Bhausaheb Nimbalkar      

Full name Bhausaheb Babasaheb Nimbalkar

Born December 12, 1919, Kolhapur, Maharashtra

Current age 89 years 347 days

Major teams Baroda, Holkar, Maharashtra, Railways, Rajasthan

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Fielding position Wicketkeeper

He is known throughout the cricketing world for his feat of scoring 443 not out for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in a Ranji Trophy match at Pune in 1948-49. But while that mammoth innings - still the fourth highest in first class cricket - remains the undisputed highlight of his career, the fact is that BB Nimbalkar had a long and impressive record in the national competition. His career stretched from the late thirties to the early sixties and he played for as many as six teams. An aggregate of 3687 runs at a healthy average of 56.72 with 11 centuries marks him out as one of the outstanding batsmen in the Ranji Trophy. And all this makes selectorial indifference towards him that much more perplexing. He never represented India in an official Test and played for the country only once - against the first Commonwealth team in 1949-50, when he scored 48. A prolific run getter, Nimbalkar, in his first-class career, scored 4577 runs (52.01) with 12 centuries.

But there is little doubt that the story of his cricketing career revolves around two memorable days in December, 1948 when he scored what is still the highest score by an Indian in first-class cricket. Kathiawar were all out for 238 and Nimbalkar, who came in at No. 3, and KV Bhandarkar added 455 runs for the second wicket which stood as an Indian first-class record for 43 years. At 443, he was within striking distance of Don Bradman's then world record score of 452, made 19 years earlier when the Kathiawar captain, Thakore Sahib of Rajkot, decided to concede the match with the Maharashtra score 826 for 4. The match thus came to an abrupt end and Nimbalkar was deprived of a famous world record.
Partab Ramchand

1949

Bhausaheb Nimbalkar

© Wisden Cricket Monthly