Father-son duos who have represented India in Test cricket

Tags: India, Test Cricket

Published on: Jul 10, 2014

With Stuart Binny making his debut in the ongoing Trent Bridge Test against England, it marks the tenth instance of a father-son pair, who have represented India in Tests.

With Stuart Binny making his debut in the ongoing Trent Bridge Test against England, it marks the tenth instance of a father-son pair, who have represented India in Tests. Here's a look at some of them.


Roger Binny and Stuart Binny: While Kapil Dev dominated the pace bowling scene for India in the 80s, Binny gave him valuable support. A medium pacer, he had the ability to move the ball around, and was highly effective in conditions when the ball moved around. Binny's finest moment came during the 1983 World Cup in England, when he finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets. Stuart is also a decent medium pacer, who will be keen to make a mark in England, especially after his exploits in Bangladesh.


Lala Amarnath and Mohinder Amarnath: Lala was among the best batsmen India produced in the post-independence era. The first Test captain after India attained freedom, Lala along with Polly Umrigar was among the best batsmen in the Indian team during that era. He played some wonderful knocks against the best of attacks. Mohinder was an all-rounder, who wasn't hugely talented, but made up for it with his dedication and commitment. Most remembered for his heroics during the 1983 World Cup with both bat and ball, Amarnath was among the few batsmen in the world who stood up to the deadly West Indian fast bowlers during their peak.


Vijay Manjrekar and Sanjay Manjrekar: Vijay was undoubtedly the more successful of the two, and by some distance. He was among the first greats of Indian cricket, tasting success in great measure. Indian cricket always remembers his contribution with great fondness since his knocks gave India a lot to cheer even when they were losing. Sanjay couldn't live up to the massive expectations, primarily because he focused too much on his technique as he himself admitted later. Had he relaxed a bit, he could have been a lot more successful.


Vinod Mankad and Ashok Mankad: Vinoo Mankad was India's first truly great all-rounder, who was equally good with both bat and ball. There were occasions when he single-handedly bowled India to wins either with his batting or bowling. He was never always rewarded for his magnificent efforts, but battled on nonetheless, and is till date regarded as one of the best India has produced. Ashok was a talented batsman, but couldn't replicate his wonderful domestic form in Tests. He did not get enough opportunities, but with the kind of talent he possessed, he should have done better.


Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi: This father-son duo has a rare distinction. Both went on to lead their sides. While Pataudi sr represented England in pre-independent India before going on to play for India, Tiger Pataudi was handed the captaincy at the raw age of 21. Both had their fair share of successes and failures, but did Indian cricket proud with their performances. Tiger, in particular, is highly rated for playing on despite losing one eye in an accident. As for his father, he was a truly royal batsman, who led India during a tough phase, and earned a lot of respect as player and captain.


--By A Cricket Analyst

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