Iqbal Siddiqui, Yograj Singh and Robin Singh: India's one Test wonders

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  • India's one Test wonders: Lucky yet unlucky

    Cricket is a highly competitive sport, especially in a country like India where nearly every child dreams of a prestigious Indian cap.

    The sheer volume of people wanting to play the game professionally means that wearing the national jersey remains a distant dream for many – careers clashing with those slightly better, or slightly luckier. Examples include prolific run scorers like Amol Muzumdar and Amarjeet Kaypee, or the unbelievably consistent wicket-takers in the mould of Rajinder Goel and Padmakar Shivalkar.

    For others, they achieve that dream but never go on to add to their solitary cap.

    IQBAL SIDDIQUI

    Iqbal Siddiqui retired from all forms of cricket in 2005

    Iqbal Siddiqui retired from all forms of cricket in 2005

    Known for his often destructive spells of bowling, fast bowler Iqbal Siddiqui played his only Test against England at Mohali in late 2001. For many, it was a debut already highly delayed.

    Having started his first class career in 1992, Siddiqui regularly produced the goods for both Hyderabad and Maharashtra, delivering breathtaking spells every season. He was also more than handy with the bat, at least as someone who could be relied upon to hold up an end.

    All in all, he was a promising cricketer and the kind India needed during the late ’90s and early noughties. However, the presence of Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad meant that Siddiqui’s pathway to the India side was blocked.

    The one Test he did play in though – one of three debutants alongside Tinu Yohannan from Kerela and Sanjay Bangar from Railways – was a decent, if not spectacular outing. Over the course of two innings, he bowled a total of 19 overs, gave away just 48 runs at an economy of around two and a half runs per over, and picked up just the one wicket – that of Graham Thorpe.

    With the bat, he made a characteristically gritty 24 in the first innings, before being castled by Matthew Hoggard. Perhaps the highlight of his cricket career came during India’s second innings when, being promoted to open after England gave India a meagre target of five to chase, he took Hoggard for a boundary first ball and claimed the win with a single off the next.

    He played first-class cricket for a few more years before hanging up his boots at the beginning of 2005.

    YOGRAJ SINGH

    Yograj Singh will always be remembered as Yuvraj's father

    Yograj Singh will always be remembered as Yuvraj’s father

    Before he became famous for being Yuvraj Singh’s father, Yograj senior was a burly medium pacer who played six ODIs and a solitary Test for India between 1980 and 1981.

    A bowler known for his heavy ball, he was a somewhat surprising choice for India’s tour to New Zealand and Australia in 1980-81 where his international career simultaneously began and ended.

    Picked for the Test against New Zealand in Wellington, in conditions conducive to fast bowling, he was off the pace, conceding 63 runs in 15 overs at an economy of 4.20. Even though he picked up the wicket of John Wright, he did not get a bowl in the second innings.

    Singh eventually called time on his career in 1985, having played just 30 first-class and 13 List-A matches.

    ROBIN SINGH

    Robin Singh was unlucky to have missed out on a longer run in Tests

    Robin Singh was unlucky to have missed out on a longer run in Tests

    Probably the most surprising of all Indian one Test wonders is Trinidad born all-rounder, Robin Singh, a veteran of 136 ODIs.

    Very much a bits and pieces player, Singh would have thrived in the current era of T20 cricket and journeymen players.

    Despite his limitations, it is unfortunate that Singh managed to play just the single Test. Even though his ODI batting – that included an average of 25 with one century – was decent at best on paper, his batting position lower down the order and his role as a finisher mean those numbers are a little superficial.

    His lesser suit, right arm dibbly-dobbly medium pace, was tricky to score off and saw Singh develop a handy knack of taking crucial wickets and breaking threatening partnerships.

    However, his first-class batting was very consistent, and he ended up scoring almost 7,000 runs at an average of 46. While it should have resulted in more chances at Test level, the presence of more prolific players meant that he only got one Test, against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1998.

    He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in 2001-02 and has now become a prominent batting and fielding coach involved with the IPL team Mumbai Indians, having previously worked with the Indian national side.

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