Just 21 years of age, much is expected of medium-pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji. The youngster, still finishing university in Chennai, has risen to the national level in a short span of time. With Tamil Nadu opting for a predominantly mediumpace driven strategy in the Ranji Trophy, with something in the home wicket for the quick men, Balaji has become an intergral part of his state team. Bowling with a whippy, quick-arm action, Balaji has the ability to bowler quicker deliveries, yorkers or bouncers without a perceptible change in action. When he took five-wicket hauls in several consecutive Ranji Trophy matches in the last season, his name began doing the rounds in cricket circles. With the World Cup in mind, the Indian think tank has used the one-dayers against West Indies to try out several cricketers and this, more than anything else, has fast-tracked Balaji's rise to the highest level.