Wisden overview
Probably the tallest cricketer to represent India -- he was 6ft 6ins tall -- it was not until he was 21 that Abey Kuruvilla picked up a cricket ball. He caught the eye of a local coach, proved to a rapid learner, and was soon honing his skills under Frank Tyson. But Kuruvilla's pace belied his build -- he seldom rose above medium-fast. But his ability to nip the ball into the right-hander, coupled with good control over long spells, made him the ideal workhorse for Mumbai. He made a promising Test debut at 28, with 20 wickets in the 1996-97 series in West Indies, but was only selected sporadically afterwards. He finally retired in 1999-2000, when a recall to Indian colours looked out of the question. S Rajesh

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