Narayanan Gautam

Wisden Obituary
Gautam, Narayanan, who died of cancer in Chennai on May 7, 2002, aged only 34, was a tall, elegant batsman whose stylish strokeplay and unflappable temperament in the No. 3 spot helped Tamil Nadu reach the final of the Ranji Trophy in 1991-92. There, they were beaten on first innings by Delhi. That Tamil Nadu had a class player in the making was apparent from the way Gautam scored his 23 on debut against the touring New Zealanders in November 1988. Though another two years passed before his first Ranji Trophy game, in 1990-91, he graced it with 101 as Tamil Nadu amassed 548 against Hyderabad. The following season he made a career-best 190 against Uttar Pradesh in a Ranji quarter-final. Timing, fluent driving and effortless square-cuts were the outstanding features of his batting, but when the timing unaccountably deserted him the runs dried up. Gautam's final Ranji Trophy season, 1994-95, found him playing as a professional for bottom-of-the-zone Goa. He made 1,007 runs in a 23-match career; an average of 30.51 hints at what he might have achieved.

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 2003