Who is the youngest Indian bowler to claim five wickets in an innings?
(02 April 2002)

As a left-arm spinner, Ravi Shastri was not cut out for greatness, despite his initial success. His bowling figures in his debut series in 1981 against New Zealand, a team with few genuine players of spin, still makes for impressive reading though.

Playing as a precocious 18-year-old, Shastri made an impression with his bowling in his debut Test itself, claiming six for 63 in the match. Rain on the third and the fourth day, however, meant that he had to be satisfied with his two wickets in New Zealand’s only innings in the second Test at Christchurch.

But the third Test at Auckland, the last of the series, was to see Shastri go a long way towards cementing his place in the Indian squad. After his quicks proved ineffective in the New Zealand first innings, Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar called upon his spinners - Shastri and the experienced Dilip Doshi - to bring home the bacon. They did not disappoint.

While Doshi stifled the home team with his miserly bowling, a relatively profligate Shastri lured them to their doom. His figures of 5-125 on 15 March 1981, when he was 18 years and 290 days old, was to earn him the honour of being the youngest Indian bowler to claim five wickets in an innings. It was also to vindicate Gavaskar’s faith in a young man whom he rated highly.

For more details on all the above facts check out [ StatsGuru ]

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