An Adventure that was Agarkar...

Not many names bring awe and agony simultaneously like Ajit Balachandra Agarkar. For almost a decade, Agarkar was in and out of the Indian ODI side with the occasional look-in into the Test Squad. He has been an enigma to fans of Indian Cricket for long. Never has there been a cricketer with so many questions about his place. Yet, he walks back as India’s third-highest wicket taker in ODIs.

His entry into the national side was spectacular. In a short span he established himself as a wicket taker per se, though he was expensive. He set a record for being the fastest to take 50 wickets in ODIs and is among the fastest to get 100 scalps as well. He was expensive, but managed to get breakthroughs.

His bowling action was smooth, with a high arm action and he was decently quick enough if not fiery. By Indian standards, he can still be called as a “fast” bowler for having bowled in the late 130s . He had an excellent seam position and had the ability to move the ball in both ways. No wonder many of his dismissals came in the slips and the keeper’s hands.

Ajit first was noticed in the 1997 tour of Pakistan by India A when he bowled with as many as 5 slips, as he demolished the Pakistan A team with his nagging line. He had a terrific 5 wicket haul and a match-winning 6 wicket haul in three tests for the A side. Immediately, he was catapulted into national reckoning and made his debut against Australia.

His journey began with the wicket of Gilchrist, caught in the slips in his first match, and was soon on ascend as he continued taking wickets everywhere in the dream year of 1998. He became the fastest man to take 50 wickets in ODIs when he got there in 23 matches. The record stood until an equally enigmatic Ajantha Mendis took over.

However, his slump began there, he and soon he became a pedestrian in the team. He still managed to bag wickets but went for plenty. He could not muster enough confidence in the fans or the fraternity. While his bowling suffered due to a lack of consistency, his batting in a period was beyond awful. For a man who could bat decently, Agarkar was dismissed for a duck in seven consecutive innings. During the 1999-2000 tour of Australia, he managed to bag pairs in two tests and 5 ducks in 6 innings of the series, among this being a golden pair.

He was not a bad batsman, though. He managed to score a test century at Lord’s, a record that has been elusive to the greatest of Indian batsmen. He also has an ability to score quick runs in the slog overs of the ODIs, where he has three fifties. Among them is the fastest fifty for India. That was a knock of 67 in just 25 balls against Zimbabwe who then had a strong side.

All this made him to be touted as a potential replacement for Kapil Dev. He had pace, he had shots, he had wickets but he lacked the consistency. He lacked the aggression and attitude to take him there. He at best was a medium pacer who could sometimes trouble the batsmen.

Agarkar however enjoyed the backing of his skippers and was more or less a part of the ODI side for years together. He would be dropped for a match or two and then get picked up as his replacements would not be able to deliver. Neither did he, but he did induce some confidence with his experience in the minds of his skippers Ganguly and Dravid, who had him in the side.

The season of 2005-06 was a fruitful one in ODIs for Agarkar when he was India’s best bowler. He did not set the world on fire but he did his job better than others. Agarkar, however, was on a slump and was dumped from the side in 2007. Since then, occasional news on him was by an odd special show in the Ranji’s but he was never in the reckoning.

Agarkar has always brought joy to viewers with his uncomplicated style of bowling and some rash hitting. The sorrow has been due to his ineptness to deliver when needed. Give him the ball with a target being at 6.5 RPO and he could still lose you the match with his wayward bowling. Yet, he was the same man who, on his day, has defended many a paltry score for India.

Despite being criticised and questioned, Agarkar still managed to bag 288 wickets in 191 matches and that is not an easy task. More accomplished bowlers like Zaheer and Srinath fare worse than Agarkar. His bowling average is second-best to Kapil Dev, with only fractions separating them. However, he’s suffered in terms of economy and is always viewed as an expensive option, a fact proved right more often than not.

Agarkar remains a mystery in Indian Cricket even today. He has been cast out of the side at the age of 29. By then, he had his name in the annals of ODIs for India. He is 14^th highest wicket taker in the world, and has a record better than several reputed bowlers. Yet, he was never seen as a lethal bowler by the opposition, nor a go-to guy by his team. Despite his wealth of talent, he lacked the discipline to improve his gifts and suffered. Now, at 34, he looks a veteran in the Indian Domestic League, having received the sack from his state side as well.

He is all but gone, but his aura remains. He got the fans jumping on their feet with his movement, only to see them deflate when batsmen struck his deliveries with consummate ease. That has been the picture of his career, where talent failed to discipline. He still remains etched in the memory of fans for all the entertainment he brought. Despite being listed as wayward, Agarkar has a record that one would look at in awe. Long Live Agarkar – A Phenomenon in Indian Cricket.