Gunwant Desai (born 30 January 1941) is an Indian former cricketer who played first-class cricket for Railways in India from 1968 to 1974.

Gunwant Desai
Personal information
Born (1941-01-30) 30 January 1941 (age 83)
Hariya, near Atul, Bombay Presidency, British India (now Gujarat, India)
RoleOpening bowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1968–69 to 1974–75Railways
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 18
Runs scored 115
Batting average 7.66
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 29
Balls bowled 2989
Wickets 86
Bowling average 13.34
5 wickets in innings 6
10 wickets in match 2
Best bowling 8/54
Catches/stumpings 7/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 March 2018

Desai was a highly effective opening bowler for Railways in the Ranji Trophy, averaging nearly five wickets a match at a very low bowling average and with a strike-rate of a wicket every 34.75 balls.[1] He took 12 wickets in the match (7 for 46 and 5 for 24) in the innings victory over Haryana in 1971–72.[2]

In 1974–75 Desai set a Railways record for match figures that still stands when he took 13 for 77 (8 for 54 and 5 for 23) in another innings victory, this time over Services.[3] He also made his highest score in the same match when, batting as usual at number 11, he made 29 of a tenth-wicket stand of 30.[4]

Desai was never selected to play for North Zone in the Duleep Trophy. He twice played in Ranji Trophy quarter-finals, each time against Rajasthan. The second time, in 1973–74, he felled the Test batsman Salim Durani with a bouncer, and Durani had to be taken to hospital for an operation and played no further part in the match. Rajasthan won narrowly on their first-innings lead. Railways were 241 for 9 when Desai went to the crease, needing 15 for the lead, but he was bowled for a duck.[5][6]

References

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  1. ^ "Gunwant Desai". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  2. ^ "Railways v Haryana 1971-72". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Best match bowling for Railways". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Railways v Services 1974-75". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  5. ^ S. Giridhar and V. J. Raghunath, Mid-Wicket Tales: From Trumper to Tendulkar, SAGE Publications, Mumbai, 2014, p. 89.
  6. ^ "Railways v Rajasthan 1973-74". CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
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