Cricket is known as a game of uncertainty since no one can predict what will happen in the game. Occasionally, during a game, a bowler does well by becoming into a strong hitter, and vice versa.
There have been many matches at the international level where bowlers have done wonders in the match with their best batting and have won their teams matches. Who can forget the Champions Trophy 2004 final played between West Indies and England when Ian Bradshaw batted like a pure batsman and made the West Indies champions.
Do you know Rohit Sharma has also taken a hat-trick in IPL? Yes, the same Rohit Sharma, who never seems to bowl at this time and plays as a pure batsman, did wonders in bowling and took a hat-trick against the same Mumbai Indians in 2009 on behalf of Deccan Chargers, of which he was made captain a few years later.
A wonder happened when Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie scored a double century in Test cricket as a nightwatchman against Bangladesh in 2006. Thanks to this brilliant performance of Jason Gillespie, Australia won this Test match. Although this was Jason Gillespie’s last Test match, Gillespie, playing as a pure bowler in this match, served the team by becoming a pure batsman, which is memorable.
Amidst all the wonders in international cricket, there was a wonder in the Ranji Trophy yesterday. In the second quarterfinal match being played between Mumbai and Baroda, Mumbai’s Tushar Deshpande and Tanush Kotiyal scored centuries batting at number 10 and 11. Tushar Deshpande, batting at number 11, scored 123 runs off 129 balls, including 10 fours and 8 sixes, while Tanush Kotiyal also played 129 balls and scored an unbeaten 120 runs with 10 fours and 4 sixes. Both shared a 232-run partnership for the 10th wicket.
This is only the second time such a feat has happened in first-class matches. Earlier, 78 years ago, when India was not even independent, in 1946, in the match between Indians and Surrey, India’s Chandu Sarwate and Shoot Banerjee scored centuries at number 10 and 11. Chandu Sarwate scored 124 runs and Shoot Banerjee scored 121 runs in this match.
These are examples of some matches in which a bowler changed his role to a batsman and a batsman became a pure bowler in the same match. Do you also remember a match in which a bowler became a batsman or a batsman became a bowler and won his team the match?
