Great Domestic Sides - Mumbai, The Hague Cricket Club and more to come!

[Bevab]

Some domestic teams throughout cricket history have been a hotbed of talent for national teams to pick from. The most famous examples are of course the likes of New South Wales, Yorkshire, Barbados and Mumbai. I remember Cricinfo doing an all-time great XI from Barbados, Mumbai and Karnataka. Ian Chappell also named his best XI from NSW cricketers although that one was fairly controversial. I've gone over and done a few such XIs for some other domestic teams and while they aren't in the same class as a Barbados or NSW XI, they are more than good to hold their forte in international cricket versus the best sides. I shall post some of them in the coming days.

If anyone else does have all-time great domestic XIs of your own, feel free to share them in this thread. You could also post a domestic team's XI from a season where most of their cricketers were internationals or would be internationals in the near future. Yorkshire for example could call upon Bresnan (a shame that he's finally moving on), Rashid, Lyth, Root, Bairstow, Ballance, Willey, Malan and Olivier from their current squad who have all been capped internationally and are stars in the domestic scene. Alternatively, all of the Aussie domestic sides at the turn of this century would have equally stood a chance to survive decently in test cricket if I'm right.

Spoiler: INDIA

Delhi Cricket Team
Tamil Nadu Cricket Team
Bengal Cricket Team
Mumbai Cricket Team

 

[Bevab]

Before we get started, there are two main rules that I would like to abide by.

• First one is fairly obvious but just in case, international record > domestic record. If there are two players with similar domestic records or one had a slightly better domestic record but the other achieved more on the international stage, the latter will be preferred. This rule might be broken on some occasions though with regards to quality of international opposition faced, short international careers (which also mean that current players will naturally be at a disadvantage) etc.
• The second rule has some very big implications for the rest of my choices and that shall be that a player shall belong to the team that he has played the most matches (not innings) for. This means that place of birth and the starting team will not be considered unless the player in question is an overseas option or has played more games for an overseas club. The most famous example I or anyone else can provide will be the case of Bradman. He was born in Sydney and started out as a batsman for New South Wales. And yet, he has played three more games for South Australia and spent a larger portion of his career playing for them. Henceforth, this rule shall be called as the Bradman rule.
• Most importantly, a lot of these choices are bound to be slightly subjective in the end. I have not watched most of these players play live and so shall have to rely on reports, videos and accounts of their performances to judge them and shall try to remain as objective as possible. In the end though, I cannot eliminate all forms of bias though I promise to not do an Ian Chappell and name Mark Waugh in my greatest NSW XI when he wasn't even the best test player in his family.

I shall finally attempt to rate these choices by a rating system where

• Five out of five means they are legitimately in the conversation to be in All-Time Great XIs without ridicule.
  
• Four out of five means that they were stars for their international sides when they played.
  
• Three out of five means that they were regulars or semi-regulars for their international sides.
• Two out of five means that they had a few international caps but couldn't cut it at the top level or were very unlucky to be passed on despite being domestic giants.
• One out of five means that they were domestic stalwarts who were uncapped and wouldn't have been called up under most circumstances either.

With the use of half values, I can hopefully present a clearer picture of my thoughts.

 

[Bevab]

Delhi Cricket Team - A Team of Stars, What ifs and Left-arm Orthodoxies

​

Why Delhi?

Delhi's cricket team is the third most successful in Ranji history and has traditionally been a strong cricketing side that has steadily supplied excellent prospects for the national team over the decades but several of them would ultimately end up underachieving on the international stage. This is the team that has been home to Brazil's only test cricketer, one of the earliest graduates from the maligned MRF Pace Foundation, a journeyman star who would play for Ireland and in the Dhaka Premier League, two of India's youngest test debutantes at their time and has also welcomed two Punjabi stars who would ultimately become one among India's finest. This is a team that has housed talents like Gyaneshwar Prasad, Rakesh Shukla and Rajinder Pal who would manage just two tests between them despite averaging less than 25 with the ball. There certainly has been plenty of talent in this side over the years.

Most famous achievement?

