Can’t compare myself to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, says Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid will forever be remembered as a Test batsman for his exploits in the longest format of the game. However, what most fans often forget is the fact that he is one of just 14 people who have scored over 10,000 runs in ODI cricket. While he might be 10th on the list of all-time run-scorers, Dravid also has the lowest strike rate on the players on the list. Ever the self-aware man, the former Indian skipper asserted that he could not be compared to modern greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

"Obviously I can't compare myself to Kohli or Rohit Sharma because they have blown the ODI paradigm to an all new level. But to be fair I grew up wanting to be a Test player," Dravid exclaimed on a Cricinfo Videocast.

"Of course, I wouldn't have survived today if I batted the way I did in my days. Look at the strike rates today. While my strike rate in ODI cricket weren't up to the level of Sachin's or Viru's but that's the level that we played at back then.”

Even though his ODI numbers are impressive, Dravid will live forever and a day in the annals of cricketing lore for what he was able to achieve in Test cricket. By the time he called time on his illustrious career, Dravid had accumulated 13288 runs at an average of 52.3. But even beyond the numbers, the thing that always set him apart from most players of his generation was his ability to stay at the crease. Dravid admitted that he always saw it as his job and took pride in delivering for his team.

“If it meant occupying the crease for a long time or tiring the bowlers out or blunting out the new ball in difficult conditions so that it's easier to play later, I did it," Dravid added.

"I saw that as my job and took great pride in it...That doesn't mean I didn't want to bat like Virendra Sehwag and hit those shots but may be my talent were different. My talent was determination and concentration and I worked on that.”

Post Dravid, Cheteshwar Pujara is a player that most fans have likened to the Indian great for his style of play and the success he has had in Test cricket. Dravid was very vocal in his praise of the Saurashtra man for all that he has accomplished in international cricket. 

"Coming from a place like Saurashtra it was drilled into his head early on that he needed to do much more than other players. So he had to make every inning count and that's the way he has built his batting," Dravid said.

"He has got a range of shots and he knows that. He is exceptional against spin, he rotates strikes well. Pujara has worked out his game phenomenally well. His concentration is excellent. There will always be a place for a person like Pujara because his technique will always contribute to the winning of a game.”