New Delhi . There have been more than one batsman in the history of Indian cricket. Vijay Merchant was also one of them. Born on October 12, 1911 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Merchant played only 10 Test matches in his career between 1933 and 1951 and then a shoulder injury forced him to retire. He was the first Indian cricketer of independent India, who attracted the attention of the whole world due to his ability.
Along with cricket skills, he also had immense patriotism. He once withdrew his name from the team in protest against the British.
This batsman of only 5 feet 7 inches used to rule the hearts of the fans in those days with his excellent footwork, excellent cuts, drives and latecuts and his variety of strokes. He was the one whom Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar also consider as their idol.
Vijay Merchant's ability can be gauged from the fact that he scored runs at an average of 71.64 in 150 firstclass matches. This is the best average in firstclass cricket after Don Bradman. Bradman's first class average was 95.14. If we talk about Ranji Trophy, his figures are even better.
If seen, the Test career of righthanded batsman Vijay Merchant lasted for 18 years, but he could play only 10 Test matches. The reason behind this was the Second World War. The special thing is that all these tests were against the England team only. In 18 innings of these 10 matches, Merchant scored 859 runs at an average of 47.72, which included 3 centuries and 3 halfcenturies. His best score in Test cricket was 154 runs. Apart from this, his figures in first class cricket are excellent.
Merchant's special achievements include his last Test century, which made him the oldest Indian batsman to score a Test century. After retirement, he also played the role of selector of the Indian team. He was also a good writer and program presenter. He died at the age of 76. In his memory, BCCI started the Vijay Merchant Trophy.
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Image Credit: KhasKhabar.