Meet Ravi Rampaul — the man who killed Tendulkar's Wankhede dream

Make no mistake… Ravi Rampaul isn’t Glenn McGrath. Why, he isn’t even Ashley Giles – the man who so (in)famously adopted a leg-side line that stifled Sachin Tendulkar. But by the end of the day, everyone in India would have heard of Ravi Rampaul and the manner in which he dismissed Tendulkar on 94 at the Wankhede stadium in front of an adoring home crowd. The stunned crowd took a while to find their voice and by that time, Tendulkar was walking back and the West Indies were celebrating like crazy – Rampaul and the skipper Darren Sammy were in the middle of it all. The Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies medium fast bowler didn’t quite have the best of starts to his career – but for now, that didn’t matter. He had got the big man. Despite getting a go for West Indies in 2003, Rampaul failed to make a mark early on. He was in and out of the squad and till date has played only 62 ODIs. Injuries played their part as well. But lately, he’s stayed fit and with his form holding, he always had a chance. A recent resurgence allied with West Indies’ depleting fast bowling stocks saw him return to the fold and make his Test debut in 2009. [caption id=“attachment_140096” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Ravi Rampaul reacts after taking Sachin’s wicket. Reuters”]  [/caption] Even now, the 27-year-old’s average of 36+ in Test cricket is hardly world class. And perhaps he played the third Test against India only because fast bowler Kemar Roach was injured. But he sure made his mark. When on form, he is a tough customer to handle. He’s not afraid to put his back into the job and gets some pretty wicket reverse swing too. His form in ODIs hasn’t been bad either. In 62 ODIs, he’s managed to take 72 wickets at 29.42. And this isn’t the first time he’s got Tendulkar’s wicket either. Those who followed India’s progress through the World Cup will remember his five-for against India – which included the wicket of the master batsman too. As long as he doesn’t make a habit off it, Tendulkar and India should be okay. But for now, Rampaul has a story — one that he can tell his grandchildren with a certain amount of pride.