Ravi Shastri
For over a decade, Ravi
Shastri rendered yeoman service to Indian cricket in many ways. As an
obdurate opening or middle-order batsman; as a left-arm spinner who
was an integral part of the attack; and as long-time deputy to a couple
of captains. In his time he was very much the glamour boy of Indian
cricket, tall and good-looking and with an image to match. He had his
detractors who charged that he batted too slowly, that he was selfish
in his approach, that he continued to be in the team only because Gavaskar
was captain. But the phlegmatic Shastri took all this in his stride,
letting his performances on the field speak for themselves. In reality,
as Shastri himself admitted, he was not particularly talented but had
come up only through hard work.
Shastri might not have cut a dashing figure on the field as he pushed
and prodded and grafted his way for runs and his bowling was little
more than defensive as he pegged away on a good length without much
variation. Of batsman who have played ten Test innings against Australia,
only Eddie Paynter averages more than Shastri’s 77.75. He was
like Navjot Sidhu in reverse: he started off as a lower-order hitter,
but ended up as the original stonewaller at the top of the order.
But no one could deny his immense value to the side, his commitment
to the team's cause and his consistency had to be admired. He very rarely
let the country down and was an excellent utility cricketer in the one-day
game, good enough to win the coveted Champions of Champions title -
and the Audi car that went with it - in the World Championship of Cricket
in Australia in 1985. Despite his image as a cricketer with a defensive
outlook, Shastri could really have a go at the bowling - as he did while
equalling Gary Sobers' world record of six sixes in an over in a Ranji
Trophy game in January 1985. A deep thinker and a shrewd strategist,
he led India to victory in the one Test he captained - against West
Indies at Madras in 1987-88.
| |
| Full name |
Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri |
| Born |
27 May 1962, Bombay , Maharashtra |
| Major teams |
Mumbai, Glamorgan, India. |
| Batting style |
Right-hand bat |
| Bowling style |
Slow Left Arm Orthodox |
| Career statistics |
|
| |
| Test debut |
New Zealand v India at Auckland - Jan 24-28, 1976 |
| Last Test |
Australia v India at Perth - Feb 1-5, 1992 |
| ODI debut |
New Zealand v India at Christchurch - Feb 21, 1976 |
| Last ODI |
India v South Africa at New Delhi - Nov 14, 1991 |
| First-class span |
1975/76 - 1991/92 |
| List A span |
1975/76 - 1991/92 |
