Arjuna Ranatunga is a man of many parts. He made his international debut when still in school, was Sri Lanka's first half-centurion in their inaugural Test as a teenager, graduated to become the captain, led them to the 1996 World Cup and was, briefly, the chairman of the Sri Lankan cricket board.

In the single-mindedness of purpose, in making the most of one's abilities, in placing emphasis on substance rather than style, Manoj Tiwary is easily the winner.

Zaheer, it goes without saying, is the most vital and incisive cog in the Indian bowling wheel, so it is imperative that his workload is managed, that he remains fresh and up for the massive challenges England and Australia will pose during successive four-Test series.

Virat Kohli has been raking in all the plaudits for his stunning exploits in limited-overs international cricket this year, but Suresh Raina has been playing his part too, quietly and without fuss.

Speaking on the sidelines of the One-Day International series in Sri Lanka, Raina credited MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh for making him an improved batsman in the lower middle-order.

Part of the squad to tour Sri Lanka for five One-Day Internationals and one Twenty20 International starting on July 21, Ashwin felt that the long break had been beneficial for the team.

When the Indian team goes out to play the first of five One-Day Internationals against Sri Lanka in Hambantota on July 21, the team would have come to the end of its second-longest break in the last ten years. India's last international assignment was the avoidable one-off Twenty20 International in Johannesburg on March 30.