SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR (Mumbai)

• Born: April 24,1973, Mumbai. Right hand opening/middle order bat, right arm medium pace/off break bowler.

• 142 Tests, including 21 vs Australia. Debut: vs Pakistan in Karachi, 1989-90. Led India in 25 Tests, won four, lost 9 and drew 12. Touring Australia for the fourth time.

Note: Tendulkar, too, is possibly on his last tour of Australia. His form is perfect, except some nervous nineties, and with a legendary reputation like this preceding him, it would be anybody's guess how this series will pan out for him. He has little to prove, but is always around as confidence-booster.

RAHUL DRAVID (Karnataka)

• Born: January 11,1973, Indore. Right hand middle order bat, off-break bowler, occasional keeper.

• 115 Tests, including 19 vs Australia. Debut: vs England, Lord's, 1996. Led India in 17 Tests, won five, lost four, drew eight. Touring Australia for the third time. .

Note: A rediscovery tour for the ex-skipper, of form and confidence. Also to be seen again in the opening avatar, with Wasim Jaffer.

HARBHAJAN SINGH (Punjab)

• Born: July 3,1980, Jalandhar. Right arm off-break bowler

• 60 Tests, including 8 vs Australia. Debut: vs Australia in Bangalore, 1997-98. Touring Australia for the second time

Note: Will remain the second spinner, with skipper Kumble around. Australian wickets are not expected to be kind to him, but the web he wove back in India will not be forgotten. He could make this memorable.

... contd.