ABOUT MS DHONI

The spectacular arrival of Virender Sehwag was bound to inspire others to bat with the same mindset. But the odds of a clone emerging from the backwaters of Jharkhand, whose state side has consistently scraped the bottom, was highly remote. That was until Mahendra Singh Dhoni arrived.

He can be swashbuckling with the bat and secure with the wicketkeeping gloves. His neck-length hair adds to his dash. Though Dhoni made his first-class debut in the 1999-2000 season, it was only in 2004 that he became a serious contender for national selection with some stirring performances when the occasion demanded. With his two centuries against Pakistan A, in the triangular tournament in Kenya, that he established himself as a clinical destroyer of bowling attacks.

In just his fifth one-dayer, against Pakistan at Vishakapatnam, he cracked a dazzling 148 - putting even Sehwag in the shade - and followed that up with a colossal 183 not out at Jaipur against Sri Lanka in November, when he broke Adam Gilchrist's record for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs. He made an instant impact on the Test level too, pounding 148 at Faisalabad, in only his fifth Test.

He was elevated to the vice-captaincy of the one-day squad for the tour of England and Ireland in 2007 and, soon after, was appointed captain of the Twenty20 squad for the World Championship in South Africa. A heady title triumph marked him out as a leader for the future and was handed over the reins of the one-day side in September 2007 after Rahul Dravid decided to step down as captain. It didn't take too long for him to enhance his reputation, claiming India's first tri-series triumph in Australia. He captained Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, losing out to Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals in a tense final.

MS DHONI PROFILE

Full name- Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Born -July 7, 1981, Ranchi, Bihar
Current age- 27 years 39 days
Major teams -India, Asia XI, Bihar, Chennai Super Kings, Jharkhand
Also known as Mahi
Batting style -Right-hand bat
Bowling style- Right-arm medium
Fielding position- Wicketkeeper

ABOUT BRAIN CHARLES LARA

The 10th of 11 children, Brian Lara learnt his game at the Harvard Coaching Clinic, where he was enrolled at the age of six, and although at school he played for Trinidad's junior football and table tennis side, it was cricket which really drew him. Aged 14, he made 745 runs at 126.16, earning him selection for the Trinidad Under-16 team. A year later he was in the West Indies Under-19 side. In 1990, aged 20, Lara became Trinidad and Tobago's youngest captain, leading them to victory in the Geddes Grant Shield. In that year he made his Test debut, scoring 44 and 6 against Pakistan. No-one since Bradman has built massive scores as often and as fast as Lara in his pomp. Even his stance was thrilling - the bat raised high in the air, the weight poised on a bent front knee, the eyes low and level. Then the guillotine would fall, sending the ball flashing to the boundary. In the space of two months in 1994, Lara's 375 and 501 not out broke world records for the highest Test and first-class scores, but sudden fame turned him into a confused and contradictory figure. During an inventive but largely fruitless spell as captain of a fading team, Lara reiterated his genius by single-handedly defying the 1998-99 Australian tourists with a sequence of 213, 8, 153 not out and 100. For a while, excess weight and hamstring problems hampered his once-lightning footwork, and the torrent of runs became an occasional spurt. But after Garry Sobers suggested a tweak to his flourishing backlift, Lara returned to his best in Sri Lanka in 2001-02, with 221 and 130 in one Test and 688 runs - a record 42% of West Indies' output - in the series, and reclaimed the captaincy the following year.

The task proved as hard second time round, leading a side where he was far and away the best player and where discipline was a constant worry. He led them to defeat for a second time in South Africa, and then lost to England in the Caribbean, too. But then, just when all hope seemed to have deserted West Indies cricket, Lara responded to the prospect of a home series whitewash with an astonishing unbeaten 400 in the final Test against England in Antigua. In doing so, he became the first man to reclaim the world Test batting record, a feat that ensured he would stand alongside Shane Warne as the most charismatic cricketer of the modern era.

