Rahul Dravid passes 11,000 runs with unbeaten 177 for India

Published on Monday 16 November 2009 21:55

FORMER India captain Rahul Dravid has joined an elite quartet after his unbeaten 177 on the opening day of the first Test against Sri Lanka took him past 11,000 test runs.

Former Saltires player Dravid, 36, followed compatriot Sachin Tendulkar, West Indian Brian Lara and Australians Allan Border and Ricky Ponting past the 11,000 mark with his 27th Test hundred.

"I've been playing for a long time. I've been around the scene for a long time. It's nice. I guess it is something about my longevity," he said. "I've been able to be consistent over pretty decent periods of time which has helped me stack up these numbers. It's a nice thing.

"There are some great people on that list, people I have truly admired and watched and I've had the pleasure and privilege of playing with on that list.

"It's just nice to be up there, nice to score runs especially in the context of a game like today, to make it happen when your team really needed it, it just makes it all that special."

Dravid, who has also scored more than 10,000 one-day international runs, said he felt the fluency had returned to his batting. "I felt pretty fluent right through the innings, pretty much in control of my game. It was one of those days you just knew things were really going for you."

&#149 England spinner Monty Panesar has joined Twenty20 champions Sussex on a three-year deal. Panesar, 27, endured a tough season with Northamptonshire and left despite having a year left on his contract.