Originally a fast bowler who then kept wicket when he had finished his stint with the ball, at 13 Denesh Ramdin decided to concentrate on keeping, honing his reflexes and working on his agility. He led both Trinidad & Tobago's and West Indies'

Under-19 sides before being selected, aged 19 and with only 13 first-class games under his belt, as first-choice gloveman for the senior squad's tour of Sri Lanka in 2005. He impressed with his work behind and in front of the stumps, in the series against Australia in November 2005.

A plucky 71 in the second Test of the series in Hobart was his best moment down under. When India toured the West Indies in mid-2006, Ramdin's wicketkeeping was impressive on pitches that often saw the ball dying even before reaching him. His batting was patchy, though a superb calculated assault on the Indian bowlers in the final stages of the Kingston Test proved a fine reminder of his undoubted prowess in that quarter as well.