Ravi Bopara

A right-handed batsman of Indian-origin, Ravi Bopara takes an unusually long time to prove his mettle. A decisive stroke player with a penchant for the pull, Bopara had an impressive first-class career representing England in the U-19 World Cup.

Playing for Essex, Bopara, with future-England teammate Alastair Cook, impressed against the touring Aussies in a 2005 Ashes prep-match. An ODI call-up arrived in 2007 against the same opponent, where he played a bit-part role in a resounding English victory. Surprisingly, he was included in England’s World Cup squad in 2007 in the Caribbean, where, for large parts, as a lower-middle order batsman and a support-bowler, Bopara rarely stood-out. His most notable contribution was a near run-a-ball fifty in a close defeat against Sri Lanka.

It was against the Lankans in the same year that Bopara made his Test debut. After a paltry 42 in his first two innings, his next six innings saw a hat-trick of ducks followed by a hat-trick of centuries. Over the years, “Puppy” made regular ODI appearances with the odd Test cameo. In 2010, he played one of England’s seven T20 World Cup matches en route to lifting the trophy.