Padmakar Shivalkar: A left-arm spin giant born in the wrong era

It was a pity that Padmakar Shivalkar plied his trade at a time which coincided with the era of Bishan Singh Bedi in Indian cricket. An underlying sentiment of ‘what if,’ which often dominated animated discussions among fans of yesteryears, came back to haunt all when the legendary Mumbai left arm spinner passed away at 84 years on Monday.

 ‘’Me and (Rajinder) Goel sahab were born in the wrong era,’’ Shivalkar, a stalwart of Indian domestic cricket, said in a signed column after his contemporary Rajinder Goel – yet another prolific practitioner of his trade who never played Tests – passed away in 2020. For those who may be wondering what stopped the selectors from picking a second left-arm orthodox spinner in the squad after Bedi – the other three in the fray were Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrashekhar and Srinivas Venkataraghavan making up the famous quartet.

 It’s a strange quirk of fate which ‘Paddy,’ as he was known among his teammates in the Sixties and Seventies, accepted with a smile and was genuinely happy when the BCCI conferred Lifetime Achievement Award to him and Goel jointly in 2017. History of the sport has been replete with such examples when someone like a Syed Kirmani had to wait in the shadows till Farokh Engineer retired or in recent times, a certain Stuart MacGill remained a second fiddle to the great Shane Warne.

 Just how good a bowler was Shivalkar? To say that he grabbed 589 Ranji wickets with 42 five-trick hauls and 13 10-trick hauls is just number-crunching – but when one adds that it came at an average of around two runs per over, the definition of being an economical bowler takes a new meaning. After having made his debut for Mumbai in 1962, he served them for two decades and was a part of  18 of Mumbai’s 20 Ranji Trophy wins in those years.

 Oldtimers in Mumbai cricket recall his ability to deceive batters with his flight, accuracy and turn. Shivalkar delivered one of the most memorable performances in Ranji Trophy history, taking eight for 16 and five for 18 in the 1972–73 final, leading Mumbai to a resounding victory over Tamil Nadu.

 Shivalkar was widely admired for his remarkable control over line and length, his ability to extract sharp turn even on unresponsive pitches and his steadfast consistency. His bowling had a finesse and guile that troubled even the best batters of his time. His longevity in the game was a testament to his resilience and passion as he continued to outfox batsmen well into his late forties.

 Post retirement, Shivalkar left a huge impact in his coaching days and Mumbai cricket is still struggling to cope with his loss. Sunil Gavaskar, former India captain, was rueful: ‘’One of my regrets as India captain is not being able to convince the national selectors to pick Padmakar Shivalkar in India’s Test team. He deserved the India cap far more than some others who got it.’’

 Roger Binny, the BCCI president, said in a statement: “Indian cricket has lost a true legend today. Padmakar Shivalkar’s mastery over left-arm spin and his deep understanding of the game made him a revered figure in domestic cricket. His exceptional career and selfless contribution to Mumbai and Indian cricket will always be remembered. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

 RIP, Mr Shivalkar!