India, Sept. 9 -- Clive Lloyd was the first. Then came Viv Richards, Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall. Four West Indian batsmen, four catches, all taken by the same young Indian during the Ahmedabad Test of November 1983. Yet his name was nowhere in India's playing XI. He was only a substitute fielder, replacing Roger Binny, and by the end of the match had become the first substitute to take four catches in a Test.

The strange part was that this was not some unknown youngster accidentally finding himself on an international field. Two years earlier, aged 18, he had made 101 not out on his first-class debut against a touring England side whose attack included Bob Willis, Ian Botham, Graham Dilley and John Emburey. A few months later, he sc...