Top 3 players who played international cricket in three different decades

Longevity is a hallmark of greatness in international cricket. One cannot have a prolonged career as a player without performing consistently for years at a stretch. Most of the greats of the game have performed with remarkable consistency for a sustained period of time, with their careers spanning decades.

Here's a look at three such players who have played and dominated international cricket across three different decades:

#1 Rahul Dravid

Renowned as 'The Wall', Rahul Dravid made his India debut against Sri Lanka in an ODI in Singapore on April 3, 1996. His Test debut came against England at the 'Home of Cricket' on June 20, 1996.

Rahul Dravid finished his Test career with 13288 runs, averaging 52.31 and racked up 36 tons and 63 fifties. The right-handed batter aggregated 10889 runs in 344 ODIs, averaging 39.16, with the help of 12 hundreds and 83 fifties.

Dravid's last ODI came against England in Cardiff on September 16, 2011. He played his last Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January 2012 in Adelaide. The former India captain also played a T20I, the only one of his career, against England in Manchester on August 31, 2011.

#2 Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis is also a superstar of the game, whose greatness can't be measured by a yardstick. He made his Test debut against England in Durban in December 1995, whereas his ODI debut also came against the same opposition on January 9, 1996.

Considered the greatest allrounder of all time, Kallis amassed 13289 runs in 166 Tests, averaging 55.37, laced with 45 centuries and 58 fifties. He also accumulated 11579 runs in 328 ODIs at an average of 44.36, racking up 17 hundreds and 86 half-centuries.

T20Is came in the latter half of Kallis' career. His T20I debut came against New Zealand in Johannesburg on October 21, 2005, and he played his last game in the shortest format against India on October 2, 2012.

The last game of his international career, an ODI, came against Sri Lanka in Hambantota on July 12, 2014.

#3 Muthiah Muralidaran

Muthiah Muralidaran is the greatest off-spinner of all time. The spin Wizard began his Sri Lanka career in a Test against Australia at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in August 1992. With 800 wickets, Muralidaran holds the record for taking the most scalps in Tests. He claimed 67 five-fors and 22 10-wicket hauls in the red-ball format, averaging 22.72.

His ODI debut was against India in Colombo on August 12, 1993; his last 50-over game also came against India, the ODI World Cup 2011 final on April 2 in Mumbai.

He is also the highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 534 wickets in 350 matches at an average of 23.08, laced with 10 five-fors.

Muralidaran also picked up 13 wickets in 12 T20Is after making his debut against the Blackcaps in Wellington on December 22, 2006. His last T20I appearance came against Australia at the WACA on October 31, 2010.