Former Haryana left-arm spinner, Rajinder Goel, passed away at the age of 77 on Sunday (June 21) and left his ex-colleagues and even those he made work really hard for their runs feeling saddened by his demise.
Those who watched Goel bowl know that the man with 750 first-class wickets at an astonishing average of just 18.58 should definitely have played for India if not for the famous quartet that ruled the roost at the highest level in the 60s and the 70s.
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Former India and Mumbai batsman, Dilip Vengsarkar, recalled a Ranji Trophy encounter against Haryana with Goel at his peak to explain the genius of the bowler.
It was the semi-final of the 1979-80 season on a track offering some turn. After having conceded a lead of 75 runs despite bowling Mumbai out for just 143, Haryana needed some magic from its spinners to get back into the match. Goel, along with his off-spin partner Sarkar Talwar, provided it.
In a devastating burst from both ends, they reduced Mumbai to 24/5, with a lead of only 100, before, unfortunately for Haryana, Vengsarkar and Karsan Ghavri came to the visitors' rescue in Rohtak with half-centuries and the hosts never got another sniff.
Goel backed his 3/44 in the first innings with another superb spell, 4/61, in the second essay.
"Haryana had prepared an under-prepared track (for their spinners). As it is, Goel was an outstanding bowler. It was very difficult to play him on that wicket. I and Karsan had a long partnership, but throughout the innings, I ended up playing Goel, and Karsan played Talwar, when it should have been the other way round!" Vengsarkar told TOI.
"For me to play the off-spinner was easier, and for him facing the left-arm spinner would have been easier. We had to grind, toil for our runs, but we were determined because we'd lost half our side pretty early," he added.
"Even while playing in the Times Shield (he played for State Bank of India), he was a dangerous bowler, because we used to play in the months of April and May on dry wickets."
"He took tonnes of wicket for Haryana season after season. Since these guys were playing domestic cricket throughout, it really helped us to improve our game against spin."
"It's unfortunate that he couldn't play for India. He was a very hard-working, humble and soft-spoken person. His contribution to Indian cricket is huge. It's a great loss to Indian cricket," said Vengsarkar in a fitting tribute.
In 2017, the BCCI bestowed Goel, and Mumbai's Padmakar Shivalkar, another unfortunate domestic great who never played for India, with the CK Nayudu lifetime achievement award for their services to the game.
(Inputs from TOI)
