V. B. RANJANE

🏏🏏
V. B. RANJANE
(22 Jul 1937 – 22 Dec 2011)

Another talented new-ball bowler who unfortunately played most of his Test cricket on dead batting tracks or spin oriented pitches, and at a time when the Indian opening bowler's function was limited to just a few overs to take the shine off the ball, Pune born Vasant Baburao Ranjane was a right-arm medium pace swing bowler who played in 7 Tests between 1958 and 1964...

Ranjane made his Test debut at Kanpur in December 1958 against the mighty West Indies, and played his last Test at Madras in October 1964 against Australia...

His only away Test was against the West Indies in 1961-62 (series of the unfortunate Nari Contractor near-fatal injury fame) where he recorded his best Test bowling figures. Playing the final Test of that series at Kingston, Ranjane claimed the wickets of Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Gary Sobers and Frank Worrell...

He scored 40 Test runs with a top score of 16, 19 wickets @34.15 a piece with 4/72 as his best, and a solitary catch...

Representing Maharashtra, and later Railways in 64 first class games, Ranjane scored 701 runs with 56* as his highest, claimed 175 wickets @27.73, best being 9/35, and 22 catches...

Ranjane had a dream first class debut for Maharashtra, against Saurashtra in 1956-57, where he picked up his best 9/35, which included a hat-trick, and match figures of 13/71, a performance that still remains the best by an Indian on first appearance...

However as luck would have it, Ranjane in his debut Test (vs West Indies, Kanpur) had the ignominy of denying Subhash Gupte (9/102) the perfect ten when he claimed the only wicket missed by the latter...

Employed with the Indian Railways till 1994, Ranjane passed away in Pune, this day in 2011 after a brief illness. He was 74...

🙏🙏🌹💐    🇮🇳

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