KARACHI — Indian team manager Rajsingh Dungarpur has chosen to take the official route in praising the role of Rahul Dravid as batsman and captain of the side in the present tour of Pakistan.

Dungarpur has issued two separate letters to Dravid at the conclusion of the first two Tests in Lahore and Faisalabad.

After Dravid made a battling 128 not out in the first Test when India faced a mammoth Pakistan first innings total of 679 for 8 declared, Dungarpur was moved to issue a letter of appreciation.

“I think with your performance in this Test you have moved ahead in my esteem compared to even Vijay Merchant and I am sure Vijay Hazare would have approved of your innings,” wrote Dungarpur in his letter of appreciation as manager of the Indian team. Dravid’s mastery of his craft was further in evidence in Faisalabad when Pakistan again ran up a big total of nearly 600 and the Indians were again left to face the music.

Dravid again stood his ground to strike another hundred, the 22nd three-figure knock of his career.

Dungarpur now went step further in his praise of the Bangalore-based cricketer.

His another letter to Dravid claimed that he was a batsman without any equal to the best he had seen in his over half a century of association in the game.

“I am now moved to say that Vijay Merchant, Vijay Hazare and Colin Cowdrey would have approved of your mastery from the heavens,” wrote Dungarpur.

Coming from Dungarpur, it’s been a high praise indeed for he has always rated Hazare to be the best Indian batsmen he ever saw on a cricket field. Indian coach Greg Chappell said that perhaps the people sitting outside the field didn’t realise what it took for his team to overtake the two mammoth totals of the home team in the first two Tests.

“Having been on the field for so long, it took a really special effort from us do better than the home team in both the innings,” remarked Chappell.

Dravid has been excellent with his form in the present tour and his technique against short-pitched delivery has come in for some high praise.

“The reason why he is so good against bouncing deliveries is because he has been brought up on matting wicket and he keeps the bat close to his body,” remarked former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif.