say a leap) was India&rsquo;s tour down under in 2003-04. At Adelaide, Dravid architected undisputedly the most famous and glorious Test victory for India. He played knocks of 233 and 72 not out. India won the Test from a situation of 85 for 4 in first innings in reply of 550 plus by Australia; a Test victory in Australia after more than two decades.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

That series was the farewell series of legendary Steve Waugh. After India&rsquo;s heroic at Adelaide, one meme went viral in email (it was not WhatsApp/facebook era). In this meme, dejected Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid were shown together post-match, and the caption was &ldquo;Mate, you have just spoiled my retirement&rdquo;.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Next step up in ladder was India&rsquo;s tour to Pakistan in 2004.&nbsp; At Rawalpindi, Dravid scored 270 and India won the Test by a huge margin. India created history by winning Test series in Pakistan. I remember that how that Test series defeat was deeply mourned in Pakistan. The day India won Rawalpindi Test riding on a double century of Dravid, the Cricket fraternity in Pakistan tipped it as the blackest day of Pakistan&rsquo;s Cricket.

&nbsp;

To leave you spellbound, here is one data - Dravid scored more than 20% of the total run scored by India, in all Test victories under Sourav Ganguly during 2000-2005. Truly Incredible.

&nbsp;

For those who don&rsquo;t rate his ODI credentials high, India &ndash; Sri Lanka encounter in 1999 World Cup is there to rebut. The match was played at Taunton, England.&nbsp; Dravid and Sourav Ganguly built a record partnership of 318 runs for the second wicket. Dravid scored 145.&nbsp; Though in the end, Sourav with the knock of 183 took the majority of applause but this is a fact that it was Dravid who started showing aggression during the partnership and set the tone for such mammoth partnership.

&nbsp;

Taunton is home ground for Somerset County. There was a time when legendary Viv Richards and Ian Botham used to play for Somerset and this ground witnessed some superb attacking batting by them. After this India &ndash; Sri Lanka match, next day many newspapers in England wrote that the partnership between Sourav-Dravid was reminiscent of those good old days of the supremacy of Richards-Botham at this ground. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Dravid was the man of all season. Give him the task and he would be up for the grab. He kept wickets in 2003 World Cup which allow the team to include one extra batsman in the lineup. He had to open with Sehwag in Test in Pakistan in 2006, he returned with a partnership of 410 runs for the opening wicket.

&nbsp;

Somehow, I found that Dravid was on the same template as that of great Pakistani batsman Zaheer Abbas and our very own Dileep Vengsarkar - away from galore and controversies and silently doing his job determinedly.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If going gets tough and tough gets going, the great wall of India would come to rescue. During 2007-08 India&rsquo;s tour to Australia, India was 2-0 down when they went to Perth for the last Test. It was a series which was mired in various controversies. Indians were desperate to make a statement. Dravid played a well-crafted knock of 93 and India registered yet another famous victory in Australia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He scored three centuries during the Test series in England in 2011, though Indians were subjected to whitewash with a score line of 4-0. He has one bad series down under in Australia and he called it a day in 2011-12. An era had come to an end. He timed his retirement pretty well (the way he used to time his shots).

&nbsp;

Apart from the awards and statistics, Rahul Dravid is remembered as the true gentleman of the game. One, who is admired by almost every Cricket fan across the globe.&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Happy Birthday Rahul Dravid &ndash; History of Indian Cricket in this millennium would have been different, had you been a different player than what you were.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Happy Birthday Rahul Dravid – History of Indian Cricket in this millennium would have been different, had you been a different player than what you were.