Then followed a spectacular low, when Bangladesh came visiting and had West Indies in trouble in the one-day series and the first Test, prompting Lara to threaten his resignation if his batsmen did not lift their game. They responded in the following game, and Lara captained the side in England, where the team was beaten in every Test they played. Astonishingly, he then galvanised his charges and led the one-day team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy to spark off hopes of a West Indies resurgence. But it was under Shivnarine Chanderpaul that Lara registered his next big moment - in Adelaide in November 2005, when he went past Allan Border's tally of 11174 runs to become Test cricket's most prolific scorer. Then in April 2006, after protracted dispute between the West Indies board and the players union (WIPA), he was reinstated - for the third time - as West Indies captain. Lara's leadership in the five-match one-day home series against India came in for much praise as the tourists were knocked over 4-1, but in the succeeding Test series he struggled. His captaincy was erratic - inspiring in parts, questionable on many occasions - though he later revealed that his hands were tied due to peripheral issues related to team selection.

In Pakistan he led by example with the bat but results continued to go against his side and as West Indies struggled both on and off the field, it became increasingly obvious that Lara was unable to inspire them to greater things, and he appeared increasingly at odds with many of his team-mates. The World Cup offered him a chance to bow out on home soil and on a high, but it was not to be. He showed glimpses of his abilities, but one fifty in seven innings was not enough as West Indies went out with a whimper. He quit, one ODI short of his 300, amid rumours of bitter disputes with administrators. It was a sad, but perhaps inevitable, way for such a genius to bow out.

BRAIN LARA PROFILE

Full name -Brian Charles Lara
Born -May 2, 1969, Cantaro, Santa Cruz, Trinidad
Current age- 39 years 105 days
Major teams -West Indies, ICC World XI, Mumbai Champs, Northern Transvaal,Trinidad & Tobago, Warwickshire
Batting style- Left-hand bat
Bowling style -Legbreak googly
Height -5 ft 8 in
Education- Fatima College, Trinidad

SHANE WARNES LIST

50 Jamie Siddons
49 Darren Berry
48 Brian McMillan
47 Chris Cairns
46 Dilip Vengsarkar
45 Waqar Younis
44 Alec Stewart
43 Michael Atherton
42 Ravi Shastri
41 Justin Langer
40 Kapil Dev
39 Stuart MacGill
38 Sanath Jayasuriya
37 Stephen Harmison
36 Andy Flower
35 Michael Vaughan
34 Bruce Reid
33 Allan Donald
32 Robin Smith
31 Tim May
30 Kevin Pietersen
29 Shoaib Akhtar / Craig McDermott
28 Saeed Anwar / Mohammad Yousuf
27 Jacques Kallis / Shaun Pollock
26 Steve Waugh
25 Darren Lehmann
24 Brett Lee
23 Stephen Fleming
22 Martin Crowe
21 David Boon
20 Adam Gilchrist
19 Aravinda de Silva
18 Merv Hughes
17 Matthew Hayden
16 Andrew Flintoff
15 Graham Gooch
14 Rahul Dravid
13 Anil Kumble
12 Mark Waugh
11 Courtney Walsh
10 Ian Healy
9 Mark Taylor
8 Ricky Ponting
7 Muttiah Muralitharan
6 Wasim Akram
5 Glenn McGrath
4 Allan Border
3 Curtly Ambrose
2 Brian Lara
1 Sachin Tendulkar

20 Australians in Warne’s favourite 50 (53 as it turned out). There are eight Englishmen, six Indians, five Pakistanis, four South Africans, three New Zealanders, three Sri Lankans, three West Indians and a Zimbabwean.

SACHIN'S PROFILE

Full name: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Born: April 24, 1973, Bombay
Current age: 33 years 197 days
Major teams: India, ACC Asian XI, Mumbai, Yorkshire
Nickname: Tendlya, Little Master
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Legbreak googly
Height: 5.05 ft
Education: Sharadashram Vidyamandir School

QUOTES ON SACHIN

Don Bradman: I saw him( Sachin) playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel!

Abdul Qadir:
I was fielding in the covers when Tendulkar came out to bat in his debut Test at Karachi. I still remember Waqar Younis was at his peak form at that time. Tendulkar tried to drive Waqar through the covers off his very first ball in Test cricket but was beaten all ends up. But I walked to captain Imran Khan and told him 'this kid looks very good' and Imran agreed with me.

