India vice-captain Rahul Dravid says Steve Waugh's impending retirement will not have a bearing on the forthcoming Test series.
A "bit surprised" by Waugh's announcement on Wednesday morning, Dravid said Waugh's decision will not make the series any "harder or easier" for the visitors.
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"It is sad in a way. He is one of my heroes and someone I looked up to in international cricket," Dravid told reporters after captain Sourav Ganguly, visibly upset by his team's performance on the field on the second day of the tour opener, refused to come out of the locker room despite repeated requests.
"I've played against Waugh, met him and chatted with him during the course of my career and found him very helpful," said Dravid about the cricketer who has played more Tests (164) than anybody in the game's history and has over 10,000 runs and 32 Test hundreds, the second best in the all-time list.
"He is right high up there. He was a terrific professional and a great cricketer. The intensity and commitment he brought to his batting was phenomenal and great to watch," he said.