RIP Bishen Singh Bedi

 He was an integral part of the famous of the spin quadret of India along with Chandra, Prasanna and Ventakragahavan who weaved magic on the field and weaved India's bowling attack for years in the days when India didn't possess a medium pacer of quality until the arrival of Kapil Dev in 1978. Bishen Singh Bedi, India's ex cricketer and Test captain in the 1970s, a prominent bowler, a great asset to India's cricket passed away earlier today at the age of 77.

He was a talented cricketer, aggressive captain and bit controversial too. A Punjabi, popularly known as Bishen Paaji, post retirement Bedi also played number of roles in cricket administration. During the 1990 tour of England when he was the manager of the team, he said - "Every housewife wants to seduce Sachin Tendulkar".

After losing the Test Series in Pakistan in 1978, India's witty Captain Bishen Singh Bedi gave three reasons for India's loss - the Cricketers, the Footballer and the Outsiders. Imran Khan was the Cricketers who played well against their arch rival, Footballer was alluded to Javed Miandad who padded all the deliveries from our spinners whereas the outsiders, apltly named for the Umpires looked the other way. India lost the series 2-0, leading to Bedi's outster as Captain. This was an illi fated tour when the visitors believed their rooms were bugged and from the day one started counting the remaining days to go back to India.

Mike Brearley, the scholarly English cricket captain, an average cricketer but a fantastic cricketing responsible for many English victories, had just one word to describe Bishan Singh Bedi’s bowling - “Beautiful.” Kapil Dev, India's best all arounder under whose leadership India famously won its first ever World Cup defeating the overwhelming favorite West Indies, said that Bedi was the best captain he played under, because unlike Sunil Gavaskar who was defensive both as a cricketer and captain, Bishen Singh Bedi believed that attack is the best method of defense. Bedi took the Captainship from Ajit Wadekar post India's infamous tour to England in 1974 summer when India was not only whitewashed but faced the ignominy of getting all out for a paltry 42 at Lord's, the Mecca of Cricket. He was an able captain who proved his mettle after series after series.

And Bedi was a pragmatic skipper too. During the West Indies tour in 1976 he declared India's innings in the middle when a fiery bowling attack led by Michael Holding and Andy Roberts sent at least couple of Indian batters injured, declared hurt and unable to bat again. It was the era without batters going to bat without the luxury of having a helmet. Bedi promptly declared the innings and surrendered the match. He was far from a coward, but prudent enough not to send the tail enders, his prized spinners to get injured and surrender the series. His decision proved to be wise. The 4 test match series ended in  1-1 draw, a respectable outcome against West Indies in West Indies those days, thanks to Bedi's practical thinking as a captain.

Several anecdotes attributed to him which Bedi had mentioned after the legendary writer Khushwant Singh passed away in 2014. Both Sardars used to meet regularly at the Bombay Gymkhana Club in the 1970s. Khushwant Singh mentioned Bedi as the first Sikh cricket captain in his book "History of Sikhs" and both were good friends. Every time they would meet Khushwant Singh would ask Bedi to tell him one Dirty Punjabi joke and in return the writer will buy India's cricket captain a drink. Bedi obliged under the condition of secrecy. He didn't want the nation to know that the Captain of Indian cricket team, that too a Sardar telling dirty Punjabi jokes.

Cricket, Controversies or Cricketing Controversies apart - Bishen Singh Bedi had carved his niche and left his indelible mark in the history of the game. RIP Bedi. Om Shanti.