Then came the one-day international at Peshawar, which was reduced due to rain. When Tendulkar came at the crease I told him that not to get bogged down against me and he should try and hit me at all parts of the Arbab Niaz Stadium. It was not that I bowled badly but it was due to his ability that he hit me for I think 24 odd runs in one over.

Then it became a routine for me to chat with young Tendulkar whenever we met in the nets or in the hotel. I used to give him tips how to play spinners and I must admit he was a good listener and always tried to learn. After the home series we went to Sharjah and although Tendulkar didn't score that many runs against my bowling I gave him tips off the field whenever we had time.

Allan Donald:
His shot selection is superb, he just lines you up and can make you look very silly. Everything is right in his technique and judgement. There isn't a fault there. He is also a lovely guy, and over the years I've enjoyed some interesting chats with him… Sachin is in a different class to Lara as a professional cricketer. He is a model cricketer, and despite the intolerable pressures he faces back home, he remains a really nice guy… Sachin is also the best batsman in the world, pulling away from Brain Lara every year…

We'd heard all about him modelling himself on Sunil Gavaskar, and he had the same neatness, the same time to spare, the same calmness - and a very heavy bat.

Anil Kumble:
I am very privileged to have played with him and seen most of the runs that he has scored. I am also extremely happy to have shared the same dressing room... He is a very reserved person and generally keeps to himself. He is very determined, committed and doesn't show too many emotions. He just goes about doing his job.

Barry Richards:
First and foremost, Tendulkar is an entertainer and that for me is as important factor as any fact or figure. Too often boring players have been pushed forward as great by figures alone. For sheer entertainment, he will keep cricket alive.

Bishen Singh Bedi:
The thing I admire most about this man is his poise. The way he moves, elegantly without ever looking out of place in any condition or company, suggests his pedigree. I remember he had once come to New Delhi in the 1990s to collect his Arjuna Award (India's highest award to its top sportspersons) and he asked me if I would attend the function. He is a very sensitive human being….

Sometimes you feel he really hasn't felt the kind of competition in the world his talent deserves. I would have loved to see him perform against top quality cricketers of the previous generation. It would really have brought out the best in him.

Brett Lee:
You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind mid wicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick.

Brian Lara:
Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal.

Clive Lloyd:
He is a tremendous cricketer. He is young and has got a lot of ability. He's got his own style. He has got the temperament for big cricket and I hope that he goes from strength to strength.

David Gower:
For Sachin the balance is there. He is quick to complete his shot. He covers the crease much better than mere mortals.

Dennis Lillee:
If I'm to bowl to Sachin, I will bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard.

Erapalli Prassana:
In the early years, especially around the mid 90s, I had this feeling you could play around on his ego and get him out. He believed he could attack bowlers at any time and anyone who could bowl maidens to him stood a good chance. Things are of course different now

Graeme Pollock:
Tendulkar is the best in the world at the moment. Why I've always liked him is that batsmen tend to be negative at times and I think batting is not about not getting out - it is to play positively. I think you got to take it to the bowlers and Sachin is one such player. When you do so, you change the game, you change bowlers because they suddenly start bowling badly because they are under pressure.

Greg Chappel:
I'd like to see him go out one day and bat with a stump. I tell you he'd do OK…. I just get the feeling because of his mental strength that Sachin will be definitely the best player of his era and probably the best 2-3 of all time.

Ian Chappel:
Whenever I see Sachin play I am reminded of the Graeme Pollock quote of Cricket being a 'see the ball, hit the ball game.' He hits the ball as if it's there to be hit.

Shane Warne:
I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six... I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player.

Steve Waugh:
You take Don Bradman away and he is next up, I reckon.


Wasim Akram:
Eleven years ago when he first played against us in Pakistan, I remember (Imran) telling us this youngster (Tendulkar) is destined for big things. Imran took an immense liking to the determined youngster and I think he (Tendulkar) has not really disappointed in fulfilling his potential. I would have loved to bowl to him in my prime say six years ago.

