Happy Birthday Shivnarine Chanderpaul: A Look at 5 Remarkable Knocks Played by the Caribbean Southpaw

Caribbean Legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul turns 45 on Friday. Born on August 16, 1974, the southpaw was one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game. The Guyana-born cricketer might have had an unorthodox batting stance but his numbers in the international arena are remarkable. Many believed that Chanderpaul was not gifted with an elegance of a left-handed batsman but that doesn’t take away the fact that the cricketer was the mainstay of West Indies batting line-up. The batsman played under the shadow of Brian Lara for the most part of his career but still has a formidable record in all forms of cricket. Chris Gayle Signs Off in Style: Twitter Bows Down to Universe Boss after His Possibly Final ODI Innings during IND vs WI 3rd Match.

The southpaw made his debut way back in March 1994 and toiled the bowlers for over two decades. He was known to adapt to the playing conditions very quickly and thus excelled at scoring runs. Chanderpaul was mostly known for his heroics in the longest format as the stalwart scored 11867 runs from 164 Tests which includes 30 centuries. In ODIs, the player featured in 168 encounters and amassed 8778 runs with 11 tons. The former also scored 343 runs in 22 T20Is. So, On the occasion of Chanderpaul’s 45^th birthday, let’s have a look at some great knocks played by the legend in the international arena.

138 Against India, Bridgetown

The left-handed batsman played a magnificent knock in the third test of India’s 1997 tour to West Indies. Chanderpaul steadied the ship after the openers were dismissed cheaply and played cautiously to score his maiden Test ton. Courtsey, the innings, West Indies piled up 298 runs in the first innings and later won the match by 38 runs.

104 Against South Africa, Port Elizabeth

The Caribbean batting stalwart was at his premium best when West Indies toured South Africa in 2007. In the first test of the series, Chanderpaul played a resilient inning against the mighty South African bowling line-up and notched up a brilliant hundred. The southpaw guided the calypso kings to 408 runs in the first innings and later also won the match by 128 runs.

126 Against New Zealand, Napier

In the second Test of West Indies’ 2008 tour of New Zealand, the left-handed-batsman scored a splendid century in a tricky Napier wicket. Chanderpaul came into a bat when the top order collapsed but the left-hander didn’t put his guards down and scored a fighting ton. West Indies advanced to 307 runs in the first innings and the match resulted in a draw.

150 Against England, East London

Known for his heroics in the whites, the southpaw proved his mettle in the limited format as well. In the second ODI of West Indies’ 1998-99 tour of South Africa, Chanderpaul demolished the opposition bowlers to all the parts of the ground and scored 150 runs. The innings stunned with 20 boundaries and the men in maroon scored 292 runs in the first innings and later won the match by 43 runs.

107 Against Pakistan, Abu Dhabi

The left-handed batsman played his heart out in the second ODI of WI vs PAK 2009 series. The top order collapsed badly while chasing a modest total of 232. However, Chanderpaul had other ideas and scored a brilliant century. Chanderpaul kept losing wickets at the other end and the calypso kings felt 24 runs short of the target.

So, these were some great knocks played by Chanderpaul in the international arena. The Caribbean great hung up his boots in February 2016 and the curtain fell on a great career. The southpaw’s absence was felt when the West Indies' performance in whites deteriorated after his retirement. However, he has influenced many young Caribbean batsmen, who will do anything to fill the shoes of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 16, 2019 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).