Rahul Dravid, the man who kept his ground against some of cricket's finest bowling assaults, has spoken out on the two bowlers who pushed him to his limits. Through his 16-year long international career from 1996 to 2012, Dravid encountered a galaxy of legends from searing pacers to intelligent spinners. But in an interview with Ravichandran Ashwin on Kutti Stories with Ash, he confessed that two names always came to his mind whenever he was thinking about the most difficult opponents he ever played. In response to the question on the fastest bowlers who gave him the most trouble, Dravid was unequivocal in his answer. Dravid made a revelation that among the pacers, it was Glenn McGrath who made batting a continuous test. He pointed out that while he did have to contend with Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, it was towards the ends of their careers. The erstwhile India skipper admitted that those who faced Akram in his prime had rated him 'in a different league' and Dravid himself could feel that from viewing old videos. But even in the dusk years of his life, Akram was a threat to bowlers. Here is what said Dravid: “As a fast bowler, it had to be Glenn McGrath. I thought McGrath was… I kind of played Wasim (Akram) and Waqar (Younis) at the back end of their careers. So it’s not kind of fair… People who played Wasim earlier say that he was in a different league, and I could imagine after seeing the videos, I can imagine… And even bowling at the back end of his career, he was damn good,” Also Read | AUS vs SA: Fans Troll Marnus Labuschagne Over Poor Form in 2nd ODI Dravid pointed out the special strength of McGrath, saying his impeccable line and length left Indian star having to defend his off stump all the time. Dravid said McGrath's endurance and self-discipline meant he never gave batters simple runs. He pointed out that playing McGrath was not so much about raw speed but the mental and technical probe he presented every over. “But I played McGrath at his peak. He was a phenomenal bowler. He challenged my off stump more than anyone ever did. Just being able to go close to the stumps, get the bounce and just the level of fitness… He was able to come at you right through the whole day. I have played faster bowlers than him, but in terms of consistency and skill, he must be the toughest bowler I’ve faced,” added Dravid. Where spin was concerned, Dravid conceded that there was no one more rugged than Muttiah Muralitharan. The Sri Lankan wizard's ability to both turn the ball both ways and maintain long spells of bowling meant that he was always a threat. Dravid complimented Muralitharan's variety and cunning skills. The doosra, in specific, rendered batting against him very much difficult since it turned in the opposite direction of the off-spinner's conventional delivery. “As a spinner, Muralitharan was the best bowler that I played against. Great skill. He had the ability to spin the ball both ways. Especially when he came round the wicket and got the doosra away from you. So, he was someone who was never tired and bowled really long spells. He kept at you and kept at you… and he is just a phenomenal spinner,” Dravid added further.