Javagal Srinath
Encyclopedia
Javagal Srinath (born August 31, 1969 in Mysore, Karnataka
) is a former India
n cricket
er. He was a frontline fast bowler
for the Indian cricket team
until his retirement, being the second Indian pace bowler after Kapil Dev
to take 200 Test
wickets. One ball that he bowled during the 1996 tour of South Africa measured 156 km/h (96.9 mph). He also clocked 154.5 km/h (96 mph) at the 1999 World Cup
. He was attracted towards cricket right from an early age. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering
degree in Instrumentation Technology from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering
, Mysore.
, now a selector for the state team. In 1989/90, Srinath made his first class debut for Karnataka
against Hyderabad
, taking a hat trick
in the first innings. He followed this with wickets from successive balls in the second innings. Srinath finished the season with 25 wickets from six matches, and took another 20 the following season. The second season involved a display of reverse swing against Maharashtra
at the Nehru Stadium
in Pune
, taking 7/93 to dismiss the home team for 311 in response to a Karnataka total of 638 on a good batting track.
Srinath made his One Day International debut in the Wills Trophy at Sharjah
in 1991. He became the fastest bowler to take 100 ODI wickets, reaching the mark 3 years and 19 days after his debut. He is also India's most prolific wicket-taker at World Cups with 44 wickets from 34 matches. He still remains India's highest wicket taker in ODI matches as a fast bowler and only Indian pacer to surprass 300 wicket tally in ODI matches. Only other Indian bowler to achieve this feat is Anil Kumble
who is a spinner.
Srinath then was selected to the Indian cricket team
for the 1991/92 tour of Australia. Making his Test debut against Australia at Brisbane
, he took 3/59 while playing as the third pace bowler. He finished the tour with ten wickets at 55.30. He was given an opportunity to take the new ball against South Africa in Cape Town
, where he took an economical 4/33 in 27 overs. Srinath ended the tour with 12 wickets at 26.08. However, due to wickets in India being conducive to spin, he subsequently spent seven consecutive home Tests watching from the sidelines as India only fielded two pacemen. It was not until three years after his international debut, in late 1994 and with the retirement of Kapil Dev that Srinath played his first home Test, against the West Indies. He took five wickets and scored 60 in the second innings to be named Man of the Match as India won by 96 runs. His increased opportunities also coincided with an improvement in his batting, scoring two half-centuries in the series.
Srinath took over 500 first class wickets, playing for Karnataka
he took 96 at 24.06. In 1995, he joined Gloucestershire
, and took 87 wickets in his one and only season with them including taking 9-76 against Glamorgan
. He has also played English county cricket
with Leicestershire
and Durham
.
In the 1996-97 series in South Africa, Srinath's speeds were timed at 150 km/h with one particular delivery measured at 156 km/h. For many years, Srinath was India's only regular pace bowler, and the workload is often believed to be the partial cause of injuries, which forced him to undergo an operation on his right shoulder in 1997.
Some critics argue that Srinath's average and strike rate suffered as a result of bowling on the predominantly dry and spin-friendly wickets in India; however, his average at home was in fact superior to his average away from India: Srinath knew how to reverse swing
the ball.
Though his batting average is not impressive, he has played quite a few scintillating innings and won matches for India with his batting. He scored a vital 30 runs off 23 balls against Australia in the 8th match of Titan cup series (1996) in Bangalore, thus winning the match and securing a berth in the finals for India. This innings contained 2 fours and a six. In the same series he also scored a 50 against South Africa in Rajkot.
He retired from international cricket after the 2003 World Cup
in South Africa
in which he performed strongly until the final against Australia, where he appeared to be overwhelmed by the pressure of the occasion, conceding 87 off his 10 overs. He toured England with the famous Lashings World XI
team in the summer of 2005, and also served as a commentator for the India-England Test series in 2006.
In April 2006, he was selected as a match referee
by the International Cricket Council
and served during the 2007 World Cup
.
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
) is a former India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. He was a frontline fast bowler
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
for the Indian cricket team
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....
until his retirement, being the second Indian pace bowler after Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj , better known as Kapil Dev, is a former Indian cricketer. He captained the Indian cricket team which won the 1983 Cricket World Cup...
to take 200 Test
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...
wickets. One ball that he bowled during the 1996 tour of South Africa measured 156 km/h (96.9 mph). He also clocked 154.5 km/h (96 mph) at the 1999 World Cup
Personal life
Srinath was born in Mysore in KarnatakaKarnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. He was attracted towards cricket right from an early age. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering
The Bachelor of Engineering is an undergraduate academic degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at universities in Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland , Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Korea,...
degree in Instrumentation Technology from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, popularly known as SJCE, located in Mysore, India, is an autonomous engineering college. It is governed by the Grant-in-Aid rules of the Government of Karnataka.-Beginnings:...
, Mysore.
Career summary
Although Srinath was a batsman as a youth, it was in a club match that he caught the eye of former Indian Test batsman Gundappa ViswanathGundappa Viswanath
Gundappa Rangnath Viswanath is a former Indian cricketer. He was one of India's finest batsmen throughout the 1970s. He played Test cricket for India from 1969 to 1983 making 91 appearances and scoring over 6000 runs. He also played in One Day Internationals from 1974 to 1982 including the World...