Barring Bombay's frankly ludicrous dominance in the 50s, 60s and 70s, no other team has managed quite a run like that of Delhi in Ranji Trophy. From 1976 to 1992, they missed out on only three Ranji finals and unlike a Bengal team who seem to have the spirit of chokers in them, they managed to make their dominance count by picking up seven title wins. This is clearly reflected in their greatest XI with six of those players representing Delhi at some point during this run and you could easily argue for it to be more.

Openers?

This section might be fairly straightforward despite the presence of visible talent. Aakash Chopra, Raman Lamba and Arun Lal could never translate their imperious domestic form into anything substantial at a higher level while Chetan Chauhan, Gavaskar's regular partner played one extra game for Maharashtra making him ineligible. That leaves three regular Indian openers in test cricket who have achieved varying degrees of success. Out of these three, it makes sense that Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir both open as they did ever so successfully for India. Sehwag's average with Delhi might be only 40, but it includes numbers from his days as a middle-order batsman before his transition to one of the most entertaining openers of all-time. Gambhir's passion for Delhi's cricketing interests is well known given his encouragement of the team's young prospects and man-management skills. Despite having an Indian captain further down the lineup, it makes perfect sense that he leads this all-time XI just like he led them in their last Ranji title. The ever unlucky Shikhar Dhawan will once again have to serve as backup to this dynamic duo as he did for years in real life.

1. Gautam Gambhir
2. Virender Sehwag

 

[Bevab]

Top Order?

This is the easiest part to decide for the team as they have two well established star names and no challengers either. Surinder Amarnath was Kambli before Kambli himself arrived, a teenage prodigy who would make his Ranji debut at fifteen and would end up as one of Indian cricket's biggest what ifs despite possessing so much talent that he batted left-handed despite naturally being a right-handed player. His elder brother Mohinder Amarnath shall be the team's number three. The older brother was modest at home but on away pitches where pacers breathed fire and the ball bounced hard, the master of comebacks would come to life with some of the bravest batting ever witnessed by Indian folk. Despite starting out as a Punjabi batsman, his true highs were hit when he was a Delhi player and he averages 50 with the bat and 25 with the ball for them.

There really is only one right answer for the number four and that is Virat Kohli. India's current captain might not get on well with this hypothetical XI's captain but that shall only serve as motivation for a cricketer who thrives on pressure and proving others wrong. One of the most intense and ambitious cricketers to have represented India, Kohli is Delhi personified in his attitude and he shall complete a world-class top four that will be the equal of any domestic side in the world.

Middle Order?

The middle order is where things start to get a lot more crowded. There is a plethora of uncapped talents besides some real giants from the 70s and 80s who failed badly for India despite taking Delhi to trophies nearly every season.

My first choice for the number five spot was clear. He was going to lead this team in the image of the city like he led his country against superior sides. Only at the last moment did I discover that Tiger Pataudi was ineligible as he had played a lot more games for Hyderabad. Dejected, I scrambled to look over other options. Should I opt for two all-rounders? Two keeper-batsmen perhaps? None of the options I looked over had real quality international experience though or were ineligible like Ramesh Saxena. There of course was the ultra-versatile Mithun Manhas, who was the real leader behind Delhi ending their title drought more than a decade ago and is fifth on the run scoring charts for Ranji Trophy. Crisis man Krishnan Bhaskar Pillai was another 80s star averaging close to 70 at his peak who never got a fair chance in Indian colours. The man who was ignored the most and wrongly typecast as a limited overs specialist ended up being my choice. Ajay Sharma is famous on these forums for his ludicrous batting average of 67 and was a handy bowler too. A controversial career that was rife with rumours of links to fixers might have been the end of his test dreams and it ended up being true as he was convicted at the age of 36.


The wicket-keeper for this team might be one of the two most controversial choices. Vijay Dahiya can be safely discarded as a decent but not quite top class player. KS Indrajitinshji could never live up to the potential that his illustrious family showed and is ineligible in any case. And as much as I keep changing these two, in the end it is clear that Rishabh Pant is the superior option to Surinder Khanna. The former already has test centuries in England and Australia, something no other Indian keeper has achieved and has already improved markedly with the gloves though I still would guess that Khanna would hold the edge there. The star of the all-conquering Delhi team in the 80s meanwhile was a swashbuckling entertainer much like Pant and averaged 47 with the bat with no other keeper coming close to that. Most importantly he was the man who started Delhi's victorious run as his twin centuries against Karnataka proved to be the decisive factor and he was duly named Indian Cricketer of the Year in 1979. Had it not been for a clearly poor international record, his inclusion would have clearly been obvious. Maybe I shall revisit this later and decide then.

