Former India opener averaged 53 in first six Tests before exiting setup
A former India opener maintained strong early Test returns before being replaced by Yuvraj Singh under Sourav Ganguly's captaincy.
A former India opener made 323 runs in his first three Tests and held a 53 average through six appearances. The left-hander looked comfortable against Wasim Akram on debut, yet Sourav Ganguly chose Yuvraj Singh for the number three spot and the opener was left out.
No extended run followed. He had handled overseas conditions well enough to look like a settled top-order batter, but the door closed without explanation. Years later he simply said the career had been decent despite the sudden exit.
CricHubb Take
Selectors at the time seemed willing to gamble on youth over proven overseas resilience, a choice that left India thin on reliable openers for the next few seasons.