Former India fast bowler Surendranath dies

Surendranath, the former India fast bowler, has died aged 75 following prolonged illness. He played 11 Tests for India between 1959 and 1961, and also had a 15-year first-class career with Services that ended in 1969.

The highlight of Surendranath's career was the tour of England in 1959, during which he took 16 wickets at 26.62 though India were blanked in the five-match Test series. He was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells, as shown by his back-to-back five-wicket hauls in the England series during which he bowled 47 overs in an innings at Old Trafford and 51 at The Oval. He was the second highest wicket-taker in the first-class matches on that tour, with 79 scalps, only behind legspinner Subhash Gupte.

"On that tour of England, he troubled the best of players - Peter May*, Colin Cowdrey, everyone," Chandu Borde, the former India batsman who was his team-mate during the series, said. "He was mostly an inswing bowler, who got the odd one to move away. He bowled excellent medium-pace, and being a soldier he was also a fighter on the field. Along with Ramakant Desai, he formed a very good opening attack for India."

Surendranath was also a part of home series against West Indies, Australia and Pakistan. He had success in his first Test against Pakistan, in Kolkata in 1960-61, but his international career ended a fortnight later as he couldn't make much of an impact in the next Test in Chennai.

His first-class career extended for eight more years, and he ended with 278 wickets at 25.37.

* May 07 2012, 04.20. The name of the player has been corrected