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Off-spinner Ghulam Ahmed is probably most fondly remembered among cricketing faithful as a true gentleman, but despite that, he was a brilliant spinner. A tall and slim off-spinner with a simple and repeatable action, he was a force to reckon with on wickets which provided help, but was also tight with his lengths on unfavourable wickets. He has played four unofficial and 22 official Test matches for India, and even captained the Indian team on three occasions. With the legendary Vinoo Mankad and Subash Gupte, he formed probably India’s first-ever dominant trio of spinners, a trend which has followed across Indian teams in every generation.
Ahmed made his debut on December 31, 1948, against the West Indies in Calcutta, while also playing his final Test for India on 31st December 1958 at the same venue. In 22 Tests, he has picked up 68 wickets, averaging 30 at a miserly economy of 2.17. He played a key role in India’s first-ever Test win against England in Madras in 1952. He picked up figures of 4 for 77 in 26 overs in the second innings, as India bowled England out for 183 to seal a victory by an innings and eight runs.
He picked up his best innings and match figures in the same game, against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 1956. He picked up his best innings figures of 7 for 49 in 20.3 overs, and added 3 for 81 in 29 overs in the second innings, finishing with match figures of 10 for 130, the only ten-wicket haul in his career. Australia won the game by 94 runs, with legendary leg-spinner Richie Benaud picking up 11 wickets in the match. In the first-ever Test between India and Pakistan in 1952-53, Ahmed, a handy attacking lower-order batter, scored 50 batting at number 11, stitching a 109-run stand with Hemu Adhikari. He also picked up five wickets in the game.
He retired from first-class cricket having picked up 179 wickets in the Ranji Trophy at an average of 18.18, playing for a Hyderabad side which did not dominate games as often. He picked up 5 for 28 and 9 for 53 in a game against Madras in the 1947-48 season, with the latter being his best first-class innings figures. His 555 balls against Holkar were for a long time the most balls bowled by a single bowler in a spell.
After he called time on a storied playing career, Ahmed has served in various roles in an administrative capacity. Ahmed was the manager of the Indian team on tours against Australia and the West Indies. It was on this tour of the Caribbean that skipper Nari Contractor was hit on the head while batting against Charlie Griffith. He has served two separate stints as the National Selector and was an instrumental part in picking the squad that lifted the 1983 World Cup during his second stint. He has also served as the vice-president and President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association.
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