C. R. Rangachari
Encyclopedia
Commandur Rajagopalachari Rangachari (14 April 1916, Mammandur, British India – 9 October 1993, Madras) was a fast bowler who represented India
in Test cricket
.
Rangachari was a medium pace bowler who bowled with a slight round-arm action and moved the ball away from the batsman. He was a student of the Pachaiyappa's College
in Madras. When the Madras cricket league was started in 1932, he for Chepauk United Club and then switched to Triplicane CC. Here he formed a fearsome partnership with M.J. Gopalan.
Rangachari first claimed the spotlight when he took 9 for 45 against Mysore in an inter-association junior match in 1938. The same year he was selected to the Ranji
team. Ranga was also a fine fielder, and fielding usually at silly mid-off, formed a nice combination with the spinner A.G. Ram Singh.
He was selected for the tour of Australia
in 1947/48. He took a hat-trick
in the match against Tasmania
. On his debut at Adelaide
he took 4 for 141, dismissing Neil Harvey
, Keith Miller
, Ray Lindwall
and Ian Johnson
. His career best bowling was 5 for 107 against West Indies
at Delhi
, which included a first spell in which he dismissed Allan Rae, Jeff Stollmeyer
and George Headley
. In his first five innings in Tests, his scores were 0*, 0, 0, 0,* and 0.
He played unofficial Tests against Australian Services Team in 1945/46 and against the first Commonwealth team in 1949/50, and two M. J. Gopalan Trophy
matches. He captained Madras
in two matches in 1952/53. He managed several Tamil Nadu/Madras
and South Zone teams and was a state selector. He took 104 wickets for Madras in Ranji Trophy. His son C. R. Vijayaraghavan has umpired in One Day Internationals and first class cricket and as a third umpire
in Test matches.
Rangachari worked in the police department and retired as the Deputy Superintendent. He died from a cardiac failure.
Indian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
in Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
.
Rangachari was a medium pace bowler who bowled with a slight round-arm action and moved the ball away from the batsman. He was a student of the Pachaiyappa's College
Pachaiyappa's College
Pachaiyappa's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The college was established as Pachaiyappa's Central Institution at Popham's Broadway on January 1, 1842, from money given in Pachaiyappa Mudaliar's will. It was the first Hindu...
in Madras. When the Madras cricket league was started in 1932, he for Chepauk United Club and then switched to Triplicane CC. Here he formed a fearsome partnership with M.J. Gopalan.
Rangachari first claimed the spotlight when he took 9 for 45 against Mysore in an inter-association junior match in 1938. The same year he was selected to the Ranji
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between different city and state sides, equivalent to the County Championship in England and the Sheffield Shield in Australia...
team. Ranga was also a fine fielder, and fielding usually at silly mid-off, formed a nice combination with the spinner A.G. Ram Singh.
He was selected for the tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1947/48. He took a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the match against Tasmania
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
. On his debut at Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
he took 4 for 141, dismissing Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
, Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
, Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
and Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
. His career best bowling was 5 for 107 against West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
at Delhi
Feroz Shah Kotla
The Feroz Shah Kotla or Kotla was originally a fortress built by Sultan Ferozshah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad. A pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century B.C...
, which included a first spell in which he dismissed Allan Rae, Jeff Stollmeyer
Jeff Stollmeyer
Jeffrey Baxter Stollmeyer was a Trinidad and Tobago cricketer and footballer. He played 32 Tests for the West Indies, captaining 13 of these....
and George Headley
George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
. In his first five innings in Tests, his scores were 0*, 0, 0, 0,* and 0.
He played unofficial Tests against Australian Services Team in 1945/46 and against the first Commonwealth team in 1949/50, and two M. J. Gopalan Trophy
M. J. Gopalan Trophy
The M. J. Gopalan Trophy is a bi-annual cricket tournament played between Ceylon and Madras . The idea of the competition came about with the starting of a silver jubilee fund in 1952 to celebrate M.J. Gopalan's 25 years as a cricket and hockey player...
matches. He captained Madras
Tamil Nadu cricket team
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Team ; , competes in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy, the top cricketing competition in India. The team finished as runners-up behind Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams in the country...
in two matches in 1952/53. He managed several Tamil Nadu/Madras
Tamil Nadu cricket team
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Team ; , competes in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy, the top cricketing competition in India. The team finished as runners-up behind Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons establishing themselves as one of the strongest teams in the country...
and South Zone teams and was a state selector. He took 104 wickets for Madras in Ranji Trophy. His son C. R. Vijayaraghavan has umpired in One Day Internationals and first class cricket and as a third umpire
Third umpire
In international cricket matches the third umpire is an off-field umpire who makes the final decision in questions referred to him by the two on-field umpires. Television replays are available to the third umpire to assist him in coming to a decision...
in Test matches.
Rangachari worked in the police department and retired as the Deputy Superintendent. He died from a cardiac failure.