It was quarter-final match between India and Pakistan at Bangalore during 1996 World Cup. The atmosphere was charged up and spectators were on the ground with all sorts of banners to cheer their side. However, one banner was conspicuous with its presence and it said: “Where is Dravid”. It manifests that how dominating Rahul Dravid was in domestic Cricket by the year 1996 and his inclusion in Indian playing eleven had become so much imminent. Twenty-two years down the line when the great wall of India Rahul Dravid turns 45, I fondly recall this incident. During this time period, Dravid had not only arrived but had become one of the brightest stars and a great ambassador of the game in the whole annals of Indian Cricket. Statistics has its own tales to narrate about Rahul Dravid – that Rahul Dravid scored more than thirteen thousand Test runs – that he is highest run getter in Test Cricket for India after Sachin Tendulkar – that Dravid holds the world record of maximum nos. of catches in Test matches – that he scored with an average of fifty plus and has scored thirty-six Test Centuries – that Dravid scored Test century in each Test playing nation – that Dravid scored two Test centuries in a single Test on two different occasions – that Dravid scored four Test centuries in four consecutive innings in 2002, and many many others. The list is long but sorry to say all these statistics are insignificant. Rahul Dravid is the bloke, whose worth and greatness cannot be gauged by these number; its way beyond. Indian Cricket can broadly be divided into two time zones, before the year 2000 and post 2000. The huge turn around in Indian Cricket started in 2000 when Sourav Ganguly took over the rein. During 2000-2005, Indian Cricket evolved to a different level altogether and one man who undisputedly and unequivocally deserves most of the credit for this process of revamping was Rahul Dravid. Dravid made his Test debut in England during the summer of 1996 (three months later his ardent followers flashed that banner at Bangalore) but the inning which showed the world what actually Dravid was, came a few months later in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a well-crafted 148 by him against blazing Allan Donald and company. He arrived with a huge thud. Coming back to the resurgence of Indian Cricket during 2000-2005; Indian side moved up the ladder, notch by notch, step by step and Dravid played his part to perfection, propelling his side, pushing his side at each step relentlessly and with mercurial consistency. Let’s have a quick reap of that special upward journey. It all started in a very emphatic way by India’s epic victory against Australia in Kolkata in March 2001. He along with Laxman built that immortal partnership which gave India one of its most famous Test victories. Next step up the ladder was India’s tour to England in 2002; Dravid was in the form of his life. He scored more than 600 runs in four Test matches and India won the Test in England after 16 years. Dravid scored three centuries (one of them was double). Next step up the ladder (or I can say a leap) was India’s tour down under in 2003-04. At Adelaide, Dravid architected undisputedly the most famous and glorious Test victory for India. He played knocks of 233 and 72 not out. India won the Test from a situation of 85 for 4 in first innings in reply of 550 plus by Australia; a Test victory in Australia after more than two decades. That series was the farewell series of legendary Steve Waugh. After India’s heroic at Adelaide, one meme went viral in email (it was not WhatsApp/facebook era). In this meme, dejected Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid were shown together post-match, and the caption was “Mate, you have just spoiled my retirement”. Next step up in ladder was India’s tour to Pakistan in 2004. At Rawalpindi, Dravid scored 270 and India won the Test by a huge margin. India created history by winning Test series in Pakistan. I remember that how that Test series defeat was deeply mourned in Pakistan. The day India won Rawalpindi Test riding on a double century of Dravid, the Cricket fraternity in Pakistan tipped it as the blackest day of Pakistan’s Cricket. To leave you spellbound, here is one data - Dravid scored more than 20% of the total run scored by India, in all Test victories under Sourav Ganguly during 2000-2005. Truly Incredible. For those who don’t rate his ODI credentials high, India – Sri Lanka encounter in 1999 World Cup is there to rebut. The match was played at Taunton, England. Dravid and Sourav Ganguly built a record partnership of 318 runs for the second wicket. Dravid scored 145. Though in the end, Sourav with the knock of 183 took the majority of applause but this is a fact that it was Dravid who started showing aggression during the partnership and set the tone for such mammoth partnership. Taunton is home ground for Somerset County. There was a time when legendary Viv Richards and Ian Botham used to play for Somerset and this ground witnessed some superb attacking batting by them. After this India – Sri Lanka match, next day many newspapers in England wrote that the partnership between Sourav-Dravid was reminiscent of those good old days of the supremacy of Richards-Botham at this ground. Dravid was the man of all season. Give him the task and he would be up for the grab. He kept wickets in 2003 World Cup which allow the team to include one extra batsman in the lineup. He had to open with Sehwag in Test in Pakistan in 2006, he returned with a partnership of 410 runs for the opening wicket. Somehow, I found that Dravid was on the same template as that of great Pakistani batsman Zaheer Abbas and our very own Dileep Vengsarkar - away from galore and controversies and silently doing his job determinedly. If going gets tough and tough gets going, the great wall of India would come to rescue. During 2007-08 India’s tour to Australia, India was 2-0 down when they went to Perth for the last Test. It was a series which was mired in various controversies. Indians were desperate to make a statement. Dravid played a well-crafted knock of 93 and India registered yet another famous victory in Australia. He scored three centuries during the Test series in England in 2011, though Indians were subjected to whitewash with a score line of 4-0. He has one bad series down under in Australia and he called it a day in 2011-12. An era had come to an end. He timed his retirement pretty well (the way he used to time his shots). Apart from the awards and statistics, Rahul Dravid is remembered as the true gentleman of the game. One, who is admired by almost every Cricket fan across the globe. Happy Birthday Rahul Dravid – History of Indian Cricket in this millennium would have been different, had you been a different player than what you were. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: How Rahul Dravid changed Indian cricket

Samit Dravid, son of Rahul Dravid, follows in his father&#39;s footsteps, as he slammed a terrific match-winning century and guided his team Mallya Aditi International School to a huge 412-run win over Vivekananda School.

