Third Man: Recollections From A Life In Cricket: 1

Revelling in the challenge of his position as Third Man, Ramnarayan was an integral part of many Hyderabad victories in the Ranji Trophy, performing alongside names like Abbas Ali Baig, Abid Ali, ML Jaisimha and MAK Pataudi. He also had the opportunity to bowl to stalwarts of Indian cricket like GR Vishwanath, Ashok Mankad, Brijesh Patel and the Amarnath brothers and rub shoulders with the likes of VV Kumar,BishanBedi, Salim Durrani and Hanumant Singh in the vibrant first class scene of a largely amateur era. The stories featured in this fine book are recollections of a life spent playing and observing cricket. They are stories of a time when sheer love for the game drove people to cricket grounds. At a time when rampant commercialization has overtaken the game, these stories bring back memories of a simpler time. Nostalgic and insightful, Third Man is a welcome addition to cricketing lore contributed by a former cricketer who, as a journalist today, straddles the worlds of sports and arts.

In 1975, V Ramnarayan who came from a proud cricketing tradition in his native Madras (now Chennai) made his debut as an off-spinner for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. Over the next few years, he was the leading wicket taker for the team. In an era when India s legendary spin quartet reigned supreme, Ramnarayan remained the third choice off-spinner behind the legendary EAS Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan.