He has a modest record in Indian cricket but Gogumal Kishenchand's chief claim to fame in international cricket is that he is the bowler off whom Don Bradman got the all important single to reach his 100th first class hundred in 1947-48. With Bradman on 99, Lala Amarnath, as a surprise tactic, brought on Kishenchand who had not yet bowled on the tour. Bradman treated Kishenchand with utmost respect before pushing him to mid on for a single to reach the landmark. A diminutive right-hand batsman with a good defence, Kishenchand was effective while driving and cutting. He toured Australia in 1947-48 but could achieve little against the powerful attack. His only valuable contribution was a 44 on a difficult Sydney wicket in the second Test, during which he added 70 runs for the seventh wicket with Dattu Phadkar. He came back only for one Test against Pakistan at Lucknow in 1952-53. One astonishing statistical aspect about Kishenchand's record is that he had at least one duck in every one of the five Tests he played. He also played six unofficial `Tests' against the Australian Services team in 1945, the first Commonwealth team in 1949-50 and the second Commonwealth team the following season. He was a tower of strength to various teams in the Ranji Trophy and over a career that lasted about three decades, he made 4216 runs (54.05) including ten centuries with a highest score of 181. For the Hindus in just three seasons of the Pentangular tournament, early in his career he scored 611 runs (101.83). He was also an occasional leg break bowler.
Partab Ramchand