Born in 1946 in Amritsar, Punjab, Bishan Singh Bedi made his international debut for India against West Indies at Eden Gardens in 1966. A slow left-arm bowler who knew how to be courageous as a spinner, an art that has been forgotten in modern-day cricket.
Bedi was an inspiring figure in the Indian cricket fraternity, a very straightforward man with the attitude of a fast bowler. His strength in bowling was his ability to be deceptive with pace and flight using the same vehement action that saw him claim 267 wickets in 67 test matches.
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After his bowling career ended, Bedi was known for being a helpful individual with plenty of advice to offer young players. Notably, he shared a secret plan with Shane Warne on how to dismiss the great Sachin Tendulkar. He famously remarked, “Close fielders are there to get into the mind of the batter, and you set fielders for good bowling, not bad bowling.”
A man of knowledge, Bedi knew how to bowl in adverse conditions. One notable instance is his first 6-wicket haul in test cricket, which occurred against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1968, with four of these wickets caught in the slips by Ajit Wadekar. He could drift the ball away from right-handed batters and often found the healthy edge that carried it to the slips.
Bedi particularly enjoyed bowling against New Zealand. In a test match at Brabourne Stadium in 1969, New Zealand had a target of 188 runs and fell short by 60 runs due to Bedi’s exceptional bowling performance. It was all spinners in the fourth innings, as 63.5 overs were bowled by spinners out of a total of 69.5 overs.
Bedi bowled 30.5 overs and took 6 significant wickets. Once again, with similar modes of dismissals, he involved the keeper and slip fielders with tight lines and deceptive variation. Bedi ended up with 8 wickets in the match, marking one of his finest performances in India. Bedi’s highest score in test cricket also came against New Zealand at Kanpur when he scored an unbeaten 50.
He also captained India in 22 test matches, but his career was marked by a few controversial statements and actions. In one instance, he called back his team and handed an easy win to Pakistan despite India being in a winning position. It was an ODI match in 1978; India needed 23 off 14 balls, and Bedi accused Pakistani bowler Sarfaraz Khan of bowling four consecutive bouncers without being called wide.
As a bowler, Bishan Singh Bedi displayed an art to perfection, a unique approach in an era where left-arm orthodox bowlers had limited prominence in the game. There weren’t many left-arm spinners in that era. Bedi passed away on October 23, 2023, in New Delhi.
