Ramakant Desai
Encyclopedia
Ramakant Bhikaji Desai represented India
in Test cricket
as fast bowler.
Ramakant Desai was unusually fast for a bowler who stood less than 5 feet 6 inches. His size earned him the nickname 'Tiny'. As the only bowler of pace in the Indian team, he was perennially overworked. He made his Test debut against West Indies
in 1958/59 took 4/169 in 49 overs. He troubled the batsmen with bouncers, which was unusual for an Indian bowler at the time.
He toured England
in 1959, West Indies in 1961/62 and Australia and New Zealand in 1967/68. Against Pakistan
in 1960/61, he took 21 wickets in the series. At Bombay
, he scored a quick 85 batting at No.10, an Indian record, and added a record 149 for the ninth wicket with Nana Joshi
. His best bowling performance in Tests was 6 for 56 against New Zealand
in 1964/65. At Dunedin his jaw was fractured by Dick Motz
, despite which he added 57 runs for the last wicket Bishen Bedi http://ind.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1967-68/IND_IN_NZ/IND_NZ_T1_15-20FEB1968.html.
In his first year in Ranji Trophy
, he took 50 wickets in 7 matches at an average. It is still a record for Bombay
. In his 11 years in the Bombay team (1958/59 - 1968/69), he never finished in a losing side.
Desai was the chairman of selectors from 1996/97. He resigned the post a month before his death. He died four days after being admitted in a hospital for a cardiac arrest.
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...
as fast bowler.
Ramakant Desai was unusually fast for a bowler who stood less than 5 feet 6 inches. His size earned him the nickname 'Tiny'. As the only bowler of pace in the Indian team, he was perennially overworked. He made his Test debut 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,...
in 1958/59 took 4/169 in 49 overs. He troubled the batsmen with bouncers, which was unusual for an Indian bowler at the time.
He toured England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1959, West Indies in 1961/62 and Australia and New Zealand in 1967/68. Against Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
in 1960/61, he took 21 wickets in the series. At Bombay
Brabourne Stadium
The Brabourne Stadium is a cricket ground in the Indian city of Mumbai. It is located on 90,000 square yards of reclaimed land along Marine Drive near Churchgate railway station in South Mumbai. The stadium is owned by the Cricket Club of India . Brabourne Stadium is India's first permanent...
, he scored a quick 85 batting at No.10, an Indian record, and added a record 149 for the ninth wicket with Nana Joshi
Nana Joshi
Padmanabh Govind "Nana" Joshi was a cricket player who kept wicket for India in Test cricket.Joshi was born in Baroda, Gujarat, India in 1926. He first gained attention as a cricket player when he scored 100 notout for Central Province Governor's XI against the touring Commonwealth XI in addition...
. His best bowling performance in Tests was 6 for 56 against New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
in 1964/65. At Dunedin his jaw was fractured by Dick Motz
Dick Motz
Richard Charles Motz was a New Zealand cricketer. A right-arm fast bowler and hard-hitting lower order batsman, Motz played 32 Test matches for the New Zealand cricket team between 1961 and 1969....
, despite which he added 57 runs for the last wicket Bishen Bedi http://ind.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1967-68/IND_IN_NZ/IND_NZ_T1_15-20FEB1968.html.
In his first year in Ranji Trophy
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...
, he took 50 wickets in 7 matches at an average. It is still a record for Bombay
Mumbai cricket team
The Mumbai cricket team is a cricket team representing the city of Mumbai in Indian domestic cricket. It is the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy, India's top domestic cricket competition, with 39 titles, the most recent being in 2009–10. The team's home ground is the Wankhede Stadium in...
. In his 11 years in the Bombay team (1958/59 - 1968/69), he never finished in a losing side.
Desai was the chairman of selectors from 1996/97. He resigned the post a month before his death. He died four days after being admitted in a hospital for a cardiac arrest.