Perhaps not unexpectedly, Utpal Chatterjee's selection at the age of 30 for his first ODI came in for a lot of criticism. His detractors said the place could have gone to a much younger man while others openly expressed doubts whether he was deserving of a place in the national side. But the left-arm bowler, who is a fairly big turner of the ball in helpful conditions and can be steady when conditions favour the batsman, was determined to make his presence felt. He started off well by taking 1 for 28 off ten overs against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup match at Sharjah. Against sterner opposition, Chatterjee proved his mettle by taking 2 for 35 off eight overs against Pakistan, his victims being Moin Khan and Ghulam Ali. But he was harshly treated by the New Zealand batsmen in the first ODI the visitors played the following season, conceding 54 runs off 8.5 overs and was not considered again. However he continued to play with much success for Bengal and touched peak form in the 1999-2000 season when he took 52 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, setting a new Bengal record and in the process inching towards the 300 wicket mark in the competition. He was appointed as Bengal coach for the 2008-09 season.
Partab Ramchand (May 2004)