His spectacular performance shows that he is training hard for the Karnataka State Cricket Association&#39;s (KSCA) BTR Cup Under-14 tournament.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
Like father like son: Samit follows in Rahul Dravid&#39;s footsteps, scores match-winning century<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulDravid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulDravid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SamitDravid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SamitDravid</a> <a href="https://t.co/DTypYWSfug">pic.twitter.com/DTypYWSfug</a>
&mdash; Rahul Dravid FanClub (@DravidFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DravidFC/status/951092320924921857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The century came just a day before his father&#39;s birthday. Rahul Dravid is currently in New Zealand coaching and guiding Under-19 team for the World Cup.&nbsp;Rahul Dravid is the former captain of Indian cricket team and has made many records for team India.

Not only Samit, another super kid, Aryan Joshi, son of former India cricketer Sunil Joshi, scored a ton and contributed 154 runs for Mallya Aditi International School.

Samit&#39;s team gave a target of 500 runs to the Vivekananda School but the opponents failed to perform.

The young batsmen did their bit by setting a mammoth target and also the bowlers were in form.

These magnificent knocks show that future of Indian cricket is in good hands, these kids will carry the legacy of Indian cricket forward.

&nbsp;

Samit Dravid has slammed a terrific match-winning century and guided Mallya Aditi International School to a 412-run win over Vivekananda School

Samit Dravid, son of Rahul Dravid, follows in his father's footsteps, as he slammed a terrific match-winning century and guided his team Mallya Aditi International School to a huge 412-run win over Vivekananda School. His spectacular performance shows that he is training hard for the Karnataka State Cricket Association's (KSCA) BTR Cup Under-14 tournament. Like father like son: Samit follows in Rahul Dravid's footsteps, scores match-winning century#RahulDravid #SamitDravid pic.twitter.com/DTypYWSfug — Rahul Dravid FanClub (@DravidFC) January 10, 2018 × The century came just a day before his father's birthday. Rahul Dravid is currently in New Zealand coaching and guiding Under-19 team for the World Cup. Rahul Dravid is the former captain of Indian cricket team and has made many records for team India. Not only Samit, another super kid, Aryan Joshi, son of former India cricketer Sunil Joshi, scored a ton and contributed 154 runs for Mallya Aditi International School. Samit's team gave a target of 500 runs to the Vivekananda School but the opponents failed to perform. The young batsmen did their bit by setting a mammoth target and also the bowlers were in form. These magnificent knocks show that future of Indian cricket is in good hands, these kids will carry the legacy of Indian cricket forward.

Samit Dravid imitates his father Rahul Dravid

India cricket captain Virat Kohli today became the first international skipper to hit six double centuries in Test cricket.

India&#39;s current &#39;Milestone Man&#39;, who had emulated Rahul Dravid with his previous double century in Nagpur, today equalled Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag for most double hundreds for India in Tests.

The 29-year-old scored his record sixth Test double hundred on the second day of the ongoing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-1st-captain-to-score-hat-trick-of-tons-in-3-match-series-25690">third Test against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla here</a>.

Kohli pulled pacer Suranga Lakmal and ran two to bring up his sixth double century in 238 balls, which included 20 boundaries.

He is also only the second Indian after Vinod Kambli to score back-to-back double hundreds. In 1993, the former left-handed batsman had scored 224 against England in Mumbai and 227 against Zimbabwe in Delhi.

Overall, Kohli is in the sixth place in the list of most double hundreds in a career, which is topped by Australian legend Don Bradman (12), followed by Sri Lanka&#39;s Kumar Sangakkara (11), Lara (9), England&#39;s Wally Hammond (7) and Sri Lanka&#39;s Mahela Jayawardene (7).

