Its easy to forget Dravid's ability as a fielder [not keeper] since we get clouded by his obviously brilliant batting skills. At the time the third test got underway, he is now just one catch away from drawing level with India's top catcher, Sunil Gavaskar. I suppose its only now in the last 4-5 years that he has really become a slip catcher out of the top drawer. Some of his catches have turned matches around, like those at Adelaide and some have nearly done so, like at Madras a few days ago.

Dravid's ratio of 1.32 catches per match compares very favourably with the rest among those with more than 100 test catches. Leading the way is Bobby Simpson with an amazing 1.77 catches per game. Mark Taylor's and Stephen Fleming's numbers of 1.50 and 1.47 are also superb. Mark Waugh, the current record holder for most catches, has 1.41 while the Chappell brothers coincidentally have identical ratios of 1.40. Dravid with a ratio of 1.32 is next in the pack.

I am willing to stick my neck out and say that that he would have the world record when he hangs up his boots, with stiff competition from Fleming. In his last 40 tests, Dravid has taken 61 catches and 33 catches in his last 20 tests. Assuming he plays on till he is 36, which is 4 years away, he'd have played another 40 odd tests which means another 65-70 catches. That'd definitely put him within reach of Mark Waugh's current record of 181. It is certainly not an impossibility.