Mumbai, Mar 10: Standing firm at the No. 3 position against a fierce attack is an art that few batsmen have mastered and performed consistently. Dilip Vengsarkar and Rahul Dravid are two cricketers who tormented the opposition in their respective eras with an exemplary defence and steely grit.

Vengsarkar paid tribute to the exiting Dravid in an exclusive chat with bcci.tv. Excerpts:

On Dravid, a worthy ambassador of the game

He’s been absolutely fantastic. In the future, too, I think he would be a good administrator for KSCA and his expertise could be used by the BCCI. He is a good administrator, an intelligent man and he could be useful in any capacity.

On Dravid’s contribution to cricket

Huge contribution, immense contribution. As a player, I think he was great. His contribution is immense because he batted at No. 3 all the time and scored runs and has performed in all countries. And if you see his performance, it is absolutely great. He is an ideal role model for the youngsters because he is so focussed, so passionate and very disciplined. He was outstanding as a slip fielder; he has more than 200 catches in Test match cricket, the only cricketer who has done that. So overall his contribution in Test matches and ODIs is exemplary, to say the least.

On the void Dravid’s retirement has created

His departure has created a void. There is no question about it. Batting at No. 3 is not an easy thing to do because you have to play as per the situation, as per the conditions, and he has done that splendidly over the years. And to play for India for 16 years is a huge contribution.

On Dravid being likened to him for standing up to opposition bowlers

Yes, he batted at No. 3 and I also batted at No. 3 or 4. It is a huge responsibility, as I said before. He stood firm against all the great fast bowlers in world cricket and played very well. He used to play the hook shot. He is the best Indian player I have seen in terms of playing the hook shot with authority; it is a very difficult shot to play.

On Dravid’s captaincy

His captaincy was good. He was receptive to ideas and he would listen to senior players and their ideas. He had a good equation with the coaches as well.

On Dravid’s temperament on and off the field

He was a quiet person, very introverted, very humble, very down-to-earth and very modest [...]. He was always there for players and youngsters in the team.

On being asked to recall a special moment he shared with Dravid

I was in England as Chairman of the Selection Committee, and we beat England in England. It was a special moment because India hadn’t beaten England on any previous tour. And of course, when we beat Pakistan in India [...] We won a lot of Test series in India that time and we did very well. He is a very good person, receptive to ideas and we were on the same wavelength all the time as selector and captain.