Aug 22: A look back at India's performance in their last three Tests against England, and you would be forgiven for thinking the the side had somehow contrived to send in an amateur team masked as their more esteemed, more trust-worthy and more reliable national side. Virat Kohli not included, of course - His primary currency in the series was runs... I mean the lack of it. That, and dropping catches.
Cheteshwar Pujara has moved quickly and sought, in an act of penitence perhaps, to gain more experience on foreign shores by seeking a move to play in County Cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also acted in accordance and has allowed the right-hander to find a team that would suit his needs.
Why was this not done before, and with a host of other players? *eerie silence*
However, a right move has finally been made and for Indian Cricket and its fans, that often find themselves lost in a winless wilderness everytime the side travels outside the sub-continent, the move may well assuage the situation.
We look back at 11 Indians who benefited from such a move. The list spans from Farokh Engineer and Bishen Singh Bedi to Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar - Have a read.
Although Nawab of Pataudi sr started the trend for Indians to play in County Cricket, it was Farokh Engineer who showed the way forward for Indians who wanted to gain experience in England. The India wicket-keeper batsman played 164 matches for Lancashire in between 1968 and 1976, scoring in excess of 5000 runs, taking 406 catches and effecting 31 stumpings.
Engineer went on to become a shoo-in for the Indian side for years to come, even becoming the first-choice keeper for the Rest of the World XI.
Mohd. Azharuddin
Before he got himself embroiled in the ugly match-fixing episode that shook world cricket, Mohd Azharuddin was without doubt one of the finest, and most stylist, players around. He was my favourite, too. The right-hander had found himself in the middle of some woeful form before he fought back with consecutive centuries against New Zealand and England. Hoping the make the most of the form, Azhar signed up for Derbyshire in 1991. He played for the County side in 29 matches spanned over 3 years, scoring 10 fifties and 8 hundreds.
His international form took a turn for the better as well. His yearly average was back over 40 for only the second time in 6 years, and he followed that up with averages of 60+ in 1994 and 95.
VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman's batting is one for the gods. The Hyderabad batsman's stroke-play is as easy as they come, and his penchant for pulling out the extra-ordinary from time to time is the stuff of legends.
The right-hander had already cemented his place in the fabled Indian side, he was the a vital cog in the cornucopia of batting talent that India were overflowing with. That didn't stop him from turning up for Lancashire when the opportunity presented itself in 2007. He went on to play 18 matches, scoring 6 hundreds at an average of over 61.
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid had not scored a solitary 50 in 14 innings when Kent came calling in the summer of 2000. The right-hander had made a name for himself as a reliable Test batsman, but much still hinged on him if he had to take the giant stride towards greatness. Kent provided him with that stepping stone. Dravid played 16 matches, scoring over a thousand runs, and when he came back to play for India, he was on a different plane. His average for the next 4 years was above 60, including a dizzying average of 100+ in 2003.
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev has etched himself in the memory of all Indian cricket fans, scripting the 1983 World Cup triumph, and his stint at Northamptonshire and Worcestershire could have well played its part in it. The former India captain turned up in English County 40 times, scoring over 2000 runs and claiming more than 100 wickets, but more than everything his experience in England would have played its part in helping the then-India captain make his decisions when they won the World Cup in England.
Bishen Singh Bedi
One of India's best spinners ever, Bishen Singh Bedi played at Northamptonshire in between 1972 and 1977. He was vital for the county side, bamboozling the batsmen on his way to 394 wickets with a stunning average of 21.16.
Sourav Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly regularly sought to play in England to get more exposure. He played for 3 teams, Glamorgan, Lancashire and Northamptonshire, between 2000 and 2006. Although his numbers with the sides may not be flattering, the experience surely had its impact on helping him become one of India's most successful captains. It also had a telling impact when he made his return to the Indian side. He signed off from Test cricket with averages of 61.13, 62.59 and 54.79 in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Zaheer Khan
Amongst everyone else in the list, no one else has made more of a county stint than Zaheer Khan. The left-arm pacer's bowling average was often flirting with the mid-forties before he decided to play in England. He played for Surrey and Worcestershire, taking 79 wickets in 17 matches. And, when he came back to play for India, he soon pushed himself to the top of the bowling list.
'Zak' has played 92 matches for India, taking 311 wickets, but off these, 151 scalps came in the 5 years that followed his county stint in 2006. 151 wickets in 36 matches at an average of 27.47... Yes! Let that sink in.
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag made the sensible choice of moving to Leicestershire in 2003. The swashbuckling opener played only 6 games, but left an indelible mark with 2 hundreds and a fifty. His form with India too underwent a severe upturn. He went on to score 309 against Pakistan, the next year. Sehwag also averaged more than 55 in five of next seven years.
Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath had an absolutely storming time in England, what with the conditions being suitable for a bowler of his type. The right-armer played 23 games for Gloucestershire and Leicestershire and ended with brilliant figures of 123 wickets at an average of 19.9. The confidence rubbed on on his performance in Tests for India as well, with the Karnataka pacer averaging less than 30 six times in the 8 years between 1995 and 2003.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar's class and ability has never been under question. Even as a 16-year-old, he was held in high regard and was ear-marked as one for the future. However, talent is one thing, and proving it on the field is another. Ask Rohit Sharma!
The Master Blaster, still at the nascent stages of his career, made the decisive move of playing for Yorkshire as a 19-year-old. He played 16 games, scoring 7 fifties and one hundred, and the experience lifted him to the level he was to play at for the next 20 years. He averaged 91+ the next year, and 70 the year after that, and started to set benchmarks people would only dream of reaching.
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