CHENNAI: There is little doubt that the career figures of Vasant Baburao Ranjane, who has passed away in Pune at the age of 74 must be viewed with sympathy. For one thing he never really enjoyed the confidence of the selectors and was in and out of the team.
Secondly most of his international cricket was played on dead batting tracks or spin-oriented pitches when the new ball bowler’s function was limited to just a few overs to take the shine off the ball. Very rarely was Ranjane given a long spell and this was a pity for he was a resourceful medium pace bowler able to swing the ball both ways.
When Ranjane made his Test debut against the West Indies at Kanpur in December 1958 he attracted considerable attention. For one thing he was being touted about as a probable answer to India’s acute opening bowling problem. Secondly he had made a sensational debut in the Ranji Trophy two years before. Playing for Maharashtra against Saurashtra he took nine for 35 (including a hat trick) and four for 36. It was a performance that pitchforked the reserved and unassuming bowler from a modest background into the national cricketing spotlight.
Ranjane narrowly missed the tour of England in 1959. A swing bowler like him would have relished bowling in England but he was not considered for the tour though given the success of the man who went in his place – Surendranath who was a rather similar bowler – it is fair to assume that Ranjane too would have been among the wickets.
For all his limited appearances – in seven Tests played between 1958 and 1964 he took 19 wickets at just over 34 apiece – Ranjane was the most successful bowler on two occasions. Against England at Bombay in 1961 he bowled with great heart on the unhelpful Brabourne stadium pitch to finish with four for 76 as the visitors declared at 500 for eight. Perhaps even better was the showing against the much more formidable West Indies at Kingston a few months later when he finished with four for 72 his victims being Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Frank Worrell and Gary Sobers as the Caribbeans were dismissed for 253.
Ranjane represented Maharashtra and Railways in the Ranji Trophy. He played in the tournament till 1970-71 finishing with a tally of 116 wickets at 22.11 apiece. In first-class cricket he had a bag of 175 wickets at an average of 27.73. While in retirement, there were reports of Ranjane having to endure hard times and star cricketers in a nice gesture, got together to play a benefit match in his aid.
