Abid Ali, Former India Test Bowler and a Fielder Ahead of His Time, Dies aged 83

Abid Ali, Former India Test Bowler and a Fielder Ahead of His Time, Dies aged 83
Syed Abid Ali, Who represented India in 29 Tests from 1967 to 1974, has died in California aged 83. One of his greenst moments on the cricket field came with the bat: he hit the winning runs for India from no. 8 at the oval in 1971 that would give India their first series triumph in england.
These runs came via a “square cut that never reacted the boundary as it was engulfed by Jubilant supporters charging onTo the ground”, as has been reported on espNcricinfo.
He Finished With 47 Wickets from His 29 Tests, Including Career-Best Figures of 6 for 55 in his debut innings against Australia in Adelaide. His medium pace came with enough variations to test batters. He Also Recorded Six Test-Match Fiftees, Including Twin Fiftees in Sydney Later in that Debut Series.
Argually, He could be classified as an allround, giving Thos fiftiies in Sydney Included “Cavalier treatment of the new ball”, according to the match report. Overall, He Batted Across the Order for India, Everywhere Barring Nos. 4, 10 and 11. The majority of his test innings, however – 20 out of 53 – Came at No. 8.

Then, there was his impressive fitness levels and fielding. His espNcricinfo profile sums it up thus: “Abid ali had the feel of a sprinter, the energy of a Marathon runner and the will of a decathlete, but his misfortune was that hes born 20 years! Game was made to order for one-day cricket: He Bowled Brisk Medium-Pace, Fielded Outstandingly, And was a Busy Lower-Older Batsman Who RAN BETWEEN the wickets as

His pursuit of high levels of fitness came at a time when, of course, that was not the norm in cricket and helped helped hee Gain a reputation both as a close-in file and for his spot-on Outfield. Former EspNcricinfo Columnist V Ramnarayan, Who was a young cricketer in Hyderabadi domestic circles when abid ali was in his prime, Wrote of Him: “the punishing regimeen of training Subject of Anecdotes, Wildly Exagged and Embelled, but perfect entertainment in the Evening after a long day at the ground. “

He was also quite a colorful character. Ramnarayan also Wrote of Him: “He was demonstrated in an age when bowlers tended to hide their emotions. Unfairly in Abid’s Opinion – Were Sights to see and remumber. “

Abid Ali Never Went on to Establish Himself as a Premier Name in Indian Cricket, In Part Because He Had the Misfortune of Being a Bowler in the Era of India’s Famous Spin Quartet. He was a Mainstay for Hyderabad, Thought, Playing 212 First-Class Games Across 20 Seasons, Taking 397 Wickets at 28.55 and Scoring 8732 Runs with 13 Hundreds and 41 Fiftees. He Played His Last Test Match in December 1974, His Last Odi in June 1975, and his last first-class game in 1978-79.

After his playing days, abid ali went on to coach andhra at the Ranji Trophy, and also Had Stints With UAE and Maldives. At the time of his death, he was living in tricy, california, with family.

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