BCCI’s Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award nominee reveals what made him the most successful Ranji Trophy bowler
During a first-class career spanning two-and-half decades, Rajinder Goel tested batsmen across the country with his left-arm spin. He finished with a whopping 750 wickets under his belt when he retired in 1984-85. He will be honored by the BCCI with the Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2016 for his contribution to the game.
“I am very happy that I am receiving this award. My family also is very happy that the award has come my way. I thank BCCI for thinking about me,” Goel said while speaking about the award that he will receive on March 8, 2017.
Reflecting on an illustrious and exciting career, he said, “There is nothing to gain from looking back. One should look forward. I am very happy about the performances that I put forth and that I could do well consistently.”
Asked to recall his most memorable spell or a wicket that stands out, the former spinner spoke reverently. “All the batsmen at that time were very good – Vijay Manjrekar, Polly Umrigar, Manohar Hardikar and Ajit Wadekar. Then there was Sunil Gavaskar and of course G. R. Viswanath. Then you Vijay Bhosale and Ramesh Saxena. And I could get them out. They were all very important and priceless wickets to take and I am very happy to have got them out.” “Mahaan batsmen the woh!” he states emphatically.
Speaking about his bowling, Goel said, “I would bowl into the leg stump and I was accurate. I always used the crease. My wicket taking ball was the one that I used to slant in.”
In an era when batsmen were known to be very good players of spin like the ones he mentioned earlier, Goel had made of mark for himself. Asked how he would plan and strategise to get wickets, he said, “It was difficult to get them out; it was very difficult to even beat them. Polly Umrigar saab, Manjrekar, were very tough to bowl to. You had to bowl very well to get someone like Salim Durani, who could the read and predict how the wicket would behave. You had to bowl really well to get them out.”
In 157 matches, Goel picked 59 five-wicket hauls and 18 ten-wicket hauls. Besides his exploits in the first-class circuit, the spinner who played from Delhi and Haryana also played eight List A matches during which he claimed 14 scalps with a best of four for 54.
“Be accurate, keep the line and length in mind and bowl according to the field given to you. If you are given an off-side field, then bowl at the middle and off stump. Bowl according to the batsman. Read the batsman and bowl. If the batsman is coming out of his crease (gauge that and bowl). When you are playing cricket, you have to think on the feet. You should think about drawing the batsman out and get him to play. Think about how you can get him out. Where to get the batsman to play and accordingly bowl. I constantly thought about getting the batsman out. That was the key,” he said while sharing his experience.