The all-rounder spot might be the most fiercely contested. Prakash Bhandari and Kirti Azad were two hard-hitting spin bowling all-rounders who had a valid claim on the spot due to their impressive Ranji resume. Azad was a controversial political selection for India while Bhandari was discarded at just the age of 20 as an international cricketer. Rajat Bhatia somehow never managed to play for India despite averaging close to fifty with the bat and bowling decent pace. The clear winner here will be Manoj Prabhakar who averages an amazing 60 with the bat for Delhi and was decent enough to bowl regularly for India too. At seven he shall offer perfect balance to what is looking like a well tuned lineup. He is also a very useful option to promote as the night watchman due to his experience of playing as a stonewalling opener for India.

1. Gautam Gambhir
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Mohinder Amarnath
4. Virat Kohli
5. Ajay Sharma
6. Rishabh Pant
7. Manoj Prabhakar

 

[Bevab]

Pacers?

Firstly, we need to decided whether a lone spinner is enough or if two would be needed. Considering that Prabhakar and Amarnath can both offer medium pace when required, it makes more sense to go for just two pacers with two spinners unless the pitch is a pacers' paradise. In that case, Rajinder Pal will slot in alongside Madan Lal and Ishant Sharma. The latter duo average under 20 with the ball for Delhi while Pal's overall Ranji average is 19. Pal was unlucky to be born in the era of Tiger Pataudi's all spin tactic and in an era where his country respects domestic pacers more, he is most welcome. The likes of Atul Wassan, Ashish Nehra and Navdeep Saini will have to wait in line for any chances while Sanjeev Sharma's rather unimpressive record with the ball counts against him despite being capable with the bat.

Spinners?

The first choice pick will be one player who is the most indispensable to this lineup. Bishan Singh Bedi is India's highest wicket-taker in first-class history and a sheer magician with the ball who could deceive batsmen in the air without any tell. He is without any doubt India's most consistent spinner and only once has he bowled for more than twenty overs and failed to pick up a wicket.

The second spinner is more of a concern. There is of course Rajinder Goel, Ranji Trophy's highest wicket-taker who remained in the shadow of Bedi and never played for India. Alas, he is yet again unable to break into a strong playing XI but this time it is because of the Bradman rule. And then there are the likes of Rahul Sanghvi, Maninder Singh and Rakesh Shukla. The latter is a leg-spinner in contrast to the other two who are both left-arm spinners which does help his case. He is also a valuable batsman down the order. Ultimately though, Singh had oodles of talent that Shukla could only dream of and was the designated heir to Bedi's throne. Unfortunately, personal problems and yips affected the teenage sensation who could go nowhere despite reinventing himself. His career was arguably the most tragic in this lineup and thankfully his past troubles with substance abuse seem to be behind him now. Even if there is a similarity to Bedi, I would trust Singh versus quality opposition over the others.

1. Gautam Gambhir
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Mohinder Amarnath
4. Virat Kohli
5. Ajay Sharma
6. Rishabh Pant
7. Manoj Prabhakar
8. Madan Lal
9. Ishant Sharma
10. Maninder Singh
11. Bishan Singh Bedi

 

[Bevab]

Tamil Nadu Cricket Team - One Cap Wonders and Wondrous Names
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Why them?

Tamil Nadu has predominantly been a white ball cricketing team having won the List A competition more times than any other side and were also the first to win the T20 tournament. This is not to say that they weren't powerhouses in Ranji Trophy though, only four teams have managed more final appearances than them but they have won only two, a shambolic record that is only second to Bengal. They were also the first team to play a Ranji Trophy match, facing Mysore in their home ground. Some of their players have also been unlucky, having been discarded very quickly despite impressing internationally.

Most famous achievement?

