An elegant left hander with a voracious appetite for runs and a penchant for tall scores, Woorkheri Venkat Raman played eleven Tests, scoring 448 runs with four fifties and a highest score of 96. He also played 27 ODI's hitting 617 runs with one century (against South Africa) and three half centuries. A prolific run getter for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, his highest score was 313 against Goa in 1988-89. Since retiring from first class cricket last year, Raman has written regular columns for The Hindu. He will be writing on international cricket for CricInfo.

A fitting finale to a thrilling series

The six match one-day series ended in Mumbai amidst great excitement with both teams winning three each. India should have won the series by a 5-1 margin but for their reluctance to learn from earlier mistakes. This was more apt in the case of the middle-order batsmen and once again they made a hash of things when the Indian side was cruising to a victory. [Read on]

• Batting blitzes at Green Park (29 January 2001)
  
• Indian batsmen must show greater responsibility (27 January 2001)
  
• Masterful Trescothick kindled memories of Gooch (21 January 2001)
  
• May it be Eden for Ganguly (18 January 2001)
  
• Three Englishmen at home in India (15 January 2001)
  
• Hussain hogs the captaincy accolades (27 December 2001)
  
• Hussain and his team have a lot to cheer about (24 December 2001)
  
• A forgettable year for the Indian team (24 December 2001)
  
• Indian batsmen will have to put up a much-improved display at Bangalore (16 December 2001)
  
• England thrives on team effort (14 December 2001)
• Javagal Srinath: a benevolent fast bowler (11 December 2001)
• Oh! To watch a left-hander bat (10 December 2001)
  
• A harrowing four days for England at Mohali (7 December 2001)
  
• Not exactly Rule Britannia at Mohali (6 December 2001)
  
• Short-sighted planning returns to haunt India (5 December 2001)
  
• The Mohali Test will be crucial for England (2 December 2001)
  
• ICC must avoid embarrassing itself further (23 November 2001)
  
• Denness might have achieved the impossible (21 November 2001)
• Logic takes a beating (19 November 2001)
• India must play Prasad (15 November 2001)
• Professionalism lacking in Indian team management (09 November 2001)
• Aggressive play makes for an entertaining Test (06 November 2001)
• India have reason to hope (31 October 2001)
• The Indian failure at the final hurdle (28 October 2001)
• Memories at the end of the Rainbow (22 October 2001)
• Wanted - Grassroots Development for Kenyan Cricket (19 October 2001)
• Getting young guns to fire (17 October 2001)
  
• The youngsters will have to deliver in crunch situations (15 October 2001)
  
• Indians must get the balance of the team right (9 October 2001)
  
• It helps to be `Jaunty' Rhodes
• The search for a genuine all-rounder continues
• No shortcuts to stay fit
• Rahul Dravid: style and substance personified
• What the Indian team really needs is a sports psychologist
• Ganguly should not allow pressure to get the better of him
• One-day cricket has taken level of fielding to a different plane
• Harbhajan has overcome problems and succeeded
• Badani's rightful place is in the middle order
• Ganguly has the advantages to become a good captain
• Shiv Sunder Das is a long term prospect
• Tendulkar: A great cricketer, a gem of a person
• Media should avoid running down players at every opportunity (14 April 2001 )
  
• The biggest gain has been the self belief shown by some players (7 April 2001 )
  
• Australians get their act together to keep series alive (4 April 2001 )
  
• Ganguly should have opened the innings (1 April 2001 )
  
• Indian spin bowling was palpably ineffective (28 March 2001 )
  
• Confident Indians fight through tight situations (26 March 2001 )
  
• Indians have the psychological advantage going into One Day series (24 March 2001 )
  
• The `Final Frontier' eludes the Aussies (22 March 2001 )
  
• India hold the advantage (20 March 2001 )
  
• Pressure can do strange things to the most formidable outfit (15 March 2001 )
  
• Indians have played themselves into a corner (12 March 2001 )
  
• Not the ideal situation for India on the eve of a crucial Test (10 March 2001 )
  
• Team management must instill confidence in Indian side (1 March 2001 )
  
• The Indians are up against it (28 February 2001 )
  
• Ganguly's attitude will dictate the approach of his team (26 February 2001 )
  
• Indians are better off starting as underdogs (24 February 2001 )
  
• Wright's views will have to be taken seriously (10 February 2001 )
  
• The vexed over aged issue: Ban the guilty for life (27 January 2001)
  
