Waugh made his test debut against India when he was 20. He struggled at first, especially against the short-pitched ball. But victory in the 1987 World Cup gave him and the Aussies, who were floundering till then, the confidence to rebuild their team. Admitting that he was not comfortable with the rigours of international cricket, Steve Waugh was dropped from the side by the selectors only to accommodate his twin, Mark Waugh in the team.
The back-to-the-wall character of Steve Waugh then surfaced. He cut out all the fancy shots from his armoury and came back into the side to play many epic innings during the next 12 years of international cricket that carried Australian cricket to the very top. After he became captain in 1999, Australia drew a torrid series against the West Indies, but then won 16 tests in a row, with India spoiling their party when they seemed set to a win in Calcutta in the 17th test. He also led Australia to a famous win in the 1999 World Cup.
Despite being axed from the Aussie one-day squad, Steve Waugh continued to lead the test side with wins in the Ashes series in 2002-3 and the on the Caribbean tour. He retired after failing to beat India in the test series of 2003-4, with an 80 in his last innings.
Steve Waugh, who will be remembered as one of the best captains ever, and a batsman who could play match winning innings when the chips were down, now plans to devote his time to social work. He has already set up charities in Calcutta, India.