Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik mourned the demise of former Indian test captain and legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who passed away on Monday at the age of 77.
“Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Bishan Singh Bedi. The former Indian Test captain was one of the greatest spinners who brought sporting glory with his spin wizardry. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul”, the Odisha CM wrote on his ‘X’ handle.
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of #BishanSinghBedi. The former Indian Test captain was one of the greatest spinners who brought sporting glory with his spin wizardry. My condolences to the bereaved family and prayers for the departed soul.
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) October 23, 2023
Bedi played 67 Tests for India between 1967 and 1979, taking 266 wickets at an average of 28.71, apart from making 656 runs with the bat.
Bedi, considered to be one of the greatest left-arm spinners to have played the game, was part of the famous Indian spin quartet alongside Erapalli Prasanna, B.S. Chandrashekar and S. Venkataraghavan that won India many matches in both home and overseas conditions in the 1970s.
He also took seven wickets in 10 ODI matches, apart from captaining India in 22 Tests – with its most memorable wins coming in Melbourne and Sydney Tests in the 1977-78 tour of Australia.
Born in Amritsar, Punjab, Bedi began his first-class career with Northern Punjab, before moving to Delhi in the 1968-69 season, shortly after making his India Test debut in 1966.
His left-arm spin bowling was known for the mastery he had of flight, loop and spin, along with using subtle variations to outwit batters at the crease, with tiny adjustments made in his superior arm speed release points.