The most unique feat that this team has achieved though is that they've won all five major domestic tournaments in India, something that no other team can even dream of achieving as one of the tournaments has been restructured now.

Obvious picks?

I would like to start by picking the players who would be obvious choices in their all-time great XI. Murali Vijay is without any doubt the most successful international test batsman from this state to represent India. An average of 47.36 and 3600 runs for his domestic team isn't too shabby either. At number four is a player who would have won more than two caps had he played in another era. He would pile on the runs in the domestic scene with only Muzumdar bettering him but India's batting order was set in stone during his formative years and he was discarded quickly due to being on the wrong side of thirty when he finally received a chance in the famous 2010 series versus South Africa. For TN though, Subramaniam Badrinath was a bedrock of consistency who averaged 56.99 and grounded opposition bowlers to dust with tenacity and technical strokes.

Spinners are something that every Indian team seem to have in abundance. Tamil Nadu though has been lucky with the presence of quite a few international spinners of fine ability and skill. And there are few better than the duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Srinivas Venkataraghavan. The former is already in conversation for staking a place in an All-Time Great Indian XI while the latter was a part of the famous spin quartet of the 60s and 70s besides being Ranji Trophy's second highest wicket-taker with 530 wickets to his name at an average of 18. Ashwin's own average of 25 is quite decent and combine that with his batting average of 28 and you have a very capable bowling all-rounder in your hands. With him playing the role of an attacking spinner while Venkat serves as the accurate and defensive spinner, most teams playing at the Chepauk will have to fear this duo.

1. Murali Vijay
2. ?
3. ?
4. Subramaniam Badrinath
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. ?
10. Srinivas Venkataraghavan

 

[Bevab]

Rest of the batting order?

The second opening spot is more hotly contested. There is India's buccaneering opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth who is the most famous but he is challenged by his pupil Sadagoppan Ramesh who despite a faulty technique managed to carve out a decent test career for two years. And then, you have three domestic stalwarts who never got their dues on the international stage in Woorkeri Raman Abhinav Mukund and VB Chandrasekhar. The latter trio were clearly a class below internationally even if Raman had an average close to 50 and in the end, I would take Ramesh over Srikkanth even if at first glance the choice appears to be controversial. Despite his ODI heroics, Srikkanth had a rather underwhelming test career and averaged just 38 for TN. Ramesh on the other hand has an average of 41 and was decent for India when he played. A very controversial choice but in the end I might revisit this after using VARP as there are a lot of strong contenders.

Number three is a shootout between AG Milkha Singh (batting average: 36.75) and Hemang Badani (batting average: 51.75). The former played all of his four tests before he was twenty and the latter was restricted to the role of an ODI specialist as the successor to Ajay Jadeja. The duo both have an eerily similar test record and Badani's superior numbers in Ranji Trophy will ensure his selection here.

Number five has some decent competition with Cota Ramaswami (batting average: 22.55) and Thirumalai Srinivasan (batting average: 31.22) present. They pale in comparison to the classy Coimbatarao Doraikannu Gopinath (batting average: 48.84) who was one of the leading domestic batsmen of his era despite failing to live up to his potential for India. Gopinath was one of the stars of Tamil Nadu's first Ranji triumph in 1955. Back then they were called Madras and they were the only side not named Holkar or Bombay to win the league since independence until Karnataka broke Bombay's streak in 1974. He starred in the final with an excellent century that laid the platform to defeat a highly fancied Holkar team led by Syed Mushtaq Ali. Later on, he would lead the team with distinction.

The keeper's spot is a choice between a pure keeper and a keeper-batsman with Dinesh Karthik (batting average: 44.51), Reuben Paul (batting average: 27.82), Patamada Belliappa (batting average: 22.62), Kakkudasam Rajagopal (batting average: 41.02) and Bharath Reddy (batting average: 21.91) being the contenders. Reddy and Karthik have both underachieved on the international stage, serving as backups for two all-time great Indian keepers for most of their careers while the other two never received a chance despite being two of the finest Indian keepers at that time. Belliappa and Rajagopal both played as openers and Rajagopal did not keep for a time as his captain Belliappa did those duties. Both were excellent keepers and could consider themselves unlucky to have never represented India. Paul was a fan favourite to receive a call-up around the turn of the century which never materialised. Paul and Rajagopal were both exciting cricketers to watch while batting and Karthik is well known for being a monumental run-scorer in Ranji history. Against the best though, you want a keeper who can bat well and also keep adequately and Karthik fills that role in my team as another fairly controversial decision. Should you desire a pure keeper though, Reddy will be your man.

