USA's unsung hero left everyone hoping for more

Just what might have been if not for the fateful events of January 23, 2011. That is something many players and fans in USA cricket have pondered often, and it may continue to cross their minds for as long as USA remain in the second-tier fringes of Associate cricket. It was on that day that a rip occurred in USA cricket's space time continuum, creating a pair of alternate futures.

At the time, Aditya Thyagarajan was USA's reigning player of the year, having led the national team in runs in 2010. USA had just come off a very convincing victory over the hosts Hong Kong at ICC WCL Division Three. Thyagarajan was the fulcrum providing stability to a delicate USA batting lineup. When he suffered a dislocated right knee the next day in an infamous loss to Denmark, the rest of the nuts and bolts in USA's order were jarred loose. By the end of the tournament, USA was relegated to Division Four, a result from which they have yet to fully recover nearly four years later.

For some players, their true value isn't realized until they are missing from a lineup. This was true for Thyagarajan, USA's most under-appreciated batting asset of the last decade. USA had always relied on him to steer them out of murky waters even though he hardly ever got the credit he deserved. Only twice was he awarded Man-of-the-Match honours in his national team career.

Former USA head coach Clayton Lambert fondly referred to Thyagarajan as his "Insurance Policy" providing adequate coverage in the middle order to clean up after collapses from the top. No matter how big or small the mess that lay in front of him, Thyagarajan was almost always able to mould his bat into a broom to go about tidying up the scorecard for his team-mates, whether it was to set up a decent target for USA's bowlers to defend or battling back in a tense chase.

A testament to Thyagarajan's ability to radiate calmness to his team-mates is evident in the number of significant partnerships he has been involved in. The two biggest partnerships for any wicket in USA's 50-over cricket history, 213 for the fifth wicket and an unbeaten 205 for the seventh, were both constructed in part by Thyagarajan. A T20 world record unbeaten 99-run stand for the seventh wicket against Ireland stands to this day.

Although he was never bestowed with any formal leadership distinctions in his time with USA, Thyagarajan was a vital asset in maintaining positive team chemistry on and off the field. The ethnic cliques between South Asian and West Indian factions have long been a part of the national setup, both from an administrative and squad selection standpoint. Thyagarajan was one of the few able to rise above this, serving as a friend and mentor to just as many West Indian players as South Asians in the USA squad. Having settled in Santa Barbara, California, after migrating from his native India, it was this easygoing beach bum demeanor he picked up from living on the west coast that went a long way toward diffusing any tensions among others that reared up within the squad setup.

At first glance, one might not imagine him as a capable fielder. Hovering a shade over six feet and built like a tuna, he may have looked more suited to camping out at fine leg or third man. However, he was surprisingly agile for a big man and his sure hands meant he was assigned to patrol the long-on or long-off boundary more often than not, especially if a spinner was operating. All but three of the 17 catches he took came from spinners. Whenever a ball was hit in the air in his direction, the smart money was on the ball landing safely as he struggled to make up ground. Yet, just at the last moment, he would somehow find another gear to shift into and theatrically tumble forward to safely pouch the ball.

For all that Thyagarajan accomplished, there is something unsatisfying about his final tally of 939 runs in 50-over cricket with his last match played at age 35. Had he remained healthy through that tour of Hong Kong, there's a decent probability that USA would have advanced to Division Two and from there, who knows what would have happened.

At the very least, Thyagarajan with two healthy knees would still be playing for another two or three years. He was never going to be Mr. Universe, but his weight was manageable prior to the knee injury. After the dislocation, though, he struggled badly to shed the pounds he packed on when he was off his feet and off the cricket field. It was clear from his interviews since 2011 that the same zest for national team duties that he had before the injury had started to drift away. With knee issues limiting his effectiveness on USA's last two tours to Malaysia, Thyagarajan decided to gracefully jump before he was pushed off the selection plank.

Even though it may have been fleeting, Thyagarajan's time in the sun was longer than most players. He shined brightest playing his lofted cover drives, sneaky late cuts and dabs that almost always found a way to pierce the gaps behind square, no matter how many fielders were stationed between gully and backward point. It was through those scoring regions where USA cashed in on their "Insurance Policy" more times than they may remember. The premium for that policy will be priced at a higher rate for up and coming players in the future thanks to Aditya Thyagarajan.