When Rahul Dravid speaks, the cricketing world listens because very few have played the game with as much grace, grit, and greatness as him. Widely known as “The Wall” for his rock-solid technique and unbreakable focus, Dravid was the backbone of Indian cricket for well over a decade.
With a staggering 13,288 runs in 164 Test matches at an average of 52.31, and over 10,000 runs in ODIs as well, Dravid is one of the most respected and successful batters in the history of the sport.
A gentleman both on and off the field, his opinions carry weight, and when he names the best bowler he ever faced, you know it’s worth taking note.
In a recent event, the batting legend admitted that Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath was the greatest he ever faced. That’s saying something, considering Dravid has faced the likes of Wasim Akram, Allan Donald, Shoaib Akhtar, and Dale Steyn in their prime.
“They (Australia) were the best cricket team in my generation,” said Dravid. “Amongst them all, the greatest bowler that I played against, not only the greatest Australian bowler, but the greatest fast bowler I played against has to be Glenn McGrath.”
What set McGrath apart, according to Dravid, wasn’t just pace or bounce—it was his relentless accuracy, consistency, and sheer mental toughness. Dravid, who was known for his knowledge of the off-stump better than most, confessed that no one tested that knowledge quite like McGrath did.
“He was relentless and gave you nothing,” Dravid added. “Whether it was the first hour of play or late in the day, McGrath just kept coming. He was not mean as he looked, but he could be very, very mean with the cricket ball.”
For someone like Dravid—who built his game on patience, precision, and discipline—to say that it was hard to even figure out how to score a run off McGrath, shows the kind of control the Australian had over his craft. His ability to build pressure and frustrate even the best batters made him a nightmare to face.
“McGrath had good pace, bounce, but more importantly, a brilliant game sense. He knew exactly what to bowl and when. That made him the greatest fast bowler I ever played against.”
Glenn McGrath’s stats back up every word of praise: 563 wickets in 124 Tests, and 381 wickets in 250 ODIs—a legacy of domination built not on express pace but on brain, precision, and icy discipline.
In an era full of fast-bowling legends, the fact that Rahul Dravid—a technician’s technician—chooses McGrath as the toughest of them all speaks volumes about the Aussie’s greatness. Not flashy, not fiery, but deadly accurate and mentally suffocating—that’s Glenn McGrath. And that’s exactly what made him the ultimate challenge for even the most dependable wall in world cricket.