India, Sept. 7 -- More than a thousand runs arrived in a single Ranji Trophy season, at an average above 100. Five centuries came with them, including a mammoth 242, as bowlers around the domestic circuit discovered that getting this Baroda middle-order batter out had become one of the hardest assignments in Indian cricket. By the end of 1998-99, an India call-up no longer felt like a reward. It felt inevitable.

International cricket, however, would prove far less generous. The batter who had piled up 1,037 Ranji Trophy runs at 103.70 would eventually play only 10 ODIs for India. There would be no Test cap, no international fifty and barely enough time to establish himself before the selectors moved on. His best ODI score would remain 39...