1. Murali Vijay
2. Sadagoppan Ramesh
   
3. Hemang Badani
   
4. Subramaniam Badrinath
5. Coimbatarao Gopinath
   
6. ?
7. Dinesh Karthik
   
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. ?
10. Srinivas Venkataraghavan
11. ?

 

[Bevab]

Bowling options?

An all-rounder is essential to maintain the balance of this team as none of the top five are anything more than part-timers with the ball. Thankfully, Tamil Nadu has been home to quite a few capable all-rounders over the years. Abdul Jabbar (batting average: 41.17, bowling average: 28.44) was an off-break bowler who could bat in the top six but never became a well known name beyond his state. Robin Singh (batting average: 48.75, bowling average: 31.66) was limited to the role of an ODI specialist and received only a solitary cap in tests. Sridharan Sriram (batting average: 58.69, bowling average: 39.21) could count himself extremely unlucky to not play a single test for India despite being one of the best domestic batsman of his time but his impact with the ball is questionable and could not manage to impress in the eight ODIs he played. Bharat Arun (batting average: 28.67, bowling average: 31.21) could only manage six international games as a partner for Kapil Dev before the realisation that he lacked control. Milkha Singh's elder brother AG Kripal Singh (batting average: 46.73, bowling average: 23.86) is the clear winner for being good with both bat and ball and formed a fruitful partnership with Gopinath that lasted for years and brought the team their first Ranji title. While his international achievements were slightly disappointing after an excellent start, it must be considered that he was never fully trusted to be in the team and found himself frequently dropped which ensured that he could never do justice to his immense talent. Robin Singh could replace him on pitches where an extra pacer is required.

The other two bowling options require a pacer at minimum. The best player for that role is Morapakkam Gopalan (batting average: 22.35, bowling average: 19.06) bowled the first delivery in Ranji history and was a dual international who missed out on an Olympic gold medal in hockey for a solitary test under Vizzy's bizarre captaincy. For Madras though, he was a star cricketer who would later become captain and frequently play both sports, often on the same day and still have enough energy for his regular job and the next day's game. An indefatigable pacer who could cut the ball will be an invaluable asset at home for Tamil Nadu.

The other bowler will change depending on the pitch and conditions. Should the need for a second pacer arise, any one of Commandur Rangachari (bowling average: 22.42) who lost the major part of his career to the Second World War and was still noted as the quickest Indian pacer of his era, Lakshmipathy Balaji (bowling average: 21.98) whose career would have nearly ended by a stress fracture but for his indomitable spirit, tearaway quick and inconsistent Thirumalai Sekhar (bowling average: 25.41) could serve the role adequately. I would personally opt for Balaji should the need arise.

When playing at home though, the extra spinner makes more sense and there are three main contenders for this role. The oldest is Vaman Kumar (bowling average: 17.91 (Madras), 18.99 (Tamil Nadu)) who was held up as the successor to the legendary Gupte but was not picked again after he failed against England. In fairness to him, he was rumoured to be injured and was forced to bowl. His nearly match winning performance versus Pakistan in his debut shows his skill and while he missed out on his team's maiden title win narrowly, he would serve his domestic team with distinction for twenty-one years with some of them as captain. He is seventh on the all-time wickets chart of Ranji Trophy and was unlucky to miss out on more games due to the presence of another leg-spinner in the legendary Chandrasekhar. Other alternatives include teenage prodigy Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (batting average: 36.30, bowling average: 31.69) who seemed to have the world at his feet as a mystery spinner but soon lost it all and had to reinvent himself as an all-rounder who would lead TN to their second Ranji triumph alongside rookie Margashayam Venkataramana (bowling average: 27.61) who was the match-winner with the ball in the final and ended his career as an one-cap wonder.

