Parthasarthi Sharma

A cricketer whose Test career did not compare to his impressive domestic record, Parthasarthi Sharma was a well-built, right-hand batsman. Selected in the national team following a series of impressive performances for Rajasthan and Central Zone in the Ranji and Duleep Trophies, Sharma had a promising beginning, scoring 54 and 49 on debut against West Indies in Delhi in 1974-75. A less successful outing in the next Test, in which he scored 6 and 9, had him axed. On tours to New Zealand and West Indies, Sharma opened with Sunil Gavaskar in the first Test in Bridgetown, but scored only 6 and 1. At home against England in 1976-77, he had scores of 4, 29, 9 and 20 in two Tests and was discarded for good after defeats in both games.

On the domestic circuit, however, Sharma played with distinction during a first-class career that spanned two decades. In the Ranji Trophy he scored 4372 runs (38.69) and in the Duleep Trophy he made 1379 runs (38.31). He was a mainstay of the Rajasthan side that repeatedly won the Central Zone championship and finished runners-up several times in the national competition. He was one of the stars of Central Zone's maiden triumph in the Duleep Trophy in 1971-72. Sharma died of cancer at the age of 62 in 2010.
Partab Ramchand