Saradindu(shute) Banerjee

In the long list of unlucky Indian cricketers, Shute Banerjee would probably find pride of place. He toured England in 1936 and 1946 without playing a Test. He played an unofficial `Test' as early as 1935 against Jack Ryder's Australian team, was good enough to play in three `Tests' against Lord Tennyson's team two years later and also played one `Test' against the Australian Services team in 1945. But his Test career was limited to just one appearance in his 36th year. A right arm medium fast bowler who thrived on hard work, Banerjee played in the shadow of Nissar and Amar Singh on the 1936 tour and ten years later, unluckily still did not get a chance. In his only Test, he was well past his best and yet took one for 73 and four for 54, bringing the West Indian innings to a quick end with an inspired spell.

Yet, Banerjee has a claim to fame - as a batsman. A more than useful tail end batsman, he had his moment in the sun at the Oval in 1946. He and Chandu Sarwate added 249 runs in 190 minutes for the last wicket for the Indian tourists against Surrey. Sarwate made 124 not out, Banerjee, going in last, scored 121 and it is still the only time in first class cricket that No's 10 and 11 have scored centuries. In a first class career that stretched almost 30 years, Banerjee took 381 wickets (26.61) and scored 3671 runs (20.50) with five centuries. His best bowling in an innings was 8 for 25 for Nawanagar against Maharashtra in 1941-42 and his highest score was 138 for Bihar against Bengal in 1952-53. He led Bihar in the Ranji Trophy for about 15 years


Courtesy: Partab Ramchand http://www.cricket.org/