Karsan Ghavri

One of the best utility cricketers to represent the country, Karsan Ghavri rendered yeoman service to Indian cricket. He had a rather long run-up for a bowler of his pace but as a left-armer who could bowl bowh medium pace or slow, he frequently troubled batsmen, particularly with judicious use of a nippy bouncer. As a late-order batsman he was more than useful either holding one end up or going for his strokes. Ghavri displayed his allround skills in his first Test series against West Indies in 1974-75. He was rather unlucky to miss the dual tour of New Zealand and West Indies the following season. He was back in 1976-77 against New Zealand and England and was a regular member of the team till 1981. He did pretty well in the three Tests in Australia in 1977-78, scoring 64 in the only innings at Sydney and taking seven wickets in the match in the final Test at Adelaide.

Ghavri's most successful series was against West Indies in 1978-79 when he took 27 wickets. The following season he hit his highest Test score of 86, in the process sharing a record eighth-wicket stand of 127 with Syed Kirmani against Australia at Bombay. In the series that followed against Pakistan, he was at his fighting best when he got 45 not out to rescue India from 69 for 8 to 162 at Kanpur. Again, in the final Test at Calcutta, he scored 37 not out at a vital stage to help India avoid defeat. On what proved to be his final tour, he was still good enough to take 5 for 107 in Australia's only innings at Sydney and in the third and final Test at Melbourne he gave India a vital breakthrough when he dismissed Dyson and Greg Chappell with successive deliveries. Ghavri, who first made his mark on the Indian schools team's tour of Australia in 1968-69, also played in the 1975 and 1979 World Cup competitions.
Partab Ramchand