1. Murali Vijay
2. Sadagoppan Ramesh
   
3. Hemang Badani
   
4. Subramaniam Badrinath
5. Coimbatarao Gopinath
   
6. AG Kripal Singh
   
7. Dinesh Karthik
   
8. Ravichandran Ashwin
9. Morapakkam Gopalan
   
10. Srinivas Venkataraghavan
11. Vaman Kumar

 

[Bevab]

Bengal Cricket Team - The Land of Swing Bowlers
​

Why them?

To put it mildly, Bengal has the worst record in Ranji Trophy finals. And when you remember that a certain Indian captain with poor record in finals also happened to play for them...

In all seriousness though, plenty of them were up against a stronger Bombay team. Only three other teams have an equal or better record when it comes to reaching the finals and Bengal has always had a history of one or two international players representing them supported by plenty of domestic stalwarts who were never quite good for India but proved to be quite handy, especially on their home ground.

You could probably form an entirely competent bowling lineup for Bengal without even resorting to a spinner, quite unusual for an Indian domestic side. A large part of this is due to the breeze from the Hooghly river which wasn't blocked by the stands and buildings in the older days particularly in the late afternoon. This resulted in a rich lineage of bowlers who could genuinely swing the ball in either direction and it is perplexing why India never made use of such players on away tours. The focus on pace bowlers in modern days resulted from this history and with the emergence of prospects like Porel and Akash Deep, Bengal's history looks set to continue.

Most famous achievement?

Their consistency in reaching finals is something to be marvelled at even if things haven't gone their way till now.

 

[Aislabie]

Outstanding content; I hope to post a little piece on John Barclay's Sussex side of '81 in the coming days, and maybe the pre-WWI New South Wales side

 

[Bevab]

Outstanding content; I hope to post a little piece on John Barclay's Sussex side of '81 in the coming days, and maybe the pre-WWI New South Wales side

That would be lovely!

Hadn't heard of that Sussex team before but they seem to have some real stars in le Roux, Mendis and Imran. Will be interesting to see how you rate them.

 

[Bevab]

For those wondering, I've made up the Bengal lineup sometime ago but couldn't get around to posting it. I shall do it tomorrow but the write-up might be significantly smaller.

 

[Bevab]

Bengal Cricket Team - The Land of Swing Bowlers

​

Openers?

Every team needs a good pair of openers for a successful start and Bengal shall have the most successful Indian opener before Gavaskar's reign in Pankaj Roy (batting average: 64.85). Roy was a man whose Indian career was largely marked by periods of inconsistency around several valiant efforts of sheer class. Before Ganguly came along, he was the man who defined Bengal's batting with his technically sound defence, bravery in facing the fiercest bowlers of his time without it disrupting his concentration when on form and elevating his game in the moments of ultimate pressure. For a man who played in Eden Gardens though, quality swing was his kryptonite as proven by a batting average of just 13.7 on English soil including a tour where he averaged just 7.75 with five ducks. He could play pace well though as proven by his impressive record versus West Indies and without any doubt would be a key performer for this team.

Accompanying him will be Arun Lal (batting average: 69.32). He started his career playing for Delhi but struggled to make an impression which prompted a move to Bengal. Fortune favours the brave and Lal was no different as he would form a key part of the team that appeared in three finals and top scored for his team in the final they won besides raising his game for the other knockout matches. For India though, he was just one among many openers tried as Gavaskar's partner who made up for his lack of skill at the highest level with grit. He also made the most out of games at his home venue though as shown by a poor average of just 16 for India when playing away from Eden Gardens.

 

[Bevab]

Rest of the batting order?

Down at three is a man who was the first triple centurion in Bengal history. Devang Gandhi (batting average: 45.16) had an excellent start to his international career and seemed destined for greatness. That was until a disastrous tour down under where he was ruthlessly exposed by quick, short pitched deliveries that sealed his fate despite domestic success. He beats out Rohan Gavaskar (batting average: 51.24) to secure a spot in the team.

