When Ajay Ratra gritted 115 not out in Antigua in 2002, he became the youngest
wicketkeeper to score a Test century and the second Indian wicketkeeper to
make one overseas. He was just 20 and it was only his third Test, but later the
summer proved to be cruel as he lost his place in the Test side to Parthiv Patel, and in the one-day side to the appointment of Rahul Dravid as keeper in the quest for balance. Ratra is slightly built, nimble on his feet, and usually safe and alert. An early starter, he was part of the Indian under-19 team that won the Youth World Cup in early 2000, and the following season, he captained them to victory over England in a home series. Time with Rod Marsh and Syed Kirmani at the National Cricket Academy proved to be valuable, and Ratra made the Indian team after the selectors had experimented with six keepers in the space of a year. A recall will very much depend upon his performance with the bat for Haryana, whom he captains at a young age. (Rahul Bhattacharya)
