STEVE WAUGH Test captain; right-handed middle-order batsman; right-arm medium pace bowler

FACTFILE Born: 2/6/65 Team: New South Wales Test debut: v India at Melbourne, 1985/86 ODI debut: v New Zealand at Melbourne, 1986

There are few superlatives which have not been applied to Waugh during his career.

He is the most successful captain in history in terms of the number of Tests won, and has earned the total respect and loyalty of his team.

There is little left for Waugh to prove, though his retirement at the end of the series means he will not have the chance to avenge Australia's 2-1 defeat in India in 2001.

Questions were asked about his place in the side last winter, but he answered them with a century against England in Sydney.

He has made one in the West Indies and two against Bangladesh since then to take his total to 32 and is closing in on Indian Sunil Gavaskar's record 34.