Ashis Ray completes 40 years as a Test match commentator

Ashis Ray (Right) during his book launch event earlier this year

26 November: Ashis Ray completes 40 years as a Test match commentator on Saturday 28 November. This makes him the senior-most still active Indian cricket broadcaster; and the third senior-most in the world after Tony Cozier of the West Indies and Henry Blofeld of England.

On 28 November 1975, Ray made his debut as a ball-by-ball commentator on the India versus Sri Lanka Test at Nagpur for All India Radio.

"I have a vivid memory of that experience. It was also Tiger Pataudi's maiden appearance as an expert commentator. Lala Amarnath was the other expert. N K P Salve was the President of the Vidarbha Cricket Association."

In the following home season in India in 1976-77, he was assigned to do five out of eight Test matches (three against New Zealand and five against England) on AIR and Doordarshan - which was the highest among all commentators.

By the summer of 1977 he was in London working for the World Service of BBC. At Trent Bridge, Nottingham, he was invited to join the BBC's Test Match Special programme as a guest in the Ashes series.

Over the years, Ray has covered test cricket and/or World Cup tournaments in India, England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies and Sri Lanka. He has broadcast for, among others, BBC, ABC of Australia, SKY UK, CMC and SONY. He is among very few non-internationals to feature as a studio analyst on SKY.

He was the only Asian in BBC's panel of ball-by-ball commentators for the 1983 World Cup. He commentated on India matches in the tournament, including the semi-final and final, which India famously won. 25 years later he produced TV documentary 1983: India's World Cup, which was short-listed for a BAFTA nomination.

From the legendary Sunil Gavaskar to the lucid Sachin Tendulkar, he's described them all.

"I have known Ashis forever, it seems," said Gavaskar in a foreword to his recent book Cricket World Cup: The Indian Challenge, published by Bloomsbury.

His once co-commentator and former England all-rounder Trevor Bailey wrote: "His commentaries are in precise classical English."

Richie Benaud, one of Australia's most successful captains and then one of the game's great commentators, penned: "I have known Ashis Ray for many years and have found him outstanding in his work in the media."

In a profile of him, Australia's Sun Herald headlined: "VOICE OF INDIA".