Dilip Sardesai the great cricketer all time.

Dilip Sardesai

Dilip Sardesai the great cricketer all time.

Personal information
Born    8 August 1940
Margao, Goa
Died    2 July 2007 (aged 66)
Mumbai, India
Batting    Right-hand bat (RHB)
Bowling    Right arm bowler
International information
National side  
India
Career statistics
Competition    Tests    First-class
Matches    30    179
Runs scored    2001    10,230
Batting average    39.23    41.75
100s/50s                    5/9    25/56
Top score    212    222
Balls bowled    59    791
Wickets    0    8
Bowling average    –    69.00
5 wickets in innings    –    0
10 wickets in match    –    0
Best bowling    –    2/15
Catches/stumpings    4    85

Source:

Dilip Narayan Sardesai (8 August 1940, Margao, Goa – 2 July 2007, Mumbai) was an Indian Test cricketer. He was the only Goa-born cricketer to play for India, and was often regarded as India's best batsman against spin bowling.

The 1970-71 West Indies tour was the last chance for Dilip Sardesai. He was lucky to be picked - it had looked as if his career was dead and buried - he went on to be Indian cricket's Renaissance Man in the watershed year of 1971. A technically correct player, the solid, wristy Sardesai was proficient against spin, but in West Indies he showed his mettle against pace, and pulled India repeatedly out of quicksand. He scored 642 runs, with two single hundreds and a double, and provided an inspirational launching-pad for a legend - Sunil Gavaskar, in his first series. In England later in 1971, Sardesai's pivotal double of 54 and 40 allowed Chandrasekhar to hasten England's defeat at The Oval. Sardesai was limpet-like and usually defensive, but he could attack when he needed to, and scored one of India's fastest hundreds, against New Zealand at Delhi in 1964-65. In the previous Test, his 200 not out at Bombay salvaged a draw after India had been skittled for 88 in the innings. Sardesai enjoyed playing against England: he made his Test debut against them in 1961-62, even before he'd played for Bombay, and it was against England, at Kanpur two years later, that he scored 79 and, after India followed on, 87 to help save the game.

Early career

Sardesai made his first mark in cricket in the inter-university Rohinton Baria Trophy in 1959–60 where he made 435 runs at an average of 87. He made his first-class cricket debut for Indian Universities against the touring Pakistan team at Pune.

Life after cricket

Sardesai used to split his time between his flat in Mumbai and house in Goa. He died on 2 July 2007 at 9:15 pm (IST), after he had been admitted to Bombay Hospital on 23 June following a chest infection

Test career

 

 

Sardesai had little to show in first class cricket in 1961–62, except for a 281 against Gujarat in a university match, but made his Test debut in the 2nd Test against England at Green Park, Kanpur in December 1961. He toured West Indies later in the season, playing in three of the five Tests. He was the batsman at the other end when Nari Contractor was seriously injured by Charlie Griffith in a match against Barbados. Contractor's injury created a place for Sardesai in the team. He scored 31 and 60 in the Test at Bridgetown, opening the batting, but was dropped after a pair in the following match. Sardesai scored 449 runs in the five Test series against England in 1963–64 with 79 and 87 in the 5th and final Test as the most notable performances, helping India to secure a draw after being made to follow on.