One of the tragic figures of Indian cricket in more ways than one, Ramnath Parkar will be remembered for many things. He was one of the many cricketers to be given a raw deal by the selectors. A dashing right handed opening batsman and an outstanding cover fielder, Parkar should have played more than just the two Tests he did and he certainly should have been a member of the Indian team for the 1975 World Cup. He came to the fore in the 1970-71 when he played a leading role in a depleted Bombay side retaining the Ranji Trophy. This brought him into national reckoning and he was Sunil Gavaskar's opening partner in the first two Tests against England in 1972-73. With scores of 4, 35, 26 and 15 he was admittedly only a moderate success. But when the search continued for an opening partner for Gavaskar, he could have been given a chance, particularly since the two had a good understanding while playing together Bombay. Along with Brijesh Patel, he was the outstanding outfielder of the '70s. Discarded by the Indian selectors, he continued to grace the Bombay side for many years and in 51 Ranji Trophy matches he scored 2795 runs (38.28). His highest score was 197 against Hyderabad in 1974-75. In retirement, Parkart was a quiet, reserved devoted family man until tragedy struck on New Year's eve 1995. Parkar had just dropped his daughter and was on his way back when he was hit by a bus. The mishap left Parkar comatose and, despite undergoing surgery and therapy, he never recovered. People prayed for him and helped him and his family raised some money. But after being in coma for 43 months, Parkar died on August 11, 1999.
Partab Ramchand