Former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji lauded the ability of his ex Tamil Nadu teammate, Subramaniam Badrinath, recalling the instance of when the right-hand batsman foretold him about the hundred he would go on to make.
Badrinath, who retired in late 2018, played 146 first-class matches and scored 10,245 runs at an average of 54.49. For those who watched him play, there is no doubt that Badrinath should've played more than the 2 Tests he got to play for India.
Read Also - "Tried everything within my reach but the batting order was packed": S Badrinath
The technically sound batsman also made his mark in T20 cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he played his role in the success of MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
On youtube chat show 'Formula for Success' with another Tamil Nadu and India teammate of his, Ravichandran Ashwin, Balaji gave us a peek into Badrinath's thought process and why he was so special.
"Have you heard somebody casually say that he is going to score a hundred? I saw that in 2005. Different Badris. Different stages showcasing what all he could do. He was toying with the bowlers," he said.
“At one stage, the best spinners were bowling. He had already told me that he is going to score a hundred in an hour and that he is going to hit this bowler for these many runs in this session."
For Balaji, one fine aspect of Badrinath's game was its robustness, the ability to adjust to situations and different formats. "Badri is the greatest example of how people evolve over time," he said. "He was able to transform to aggressive. You must have seen him in IPL."
"There was a match when he came after getting a round of drips from Malar Hospital due to dehydration. And the team again collapsed."
"Badri was technically sound and never gave his wicket away but everyone saw it from the opposite side. But the same Badri showed his other side. During his Ranji Trophy debut, he showed how a century can be scored in one session."
"So he came with the drips set-up in an ambulance and played. He removed all that and went in. Again defence and a match-saving hundred. Nobody knows about all this. Badri can do many things. He is the greatest example for everyone across generations," added Balaji on his friend, who also featured in seven ODIs and a T20I for his country.
