You wouldn't term a player averaging less than 40 in Test cricket as 'great'. And Ramnaresh Sarwan definitely isn't one - at least not yet. But there are very few who would vote against him having the talent to be one. In fact, ever since his debut in 2000, Ramnaresh Sarwan was seen as the one would be keep West Indies' tradition of producing great cricketers alive. But six years down the line, he's still struggling to cope with the heavy burden of expectations. With Brian Lara almost at the end of his career, it's Rammaresh Sarwan who is most likely to take over the dual role of captaincy and the mantle of Windies' premier batsman. But the question remains whether he is ready for it?

Sarwan has played a few crucial match-winning knocks in his career. But it has been interspersed with plenty of failures and some frustrating 'middle-of-the-road' innings. In the current series against India though, he has been undoubtedly amongst the most consistent batsmen for his side. His performances in the one-day series have been majorly responsible for Windies clinching the series 4-1. And he has managed to carry that form into the longer version of the game as well. So are these signs that Sarwan is finally maturing into a consistent batsman? Or is it just that he is scoring well as he is playing against his favourite opponent, India? The latter argument may sound naïve, but statistics will prove that the likes of Younis Khan.

A prodigious talent from a very small age, Sarwan made his first-class debut at the age of 15. Not many in the West Indies were surprised when he was offered a Test cap against Pakistan in 2000. It needed just one Test innings, and Ramnaresh Sarwan was immediately acknowledged as one to watch out for in the future. Showing maturity way above his age, Sarwan was the toast of the team after his unbeaten 84. The innings was appreciated all the more because it came against four world-class bowlers; Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq. The ease with which he handled the pace of the two Ws was incredible no doubt, but it was his elegant footwork against Saqlain and Mushtaq that grabbed many eyeballs.

Unfortunately, while he has been a regular member of the side since then, there is bound to be a sense of disappointment among the selectors and fans, for he has performed way below his potential, which was clearly evident from the way he led his team to a world record chase of 418 against the world champions. A stylist with the bat, his calibre has been more on show in the shorter version of the game with an enviable average in the late 40s, and some memorable knocks like his century in the recent ODI series against India.

Sarwan has proved that he is a brave cricketer with total dedication towards West Indies cricket. How else can one explain him going out to bat in the latter stages of the World Cup game against Sri Lanka and that too when it seemed a lost cause? The Windies were struggling, chasing a modest Lankan total of 229, but Sarwan came out to bat despite reservations expressed by the medical staff, and took his side to within six runs of victory. West Indies lost the game, but Sarwan's stature in the game definitely went up a few notches.