India is taking on Bangladesh in the first Test at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram but in the backrooms there are two old rivals present. Former India captain Rahul Dravid is the head of the Indian side while South African pace legend Allan Donald is the bowling coach of Bangladesh team.


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The Dravid and Donald rivalry was legendary during the late ’90s and early 2000 with the latter one of the premier pace bowlers in the world. Dravid, known to be a technically correct batter even in ODI cricket, played one of his most flamboyant knock in a tri-series final in South Africa.


Back in February 1997, chasing a revised target of 251 in 40 overs under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar, Dravid played one of his finest ODI knocks – 84 off just 94 balls with five fours and a six. The lone six came off Donald – hit magnificently over the top of long-on and Donald couldn’t stop sledging Dravid and Tendulkar who were in the middle.


Although India went on to lose the match by 17 runs, but Dravid and the Indian side gave South Africa a massive scare in the game in which Donald picked up 3/48 but leaked runs at 6.54 an over. Donald has now issued an apology to Dravid for sledging the Indian batter during a tri-nation series match in 1997.


“There was one ugly incident in Durban when I talk about. Dravid and Sachin were smoking us to all parts. I overstepped the mark a little bit. I’ve just nothing but massive respect for Rahul Dravid. I would love to sit with Rahul and go out for a dinner and say sorry to him again about what happened that day. I just had to do something silly that brought his wicket actually.


“But I still apologise for what I said that day. What a great guy, what a great bloke. So Rahul, if you are listening, I would love to have a night out with you,” Donald said in an interview on Sony Sports Network.


WATCH Allan Donald apologise to Rahul Dravid here…



Dravid, on the other hand, was all praise for the former pacer, adding that he would love to pick his brains. “He was a great bowler. He’s probably one of the best I have ever played in my career. I must admit when I see him now and meet him at the ground, ‘It's much nicer to see you like this without a ball in your hand and top of your mark with the sunscreen on the face’.


“He was an intimidating fast bowler and a terrific one. I would love to catch (up) with him and talk about fast bowling, he’s gone on to become a very successful coach, coaching a lot of young fast bowlers. We have got a lot of young guys as well and it will be good to pick his brains. Just the privilege of sharing the field with him is phenomenal,” Dravid said.


(with PTI inputs)