No point ruffling Rahul Dravid's feather, because you couldn't do it: Steve Waugh

Former Australia captain, Steve Waugh has showered rich praises on the Wall, Rahul Dravid's batting temperament. Waugh has stated that the former India captain was as important as Sachin Tendulkar to the team's batting success. 

During an interview with Cricket Australia, Waugh, who is one of Australia's most successful captains, revealed how difficult it was to get Dravid out. "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."

Steve Waugh is of the opinion that if Rahul Dravid had tried to play a few more aggressive shots then he would have come so close to the all-time great, Sachin Tendulkar.

"If he stepped up the gear he could play shots as good as anyone, he was a world-class player and equally hard to overcome as Tendulkar was,” he said.

Waugh walked down the memory lane back to the 2001 Kolkata Test

"His concentration and defense was impregnable when he wants 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 the Kolkata win, he and Laxman batted all day. Pretty much turned the Test around. That was an unwinnable Test match,” he said.

"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 concluded.

"He was as important to the Indian side as Sachin Tendulkar."

From Kolkata to Adelaide and beyond, Steve Waugh remembers India's Rahul Dravid, who terrorised Australia during his impressive career #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/JEePY8WDsx

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2021