, now a selector for the state team. In 1989/90, Srinath made his first class debut for Karnataka
Karnataka cricket team
Karnataka cricket team is a cricket team that represents the Indian state of Karnataka in domestic first class cricket. One of the strongest teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, it has produced many of the Indian cricket team's leading players throughout its existence...
against Hyderabad
Hyderabad cricket team
The Hyderabad cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the city of Hyderabad. It is part of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group and has seen scattered success over its many years in the Ranji Trophy circuit. It falls into the South Zone in the Duleep Trophy and is one of two teams from Andhra...
, taking a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in the first innings. He followed this with wickets from successive balls in the second innings. Srinath finished the season with 25 wickets from six matches, and took another 20 the following season. The second season involved a display of reverse swing against Maharashtra
Maharashtra cricket team
The Maharashtra cricket team is a domestic cricket team based in the Indian state of Maharashtra in the city of Pune. It is in the Plate Group of the Ranji Trophy...
at the Nehru Stadium
Nehru Stadium, Pune
Nehru Stadium, formerly known as Club of Maharahstra Ground, is a multi-purpose stadium in Pune, India. It is mainly used for cricket matches...
in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, taking 7/93 to dismiss the home team for 311 in response to a Karnataka total of 638 on a good batting track.
Srinath made his One Day International debut in the Wills Trophy at Sharjah
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is in the emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. It was originally constructed in the early 1980s and has been much improved over the years...
in 1991. He became the fastest bowler to take 100 ODI wickets, reaching the mark 3 years and 19 days after his debut. He is also India's most prolific wicket-taker at World Cups with 44 wickets from 34 matches. He still remains India's highest wicket taker in ODI matches as a fast bowler and only Indian pacer to surprass 300 wicket tally in ODI matches. Only other Indian bowler to achieve this feat is Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian Test cricket team. He is a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-hand batsman. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for India in both Test and One Day International matches...
who is a spinner.
Srinath then was selected to the Indian cricket team
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....
for the 1991/92 tour of Australia. Making his Test debut against Australia at Brisbane
Brisbane Cricket Ground
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
, he took 3/59 while playing as the third pace bowler. He finished the tour with ten wickets at 55.30. He was given an opportunity to take the new ball against South Africa in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, where he took an economical 4/33 in 27 overs. Srinath ended the tour with 12 wickets at 26.08. However, due to wickets in India being conducive to spin, he subsequently spent seven consecutive home Tests watching from the sidelines as India only fielded two pacemen. It was not until three years after his international debut, in late 1994 and with the retirement of Kapil Dev that Srinath played his first home Test, against the West Indies. He took five wickets and scored 60 in the second innings to be named Man of the Match as India won by 96 runs. His increased opportunities also coincided with an improvement in his batting, scoring two half-centuries in the series.
Srinath took over 500 first class wickets, playing for Karnataka
Karnataka cricket team
Karnataka cricket team is a cricket team that represents the Indian state of Karnataka in domestic first class cricket. One of the strongest teams in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group, it has produced many of the Indian cricket team's leading players throughout its existence...
he took 96 at 24.06. In 1995, he joined Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
, and took 87 wickets in his one and only season with them including taking 9-76 against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
. He has also played English county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
with Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
and Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
.
In the 1996-97 series in South Africa, Srinath's speeds were timed at 150 km/h with one particular delivery measured at 156 km/h. For many years, Srinath was India's only regular pace bowler, and the workload is often believed to be the partial cause of injuries, which forced him to undergo an operation on his right shoulder in 1997.
Some critics argue that Srinath's average and strike rate suffered as a result of bowling on the predominantly dry and spin-friendly wickets in India; however, his average at home was in fact superior to his average away from India: Srinath knew how to reverse swing
Swing bowling
Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.-Physics of swing bowling:...
the ball.
Though his batting average is not impressive, he has played quite a few scintillating innings and won matches for India with his batting. He scored a vital 30 runs off 23 balls against Australia in the 8th match of Titan cup series (1996) in Bangalore, thus winning the match and securing a berth in the finals for India. This innings contained 2 fours and a six. In the same series he also scored a 50 against South Africa in Rajkot.
He retired from international cricket after the 2003 World Cup
2003 Cricket World Cup
-Group stage tables and results:The top three teams from each pool qualify for the next stage, carrying forward the points already scored against fellow qualifiers, plus a quarter of the points scored against the teams that failed to qualify.-Pool A:...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in which he performed strongly until the final against Australia, where he appeared to be overwhelmed by the pressure of the occasion, conceding 87 off his 10 overs. He toured England with the famous Lashings World XI
Lashings World XI
The Lashings World XI is a famous cricket team, founded by David Folb. It was originally formed in 1984 as a scratch team, and grew from an unremarkable English local club cricket team into, as it bills itself, the "World’s greatest cricket club"....
team in the summer of 2005, and also served as a commentator for the India-England Test series in 2006.
In April 2006, he was selected as a match referee
Match referee
A match referee is an official appointed to oversee professional cricket matches. Match referees for Test matches and One Day Internationals are appointed by the International Cricket Council...
by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
and served during the 2007 World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
.