At number four is the main man of this Bengal team. A charismatic leader and one adored as a divine figure in Bengal cricketing circles is Sourav Ganguly (batting average: 54.71, bowling average: 27.42) whose mere presence in the side will mean home fans flock to the stadium to cheer on this side. He is the spinners' nightmare and a master of the offside in a manner few can match and was part of the Bengal team that made two consecutive final appearances in 2006 and 2007. His batting and captaincy shouldn't hide his usefulness as the fifth bowler. While he wasn't the most prolific with the ball at international level, Ganguly was a more than useful option with the ball for Bengal as shown by four five-wicket hauls.

It might be a surprise given that he is currently active but another member of the mid 2000s Bengal team will bat at five here. For years, Manoj Tiwary (batting average: 51.68, bowling average: 61.50) remained on the periphery of international cricket. That a batsman of such rarefied talents never got his due as a result of intense competition, injury woes and an ability to court controversy at times is such a shame. He was nicknamed the junior Dada and compared with Kevin Pietersen himself due to the similarity in batting style. It was in the mid 2010s though with him averaging close to fifty when his exclusion was most bizarre. The absence of international honours did mean that Tiwary was free to play for Bengal often and they benefited the most from the presence of a world class batsman who was clearly too good.

His uncle was Bengal's first great batsman and he does come from the state that gave India one of it's greatest captains. And yet ask any Bengali who is the closest to epitomizing the style of it's people and the name that shall come up is Ambar Roy (batting average: 49.49, bowling average: 33.40). An inauspicious start to his international career meant that he would never get the chance to improve on a record that is nowhere near a reflection of his exquisite talent. You cannot blame the selectors here though. Roy did not believe in net sessions. He was often found sleeping in the dressing room during matches. Roy would walk out, get himself set and then get out inexplicably or fail to even settle after a ludicrous shot. And Bengal wouldn't have it in any other way. Get woken up, bat for sometime, come back and light up a cigarette with the fans cheering you on was his style. On the pitch, he did not make much use of his feet. But why would you rely on footwork when you could play shots that make even the finest of India's stroke-makers look inelegant without any effort? 'Lazy elegance' is a dreaded term that has been used to describe players like Rohit Sharma in recent times alongside the multitude of left-handed batsmen in the history of cricket. No one could do more justice to that term than Ambar Roy though. His cousin Pranab Roy, the son of Pankaj Roy himself admired him for his attitude and rock star attitude. This wasn't to say that he couldn't bat though. He was part of the team that made two finals and captained his side in one final. He still has a partnership record for Bengal and his unbeaten century versus Karnataka against two of the spin quartet in Prasanna and Chandrasekhar was an innings for the ages.

For the keeper's role we have a three way battle between the current incumbent of the Indian side, the first great keeper of the Indian team and the man who led the 2000s side to two finals. Deep Dasgupta (batting average: 30.75) is the easiest to dismiss, he might have been a fine leader but with Ganguly in the team we do not need anymore leadership skills and his pedigree behind the stumps is suspect to say the least when compared with the other two options. Probir 'Khokhan' Sen (batting average: 30.44) was a player of Bangladeshi heritage and a student of the legendary Don Tallon himself who he credits for improving his glovework. Sen was extremely agile and was described to be lightning 'quick' behind the stumps especially for stumpings. Sen had to see off competition from keepers who were better with the bat than him like Bombay's Madhav Mantri but the sheer excellence he showed with the gloves and an almost telepathic understanding with Mankad meant that he retained his place for the better part of nearly five years. It it tough to compete with my final preference though as Wriddhiman Saha (batting average: 49.88) can match Sen's feats with the gloves at his best and is also a decent batsman in his own right. India has not seen a keeper of his athleticism and agility in a long time and he is arguably the only keeper in international cricket who makes it into his team as a pure keeper. This is not to say that he can't be relied on with the bat though, as shown by three centuries at test level and a vital fifty in a losing cause in Bengal's most recent Ranji final. As an all-round package, Saha is the superior option and he shall be this team's primary keeper.

The team so far

1. Pankaj Roy
2. Arun Lal
3. Devang Gandhi
4. Sourav Ganguly
5. Manoj Tiwary
6. Ambar Roy
7. Wriddhiman Saha

 

[Yash.]

he is arguably the only keeper in international cricket who makes it into his team as a pure keeper

Tim Paine says hello