Happy Birthday Javagal Srinath: A Look at Five Fiery Bowling Spells By The Mysore Express
Srinath's form dipped in 2002 and with age not on his side, the pacer decided to bid adieu to the game. However, after the insistence of Captain Sourav Ganguly, the bowler agreed to feature in the 2003 World Cup and also played a pivotal role in guiding India to the tournament's final.
Former Indian Pacer Javagal Srinath celebrates his 50th birthday on Saturday. Born on August 31, 1969, the right arm seamer is one of the most successful Indian bowlers of all time. Srinath is also regarded as one of the fastest bowlers India has ever produced. The Karnataka-based cricketer burst into the international scenario in 1991 and shocked one an all with this raw pace and ability to extract bounce from the surface. In fact, Srinath was the first Indian bowler to reach the landmark of 300 ODI wickets and became an idol of many Indian fast bowlers. Virender Sehwag Bats for Anil Kumble to Become National Selector of Indian Cricket Team.
Known as Mysore Express, the pacer made his international debut on October 1991. In 67 Test matches, the pacer scalped 236 wickets which include 10 five-wicket hauls and a ten-wicket haul. Srinath also featured in 229 ODI games in which he took 315 wickets, which are second-most for an Indian bowler after Anil Kumble. Anil Kumble Once Again Delights a Fan With In-Flight Selfie (See Pic).
Srinath's form dipped in 2002 and with age not on his side, the pacer decided to bid adieu to the game. However, after the insistence of Captain Sourav Ganguly, the bowler agreed to feature in the 2003 World Cup and also played a pivotal role in guiding India to the tournament's final. So, on the occasion of Srinath's 50th birthday, let's have a look at five astonishing spells bowled by the Indian star.
4/23 Against New Zealand, Auckland
After contemplating retirement, Srinath made a comeback in international cricket and looked better than ever before. In the first ODI of India's 2002 tour of New Zealand, the old maestro bowled a fiery spell and proved his mettle once again. After India got bundled out for 108 in the first innings, an easy win for blackcaps was set on the cards. However, Shrinath took four wickets and brought a twist in the match. Unfortunately, the pacer's effort went in vain as the hosts won the match by three wickets
5/23 Against Bangladesh, Dhaka
Srinath's another brilliant performance came in the first match of the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup in 1998. The right-arm fast pacer bowled a blistering spell against Bangladesh and took five-wickets. Bangladesh got completely trailed by Srinath's brilliant display and got bundled out for a mere 190 runs in the first innings. India chased the target with four wickets in hand and Srinath was picked as the Man of the Match.
6/21 Against South Africa, Ahemdabad
In the first Test of South Africa's 1996 tour of India, the Proteas were expecting the spin challenge but Srinath came out of the syllabus. The pacer breathed fire in the fourth innings of the match and rattled the opposition batting line up. The speedster took six wickets and the visitors got dismissed for 105 in the last innings. India won the match by 64 runs and Srinath was awarded the Man of the Match
5/46 & 8/86 Against Pakistan, Kolkata
Pakistan faced the wrath of Javagal Srinath in the first match of Asian Test Championship 1999. In the first innings of the match, the pacer demolished the Pakistan top order and bagged a five-fer. The speedster bettered his figures in the second innings of the match and took eight wickets. Unfortunately, India were let down by their batsman and lost the encounter by 46 runs. Nevertheless, Srinath was jointly awarded as the Man of the Match with Pakistan's Saeed Anwar for his stellar performance.
5/24 Against Sri Lanka, Kanpur
The right pacer shocked one and all with his express pace in the Hero Cup 1993. Playing against Sri Lanka, Srinath went through the potent Sri Lankan batting line-up and bagged his second five-wicket haul in ODIs. Sri Lanka were bundled out for 203 in the first innings and India easily chased down the target and won the match by seven wickets
Srinath finally ended his splendid career after the 2003 World Cup. In 1996, the pacer was also felicitated with Arjuna Award. After retirement, Srinath also tried his hand as a commentator and later became a member of the ICC match referee panel. The fast-bowler was not the most flamboyant of personalities and was under the shadow of other cricketers for the most part of his career. But no fact can deny his massive contribution to Indian cricket, and on his 50th birthday, we wish him a very Happy Birthday!!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2019 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).