Suresh Menon

A dozen books that will give you an insight into the subcontinent when you visit for the cricket

He was among the finest Indian batsmen, and had a colourful personality that lent itself to several apocryphal tales. It's a pity how he was ignored back then and even now in death

Bengaluru seems to produce cricketers who are skilful, self-effacing, gentlemanly and confident

It was here that a Test was tied and the then-highest one-day score was made, but Chepauk is much more than just the sum of its records

Eleven players who couldn't be graceless if they tried

Bishan Bedi's talent was vast and he had the heart to match. The beauty of his action was bewitching and he had the cruelty to go with it

Six of the XI made their debuts after November 1989. A sign that this is one of Indian cricket's best periods ever

Picking two out of nine spinners means it's a choice between the romance of the past and the effectiveness of the present

Two from India's first Test, one from the era of spinners, a 90s stalwart, and a noughties hero make the quick bowlers shortlist

Indian wicketkeepers have always been encouraged to be many-skilled. Three of five in this list have scored centuries, and one holds the record for the most stumpings in an innings

In Indian cricket, the term allrounder has often been used with a disclaimer. But not for these players

Will the picks skew towards the current crop, or will the Vishys and Hazares get a look in?

Three one-time middle-order batsmen and one pure opener are in the running for the first two spots

Amid all the statistical highlights, you get a look at the man behind the umpire, but it's a fuzzy image

As his team-mates collapsed and Donald raged, Kapil Dev took the fight to South Africa

The eccentric England wicketkeeper spent rainy days and time on the bench sketching and painting. Two books chronicle his art

The Master's autobiography provides glimpses of a long-ago time that is strikingly similar (and not) to ours

In which two diplomats and cricket lovers look at a half-century of India-Pakistan cricket and the attendant politics and tell it like they see it

Two Somerset players, generations apart, have had their struggles with mental illness form the subject of two fine books

A doctor, an air-force man, and 10 great players bring a childhood back to life