Goel's ability to run through sides second to none: VV Kumar
TrendingMichael VaughanIPL Players Per Match FeesIndia vs Bangladesh HighlightsMS DhoniBrittany BrownIPL AuctionIndia vs Bangladesh Live ScoreMayank YadavRohit SharmaSachin TendulkarMichael VaughanIPL Players Per Match FeesIndia vs Bangladesh HighlightsMS DhoniBrittany BrownIPL AuctionIndia vs Bangladesh Live ScoreMayank YadavRohit SharmaSachin TendulkarMichael VaughanIPL Players Per Match FeesIndia vs Bangladesh HighlightsMS DhoniBrittany BrownIPL AuctionIndia vs Bangladesh Live ScoreMayank YadavRohit SharmaSachin TendulkarThis story is from June 22, 2020Goel's ability to run through sides second to none: VV KumarShilarze Saharoy / TNN / Jun 22, 2020, 23:06 ISTShareAA+Text Size
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Follow us During a first-class career which spanned for almost 25 years, Rajinder Goel, interestingly, had faced Tamil Nadu only on a few occasions and had played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here even lesser. Rajinder Goel. (Twitter Photo) CHENNAI: During a first-class career which spanned for almost 25 years, Rajinder Goel, interestingly, had faced Tamil Nadu only on a few occasions and had played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here even lesser. Understandably then, Goel took time to adjust to Chennai's hot and humid conditions and complained of dehydration and dizziness while attending a camp for selection of India's Test probables here in the early 1970s.A doctor had immediately prescribed a few medicines and vitamin tablets and asked the Haryana spinner to take those once or twice a day."But a lot of it was perhaps lost in translation with Goel not understanding much English and Tamil," recalls TN's former legendary leg-spinner Vaman Vishwanath Kumar in a chat with TOI, who was Goel's roommate during the camp."So Guddu, as I affectionately called him, came to our room the next day and said he was done with the medicines. Upon seeing the curious look on my face, he revealed that he had taken all 30 medicines together. I rebuked him saying it might lead to complications but he replied: ‘kuch nahin hoga Vamanbhai… asli cheez hota hai performance (nothing will happen… the important thing is to perform). He kept telling me that it was time to perform and get into the Indian team and not keep complaining of the heat," Kumar says of the domestic stalwart who passed away on Sunday after age-related illness.Goel, though, never made the India cut because the quartet of legendary spinners Bhagwat Chandrasekar, Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi and S Venkataraghavan had already cemented their places in the side. He went on toiling hard in domestic cricket and finished with 750 first-class wickets, including a record 637 scalps in Ranji Trophy.The 85-year-old Kumar, who himself played in two Tests, says it was unfortunate that a spinner of Goel's class missed out on playing a Test match. "Taking 750 wickets is no feat and that speaks volumes about the craft of the man. He probably didn't have the loop or flight which Bedi or Paddy (Padmakar Shivalkar) had but his uncanny ability of hitting the length continuously frustrated the batsmen. His quicker delivery was the fastest among the spinners who played during that era. I remember reading in Gavaskar's book ‘Idols' that he dreaded facing Goel. If a batsman of Gavaskar's stature, who has faced the likes of Jim Laker, Lance Gibbs and our four stalwarts at their prime, makes such a statement, the bowler must have class," Kumar reasoned.According to Kumar, Goel's capability to run through a good side set him apart from the rest. "The flatter trajectory of his deliveries didn't give the batsman time to come down the wicket. He could also spin the ball on any surface and was an extremely attacking bowler. He used to earn his wickets and didn't wait for the batsmen to commit mistakes. That's why he could run through any batting order and I will always remember him for that," Kumar said.
About the Author
Shilarze Saharoy
Shilarze Saha Roy is an Assistant Editor with The Times of India. As a sports journalist, Shilarze has covered 2011 Cricket World Cup, 2016 World T20, 2017 U-17 Football World Cup, 2010 Commonwealth Games, numerous Test matches, ODIs and T20Is.Read More
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Rajinder Goel. (Twitter Photo) CHENNAI: During a first-class career which spanned for almost 25 years, Rajinder Goel, interestingly, had faced Tamil Nadu only on a few occasions and had played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here even lesser. Understandably then, Goel took time to adjust to Chennai's hot and humid conditions and complained of dehydration and dizziness while attending a camp for selection of India's Test probables here in the early 1970s.A doctor had immediately prescribed a few medicines and vitamin tablets and asked the Haryana spinner to take those once or twice a day.
"But a lot of it was perhaps lost in translation with Goel not understanding much English and Tamil," recalls TN's former legendary leg-spinner Vaman Vishwanath Kumar in a chat with TOI, who was Goel's roommate during the camp."So Guddu, as I affectionately called him, came to our room the next day and said he was done with the medicines. Upon seeing the curious look on my face, he revealed that he had taken all 30 medicines together. I rebuked him saying it might lead to complications but he replied: ‘kuch nahin hoga Vamanbhai… asli cheez hota hai performance (nothing will happen… the important thing is to perform). He kept telling me that it was time to perform and get into the Indian team and not keep complaining of the heat," Kumar says of the domestic stalwart who passed away on Sunday after age-related illness.Goel, though, never made the India cut because the quartet of legendary spinners Bhagwat Chandrasekar, Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Singh Bedi and S Venkataraghavan had already cemented their places in the side. He went on toiling hard in domestic cricket and finished with 750 first-class wickets, including a record 637 scalps in Ranji Trophy.The 85-year-old Kumar, who himself played in two Tests, says it was unfortunate that a spinner of Goel's class missed out on playing a Test match. "Taking 750 wickets is no feat and that speaks volumes about the craft of the man. He probably didn't have the loop or flight which Bedi or Paddy (Padmakar Shivalkar) had but his uncanny ability of hitting the length continuously frustrated the batsmen. His quicker delivery was the fastest among the spinners who played during that era. I remember reading in Gavaskar's book ‘Idols' that he dreaded facing Goel. If a batsman of Gavaskar's stature, who has faced the likes of Jim Laker, Lance Gibbs and our four stalwarts at their prime, makes such a statement, the bowler must have class," Kumar reasoned.According to Kumar, Goel's capability to run through a good side set him apart from the rest. "The flatter trajectory of his deliveries didn't give the batsman time to come down the wicket. He could also spin the ball on any surface and was an extremely attacking bowler. He used to earn his wickets and didn't wait for the batsmen to commit mistakes. That's why he could run through any batting order and I will always remember him for that," Kumar said.
