Triple century, a gift from Tendulkar and two records that still stand 25 years later: One of India’s strangest careers

He was able to establish himself as India’s leading bowler in the mid-2000s, but his career promised so much more.

He was once considered promising enough with the bat for Sachin Tendulkar to hand him a pair of batting gloves. Long before international cricket entered the picture, he had trained under renowned Mumbai coach Ramakant Achrekar and even struck a triple century in the Giles Shield. Years later, he would walk out at No.3 for India in an ODI and come within five runs of a century.