Surendranath

Who was Surendranath?

Raman Surendranath was a former Indian cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1958 to 1961. He was primarily a medium-pace swing bowler, who enjoyed a particularly successful tour of England in 1959.

An army officer, he played his domestic cricket for Services in a career that extended from 1955-56 to 1968-69. He came to national prominence in 1958-59 when, playing for Services, he dismissed the first three West Indian batsmen in a tour match. He followed that up with 6 for 10 against Patiala, and was selected for the Third Test. He took 2 for 168 in the only West Indies innings, the only Indian bowler to take more than one wicket. He then took 7 for 14 and 6 for 62 against Railways, and retained his position for the Fourth Test. This time he took no wickets in another big West Indian victory, and he lost his place for the Fifth Test.

On the tour of England in 1959 he opened the bowling with Ramakant Desai in all five Tests, and took 16 wickets at 26.62 to lead the Indian bowling averages. In the Fourth Test he took 5 for 115 off 47.1 overs in the first innings, and in the Fifth he took 5 for 75 off 51.3 overs in England's only innings, as well as making his highest Test score of 27, adding 58 for the eighth wicket with Naren Tamhane after India had been 74 for 7 in their first innings. "For one not too well endowed physically he stood up well to many long spells of bowling," noted Wisden, but he "spent hours bowling down the leg side" to a packed leg-side field; "this happy cricketer would help the game if he developed his attack on the off-stump instead of outside the leg-stump".