I could not do that because of the tense cricket relations between Pakistan and India. It is one of the biggest regrets of my cricket career. But the last time I bowled to him in a Test

Viv Richards:
I think he's marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of cricket that's been played or will be played, from the first ball that's ever been bowled to the last ball that's going to be. He can play in any era and at any level... What he looks to do first is to attack.

If it's not there in the groove he waits for the line and defends. Most of the time batsmen, just because it could be a fearsome fast bowler they are facing, tend to defend. But Sachin's always ready. He's always in a position to take advantage of loose balls... He has something special. He's blessed. I would say he's 99.5 per cent perfect... Even if he retires tomorrow and doesn't achieve anything more he is right there.

I have never seen Bradman but heard people talk about him. But I tell you what, if Bradman could bat like this man does then he was dynamite. Players like Sachin deserve to be preserved in cotton wool.

SACHIN ODI RECORDS

ODIs

1)Most Stadium Appearances: 90 different Grounds.

2)Most Runs: 15,703 Runs at just over 44 runs per innings (as of 5th November 2007),. He is the leading run scorer in the ODI format of the game and the only player ever to cross the 15,000 run mark.

3)First player to reach 10,000-11,000-12,000-13,000-14,000 and 15,000 ODI runs.

4)Holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He has done it seven times - 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2007

5)Tendulkar has scored over 1000 ODI runs against all major Cricketing nations.

6)Sachin was the fastest to reach 10,000 runs taking 259 innings and has the highest batting average among batsmen with over 10,000 ODI runs

7)Most centuries: 41

8)Only player to have over 100 innings of 50+ runs (41 Centuries and 85 Fifties)(as of 15th Oct, 2007)

9)Fifties: 85. Tendulkar holds the record for the most ODI fifties,

10)Most centuries vs. Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

11)Most Man of the Match Awards: 55 Man of the Match Awards

12)Most Man of the Series Awards: 14 Man of the Series Awards

13)Most ODI runs in a calendar year: 1,894 ODI runs in 1998.

14)Most Centuries in a calendar year: 9 ODI centuries in 1998

15)Sachin Tendulkar with Sourav Ganguly hold the world record for the maximum number of runs scored by the opening partnership. They have put together 6,271 runs in 128 matches that includes 20 century partnerships and 21 fifty run partnerships

16)20 century partnerships for opening pair is also a world record.

17)Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid hold the world record for the highest
partnership in ODI matches when they scored 331 runs against New Zealand in 1999 at the LBS, Hyderabad[54]

18)Sachin Tendulkar has been involved in six 200 run partnerships in ODI matches - a record that he shares with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting.

19)Most runs (1,796 at an average of 59.87 as on 20th Mar 2007) in World Cup Cricket History including 4 centuries & 13 fifties with a best score of 152* against Namibia in 2003 world cup.

20)673 runs in 2003 Cricket World Cup, highest by any player in a single Cricket World Cup

21)Tendulkar was the first batsman in history to score over 50 centuries in
international cricket. He has now scored 78 (37 in Tests, 41 in ODIs).

22)Has the most overall runs in cricket, (ODIs+Tests+Twenty20s), as of 30th June 2007 he had accumulated almost 26,000 runs overall.

SACHIN TENDULKAR

1)Tendulkar and Brian Lara are the fastest to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket history. Both of them achieved this in 195 innings.

2)On 3 January 2007 Sachin Tendulkar (5751) edged past Brian Lara's (5736) world record of runs scored in Tests away from home.

3)Career Average 54.95 - the highest average among those who have scored over 10,000 Test runs.

4)Highest number of Test centuries (37).

5)Tendulkar's record of five centuries before he turned 20 is a current world record.

6)Tendulkar has scored centuries against all test playing nations.[48] He was the third batman to achieve the distinction after Steve Waugh and Gary Kirsten. The current list also includes Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Adam Gilchrist and Marvan Attapattu.

7)Sachin's 37th ton against Bangladesh during the 2007 series 2nd Test, made historyas the 1st time the top four batsman of any team had all scored centuries in asingle innings. Dinesh Karthik made 129, Wasim Jaffer 138 and Rahul Dravid 129 were the other centurions.