Kohli pulled pacer Suranga Lakmal and ran two to bring up his sixth double century in 238 balls, which included 20 boundaries

India cricket captain Virat Kohli today became the first international skipper to hit six double centuries in Test cricket. India's current 'Milestone Man', who had emulated Rahul Dravid with his previous double century in Nagpur, today equalled Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag for most double hundreds for India in Tests. The 29-year-old scored his record sixth Test double hundred on the second day of the ongoing third Test against Sri Lanka at the Feroz Shah Kotla here. Kohli pulled pacer Suranga Lakmal and ran two to bring up his sixth double century in 238 balls, which included 20 boundaries. He is also only the second Indian after Vinod Kambli to score back-to-back double hundreds. In 1993, the former left-handed batsman had scored 224 against England in Mumbai and 227 against Zimbabwe in Delhi. Overall, Kohli is in the sixth place in the list of most double hundreds in a career, which is topped by Australian legend Don Bradman (12), followed by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (11), Lara (9), England's Wally Hammond (7) and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene (7).

Kohli hits double ton, becomes first captain to score 6 Test double centuries

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) today said the Indian cricket team&#39;s support staff will be recruited after consultation with head coach Ravi Shastri by July 22, effectively putting on hold Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid&#39;s appointments.

In a meeting attended by CoA members Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, the CoA approved the appointment of Shastri. However, the committee did not implicitly specify whether Dravid and Khan were on board as consultants for specific overseas tours, as had been claimed by the BCCI.

As per the minutes of the meeting, the &quot;appointments of other consultants will be decided by the committee in consultation with the head coach&quot;.

The CoA has formed a four-member panel, which includes acting Board President C K Khanna and CEO Rahul Johri, to decide on the remuneration of newly-appointed head coach Shastri and other members of the support staff.

Edulji and BCCI acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary are the other members of the committee which will meet on July 19. This was decided after a CoA meeting today.

The new committee will reach out to CoA with its recommendations on July 22, three days after the team leaves for the Sri Lanka tour on July 19.

&quot;We have taken all the recommendations of the CAC for Ravi Shastri as head coach and we will further discuss with him appointment of other coaches. We have set up a committee and they will speak to them (CAC), communicate with them after talking to Shastri. The support staff has been decided in consultation with the head coach,&quot; Rai told reporters after the meeting.

&quot;Three appointments which are core to the coaching team have been decided. But we have to consult each one of them, we have to ascertain their willingness and have to ensure that there is no conflict of interest issue.

The three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) had named Shastri as head coach while Dravid and Khan were appointed batting and bowling consultants respectively for specific overseas tours.

However, the CoA clarified that they (Zaheer and Dravid) were mere recommendations and appointments.

&quot;There is no such thing as contract as yet. It&#39;s only a recommendation. It&#39;s not an appointment. A recommendation has been made and the CoA has to act on the recommendation, that recommendation will be acted upon in consultation with the head coach.&quot;

India will play the first Test against Sri Lanka on July 26.

Asked about the CAC letter expressing &quot;pain&quot; at the perception that appointments of Dravid and Zaheer were forced upon Shastri, Rai said, &quot;CAC has done a lot of correspondences with the CEO and with me also. And we have reacted to each one of those things.&quot;

An advertisement for Indian senior team manager will be released immediately. Similarly, an advertisement for managers of A team and U-19 team will also be released.

In a meeting attended by CoA members Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, the CoA approved the appointment of Shastri

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) today said the Indian cricket team's support staff will be recruited after consultation with head coach Ravi Shastri by July 22, effectively putting on hold Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid's appointments. In a meeting attended by CoA members Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, the CoA approved the appointment of Shastri. However, the committee did not implicitly specify whether Dravid and Khan were on board as consultants for specific overseas tours, as had been claimed by the BCCI. As per the minutes of the meeting, the "appointments of other consultants will be decided by the committee in consultation with the head coach". The CoA has formed a four-member panel, which includes acting Board President C K Khanna and CEO Rahul Johri, to decide on the remuneration of newly-appointed head coach Shastri and other members of the support staff. Edulji and BCCI acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary are the other members of the committee which will meet on July 19. This was decided after a CoA meeting today. The new committee will reach out to CoA with its recommendations on July 22, three days after the team leaves for the Sri Lanka tour on July 19. "We have taken all the recommendations of the CAC for Ravi Shastri as head coach and we will further discuss with him appointment of other coaches. We have set up a committee and they will speak to them (CAC), communicate with them after talking to Shastri. The support staff has been decided in consultation with the head coach," Rai told reporters after the meeting. "Three appointments which are core to the coaching team have been decided. But we have to consult each one of them, we have to ascertain their willingness and have to ensure that there is no conflict of interest issue. The three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) had named Shastri as head coach while Dravid and Khan were appointed batting and bowling consultants respectively for specific overseas tours. However, the CoA clarified that they (Zaheer and Dravid) were mere recommendations and appointments. "There is no such thing as contract as yet. It's only a recommendation. It's not an appointment. A recommendation has been made and the CoA has to act on the recommendation, that recommendation will be acted upon in consultation with the head coach." India will play the first Test against Sri Lanka on July 26. Asked about the CAC letter expressing "pain" at the perception that appointments of Dravid and Zaheer were forced upon Shastri, Rai said, "CAC has done a lot of correspondences with the CEO and with me also. And we have reacted to each one of those things." An advertisement for Indian senior team manager will be released immediately. Similarly, an advertisement for managers of A team and U-19 team will also be released.

