Nottingham, July 30: The man who has played the most number of deliveries in Test cricket history, Rahul Dravid, is now the third Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar to have scored 34 Test centuries. His meticulously scored 117-runs helped India establish a 67-run lead in the first innings here at Trent Bridge.

After scoring his third consecutive Test hundred, Dravid spoke to the media at the end of the second day’s play.

Excerpts:

On 34 international hundreds

Growing up as a kid, to players of my generation, Sunil Gavaskar, GR Vishwanath are heroes. In all your backyard games you were either a Gavaskar or Vishwanath, so it’s great. No comparisons, [it’s] just nice I guess. A nice number to [achieve].

On comparing this innings to his effort at Leeds in 2002

That was special because we ended up winning that Test. We batted first on a wicket when everyone said we should have bowled; but we had to bat. We played two spinners and we had to back our batting and to come out and put in that performance on Day 1 with Sanjay Bangar was very special for me. This was good as well; this was one of the better knocks that I have played [against], a quality bowling attack and the ball did something right through the day. [I] had a bit of luck, played and missed a few times but it’s one of those wickets you needed to hang in [at] and just ride it when you could.

On the difference between this innings and the one at Lord’s

The wicket’s started getting quicker as the game’s gone on. Bit more clumpy grass, bit more deviation than Lord’s. Lord’s was probably a better batting wicket than this one, so a bit more hard work in this one. Having said, that the ball swung as well; the ball swung and seamed, the ball’s misbehaved here, so it’s a couple of satisfying hundreds.

On what he thought was the right length to bowl on the surface

You’ve got to pitch it up. We bowled beautifully in the first innings where we pitched it up and we swung the ball and they are doing the same thing. Both the teams have figured out that it is going to be the kind of wicket where you need to pitch the ball up. You need to get the people playing forward; there are opportunities going to be created behind the wicket. We have seen a lot of edges, people getting caught at the slips a lot. You’ve got to create opportunities in the slip cordon and hopefully take your catches. So it is a pitch it up wicket.

On whether he was disappointed at the way the Indian innings ended

Yes, a little bit obviously. When you look at the game and the position we were in, [England were] 124 for eight [wickets], we gave away 100 runs, [and then] in the last two wickets we sort of collapsed. That’s huge in a low scoring game on a tough wicket - that’s a 150-run difference sometimes. But the guys are doing their best; it’s not easy out there. But at least we are even-stevens today with two days gone and we need to put up a big performance tomorrow.

On whether he was tired or pleasantly weary after the long innings

Pleasantly weary; I was cramping up a bit towards the end of my innings. It was a really hot day out there, I had been on the field since yesterday as well, so [I was] cramping up a little bit. But [after] a nice ice bath and shower and a nice rub, [I’m] feeling pleasantly weary now. But there is at the back of my mind [the thought] that a lot of work still remains in this Test match.