• Raman's Fortnightly: Selectors must ensure all cricketers play in domestic circuit (13 January 2001)
  
• Board's attitude to domestic cricket disappointing (16 December 2000)
• Match analysis: The Indian skipper did just about everything right (12 December 2000)
• Match analysis: Indians made the most of the slog overs (06 December 2000)
• Match analysis: The Indians will have to do far better (03 December 2000)
• Raman's Fortnightly: Steve Waugh - Ambassador extraordinary (02 December 2000)
• Match analysis: It will be a different ball game in the one day matches (30 November 2000)
• Match analysis: Grant Flower will remember his innings for long (28 November 2000)
• Match analysis: Indians in position to dictate course (26 November 2000)
• Match analysis: Indians greet Wright with sound welcome gift (24 November 2000)
• Match analysis: Sharandeep Singh should have been played (21 November 2000)
• Match analysis: Indians adopt safety first tactics (19 November 2000)
• Champions Trophy match analysis: The Indians will have to do a lot of soul searching (30 October 2000 )
• Two important issues the BCCI can't duck (28 October 2000)
• Champions Trophy match analysis: India falters but edges past inexperienced Zimbabwe (27 October 2000)
• Champions Trophy match analysis: The Indians have to get the right formula (23 October 2000)
• Champions Trophy match analysis: Indians were not at their competitive best (21 October 2000)
• Chanpions Trophy tournament preview: The bowling will be Ganguly's concern (19 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut: Given opportunities, talented youngsters will come good (18 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut match analysis: Emergence of Zaheer and Yuvraj a positive aspect (17 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut match analysis: Indians have it in themselves to win the title (14 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut match analysis: Exuberance of youth takes India into semifinals (08 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut match analysis: Conditions should give India plenty of confidence (04 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut preview: Format gives no room for complacency (02 October 2000)
• ICC KnockOut: It is up to Ganguly to mould the youngsters (23 September 2000)
• Mixed bag from selectors once more ( 9 September 2000)
• The coach crisis: Is a foreigner the answer? (27 August 2000)
• Cricketers are looked upon as role models (12 August 2000)
• BCCI must get the commitment of players (29 July 2000)
• Administrators' personal ambitions outweigh everything else (14 July 2000)
• Imran's voice still being heard in world cricket (24 June 2000)
• Administrators are largely to blame for the mess (10 June 2000)
• Aisa Cup match analysis: Moin's improvisation was out of this world (8 June 2000)
• Asia Cup match analysis: Early Indian exit was very much on the cards (4 June 2000)
• Asia Cup match analysis: Indian team in need of shock treatment ( 2 June 2000)
• Asia Cup match analysis: Indians will have to bowl far better (1 June 2000)
• Asia Cup preview: Sri Lanka are favourites (29 May 2000)
• An adage BCCI officials have forgotten (27 May 2000)
• The disappointing season that was (12 May 2000)
• Australian coaching course was an eye opener (22 April 2000)
• BCCI Academy: success depends on correct implementation of plans (8 April 2000)
• Caribbean cricket - a very special flavour (25 March 2000)
• Sharjah: Match five analysis: Sharjah: Inconsistency has been the Indians' major problem (28 March 2000)
• Sharjah: Match four analysis: Sharjah: Indians must enhance their net run rate (27 March 2000)
• Sharjah: Match two analysis: Indians made heavy weather of an easy task (24 March 2000)
• Sharjah, Match one analysis: Indian middle order is strong, but can be brittle at time (23 March 2000)
• If it is Sharjah, the favourites must be Pakistan (21 March 2000)
• Indians will go to Sharjah with confidence (20 March 2000)
• Ganguly's attitude heartening (18 March 2000)
• The resurgence of Sri Lankan cricket (11 March 2000)
• South Africans handled the pressure situation admirably (13 March 2000)
  
• Complacency should not creep in (13 March 2000)
  
• Victory may prove to be a turning point (10 March 2000)
  
• South Africa's all round strength is awesome(8 March 2000)
  
• Azharuddin has the last laugh (6 March 2000)
  
• India will have to do exceptionally well to avoid defeat (3 March 2000)
  
• India must play three spinners (1 Mar 2000)
  
• The absence of a third spinner was felt (26 Feb 2000)
  
• Indians have their task cut out (25 Feb 2000)
  
• Hopeful augury for Indians (23 Feb 2000)