After a solid performance against Pakistan as part of the India `A' team early this year, Agarkar wasn't at all surprised when he was selected to play for India against Australia in Cochi. "This was part of the triangular series (along with Zimbabwe) in April, and Azhar had told me I would play the previous evening itself," he recalls. But while that gave himtime to prepare himself for the big day, it didn't help the butterflies in his stomach. "We batted first that day, and that gave me some more time to brace myself. And before I went out to bowl, Sachin spoke to me and that gave me more confidence," he says.

Since then Agarkar's been on a roll -- 30 games in seven months and over 50 victims in his bag. Add to that a couple of swashbuckling batting performances, and you have a man who can certainly become a solid all-rounder in months to come. "Actually I started off as a batsman. But gradually I got better as a bowler. Now my immediate concern is to try and push myself up the batting order," he says.

But otherwise, Agarkar doesn't set goals -- "I didn't ever think that I would make the 50-wicket record". And even as a child, while he admired several cricketers, he never idolised anyone, though he does have his personal favourites. "In the bowling department, I've always liked Kapil Dev and Michael Holding. Viv Richards is perhaps my all-time favouritecricketer, and among contemporary players, it's Sachin Tendulkar," he says.