Rahul Dravid’s concentration and defence were impregnable and big games excited him, recollects Steve Waugh
Steve Waugh has recollected that Rahul Dravid’s concentration and defence was impregnable, especially against the Australians, where he holds a good record. While stating that the big games excited Dravid, Waugh called the Indian batsman as the ‘glue’ that held the entire team together.
Rahul Dravid possesses one of the best records against the mighty Australians, including his match-winning knock in Kolkata, which is hailed as one of the best knocks in the history of Indian cricket. In the 2003/04 Test series in Australia, the Karnataka batsman blew the home bowling attack to smithereens, scoring 619 runs at an incredible average of 123.80 with three fifties and a hundred.
While that wasn’t enough, his double century in Adelaide tilted the game in India’s favour, their first win in Australia after 22 years. Looking back at his marvellous contribution, former Australian skipper Steve Waugh recollected that Dravid’s concentration and defence were top-notch and always waited for the big games to leave an impression. He also remembered how the right-hander’s contribution alongside Laxman helped India to an unwinnable Test in Kolkata.
“His concentration and defence were impregnable when he wanted to be and he had that fierce competitive attitude too, the big games really excited him, that’s when he played his best. Once he got in, it was so hard. Obviously, the most famous (innings of Dravid) is Kolkata win, he and Laxman batted all day. Pretty much turned the Test around. That was an unwinnable Test match,” said Waugh in a video, reported HT.
Before the 2001 series, Waugh entered as the most successful captain in Test history, with 16 consecutive Test series win. However, in 2001, everything changed when Dravid stepped up the peddle. Waugh pointed out how the Karnataka batsman was not just good but termed him ‘unflappable’ and glue to the Indian team at that point.
“He was unflappable, fierce concentration, there was no point in trying to ruffle his feathers because you couldn’t do it. He was the glue who held them all together and the one banker they had in the side. I knew he was going to score runs, I knew he could occupy the crease and he could repel quality bowling which quality players can do. If he stepped up the gear he could play shots as good as any one, he was a world class player and equally hard to overcome as Tendulkar was.”
Alongside that, he also credited the Indian batting unit as one of the best in the history while also praising Sachin Tendulkar’s importance in that team.
“He was as important to the Indian side as was Sachin Tendulkar. Those guys formed the heart of what was probably India’s best batting line-up,” he said.
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