A man who has never played first-class cricket and seemingly has no credentials to warrant being part of a tour, is shaping as a key part of India's quest to win their first Test series on Australian soil.

What DVGI Raghavindraa lacks in cricket expertise he makes up for with enthusiasm and his presence in Australia is evidence of the great lengths India have gone to break their drought in this country.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Raghavindraa booked his ticket to Australia not through a torrent of runs or a bag of wickets but for his throw-down skills.

And, it's believed, he has come with strong recommendations from Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. It has even been suggested in Indian media that he was asked by Tendulkar to fly to his home in Mumbai last month to help the champion batsman with his Test preparations.

Not much is known about Raghavindraa, who is listed as an "attendant" on a BCCI news release, but he is a shy man of few words.