Subhash Gupte

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = Indian
country = India
country abbrev = IND
name = Subhash Gupte
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngbatting style = Right-hand bat
bowling style = Legbreak googly
tests = 36
test runs = 183
test bat avg = 6.31
test 100s/50s = -/-
test top score = 21
test balls = 11284
test wickets = 149
test bowl avg = 29.55
test 5s = 12
test 10s = 1
test best bowling = 9/102
test catches/stumpings = 14/-
FCs = 115
FC runs = 761
FC bat avg = 8.18
FC 100s/50s = -/-
FC top score = 47
FC balls = 29632
FC wickets = 530
FC bowl avg = 23.71
FC 5s = 36
FC 10s = 11
FC best bowling = 10/78
FC catches/stumpings = 52/-
debut date = 30 December
debut year = 1951
last date = 13 December
last year = 1961
source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/28880.html

Subhashchandra Pandharinath "Fergie" Gupte audio|Subhash_Gupte.ogg|pronunciation (born 11 December 1929 in Bombay, India; died 31 May 2002, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) was one of Test cricket's finest spin bowlers. Sir Garry Sobers pronounced him the best leg spinner that it had been his pleasure to see. ^{[http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/238823.html]}

Gupte flighted and spun the ball sharply, and possessed two different googlies. The West Indians who toured India in 1958/9 reckoned that Gupte could turn the ball on glass. His only drawback perhaps was that he tended to lose confidence when the batsmen attacked his bowling.

He made his debut in 1951/2 and from the next season onward took over from Vinoo Mankad as India's leading spinner. He was nicknamed after the West Indian leg spinner Wilfred Ferguson. Gupte took 27 wickets in West Indies in 1952/3 and 34 against New Zealand at home in 1955/6. At Kanpur in 1958/9, he took nine West Indian wickets in an innings for 102 runs, and had Lance Gibbs - the only batsman he missed - dropped by wicket keeper Naren Tamhane. He once took all ten wickets in an innings for Bombay against Bahawalpur CC, and once in Lancashire league for Rishton.

His career ended in unfortunate circumstances in 1961/2. The Indian team was staying at the Imperial Hotel in Delhi during the Test against England. A.G. Kripal Singh, Gupte's roommate, called up the receptionist and tried to fix a date with her. She complained to the Indian manager and both players were sacked. Gupte did not play another Test and soon migrated to Trinidad and even played a few first class matches for them. In 1981/2, a benefit match was held for him in Sharjah.

His brother Baloo Gupte was also a leg spinner who played for India.

External links

* [http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/916/916.html Player page in cricketarchive]