Zaheer Khan, Rahul Dravid to be appointed after consultation with Ravi Shastri: CoA

The record books were rewritten twice in an astonishing run spree at Nottinghamshire&#39;s Trent Bridge ground yesterday which saw a record English one-day partnership and the most aggregate runs scored in a List A match. 
 
By the close in the Royal London One-Day Cup game between Notts and Northamptonshire, statisticians were checking to see if there had ever been a day like it anywhere in the world. 
 
The big hitting began from the start with Nottinghamshire&#39;s Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb sharing a record one-day partnership in England of 342 from 39.2 overs. 
 
Wessels eventually departed for a career-best 146, from 97 balls, while Lumb went on to make 184, also his best and a record for the county, as Nottinghamshire posted 445 for 8, the second highest score for a List A match in the world. 
 
The runs continued to flow when Northamptonshire chased down what would have been another record for a team batting second. But they fell short despite 128 from Rory Kleinveldt. 
 
Their total of 425 gave Nottinghamshire victory by 20 runs in a game which saw an unprecedented 870 runs scored in the day, three more than Surrey and Glamorgan managed in 2002. 
 
Afterwards Lumb joked: &quot;It was a bit twitchy. What a great game of cricket. Never in doubt.&quot; 
 
&quot;I was surprised they took it that deep but it&#39;s credit to them. Rory Kleinveldt was unbelievable. It was an unbelievable game. I don&#39;t think we could do too much more. I&#39;m proud of all the boys.&quot; 
 
The Nottinghamshire stand beat the previous record in England of 318 by Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for India against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup. 
 
Lumb and Wessels&#39; English record is the third-highest partnership in List A games, behind the 372 which Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels took off Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup. 
 
The record for the highest team total is held by Surrey, who made 496-4 against Gloucestershire in 2007. 
 
List A matches are played over 40-60 overs.

Nottinghamshire duo Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb's partnership of 342 runs beat the previous record in England of 318 by Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for India

The record books were rewritten twice in an astonishing run spree at Nottinghamshire's Trent Bridge ground yesterday which saw a record English one-day partnership and the most aggregate runs scored in a List A match. By the close in the Royal London One-Day Cup game between Notts and Northamptonshire, statisticians were checking to see if there had ever been a day like it anywhere in the world. The big hitting began from the start with Nottinghamshire's Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb sharing a record one-day partnership in England of 342 from 39.2 overs. Wessels eventually departed for a career-best 146, from 97 balls, while Lumb went on to make 184, also his best and a record for the county, as Nottinghamshire posted 445 for 8, the second highest score for a List A match in the world. The runs continued to flow when Northamptonshire chased down what would have been another record for a team batting second. But they fell short despite 128 from Rory Kleinveldt. Their total of 425 gave Nottinghamshire victory by 20 runs in a game which saw an unprecedented 870 runs scored in the day, three more than Surrey and Glamorgan managed in 2002. Afterwards Lumb joked: "It was a bit twitchy. What a great game of cricket. Never in doubt." "I was surprised they took it that deep but it's credit to them. Rory Kleinveldt was unbelievable. It was an unbelievable game. I don't think we could do too much more. I'm proud of all the boys." The Nottinghamshire stand beat the previous record in England of 318 by Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid for India against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup. Lumb and Wessels' English record is the third-highest partnership in List A games, behind the 372 which Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels took off Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup. The record for the highest team total is held by Surrey, who made 496-4 against Gloucestershire in 2007. List A matches are played over 40-60 overs.

Records tumble in English county one-day game

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