Narendra Hirwani – The Hurricane that landed in Chepauk

Narendra Hirwani started as a leg spinner as a 19 year old in Test cricket before Shane Warne made leg-spin fashionable again. He took 16 wickets on his debut, against West Indies at Madras in 1987-88.

Humble Beginning

Narendra Hirwani, born on October 18, 1968, in Gorakhpur, India, is a former Indian cricketer and a renowned leg-spin bowler. Hirwani moved to Indore in his teenage where he stayed in a room near the ground under the guidance of the Madhya Pradesh cricketer Sanjay Jagdale.

Coming into the fourth Test match in Chennai, Team India were 1-0 behind in the series. Hirwani was drafted in the playing XI due to the spin-friendly nature of the Chepauk pitch.

Narendra Hirwani kickstarted his first-class cricket journey with Madhya Pradesh at just 16, showcasing his talent by securing five wickets in his debut match. His prowess became evident as he claimed an impressive 23 wickets in a three-Test series against Australia for the under-19 team.

The breakthrough moment arrived during a match for India U-25 against the West Indies in 1987–88, where, after an initial setback, he bounced back by taking all six wickets in the second innings. This stellar performance earned him a spot in the Test team, marking the beginning of his impactful cricketing career.

Hirwani Hurricane

Narendra Hirwani registered astonishing bowling figures of 16-136 on his Test debut on 15 Jan 1988, which included the likes of Viv Richards in the WI lineup. Hirwani’s figures in that match are the best bowling figures by a player on Test debut and resulted in Indian victory. Setting a world record for the best debut bowling performance in Test cricket, the extraordinary achievement quickly propelled him into the limelight and established him as a promising talent.

In the home series against New Zealand in 1989, Hirwani took 20 wickets in three Tests, and his partner Arshad Ayub 21. In his first four Tests he had taken 36 wickets, the most by any bowler at this stage of their career.

Over all, He played 17 tests and took 66 wickets at 30.10.

Hirwani holds the Test record (World Record) of bowling 59 overs unchanged without a break (other than for scheduled intervals), during a test match against England at The Oval in 1990

Narendra Hirwani in ODIs

Narendra Hirwani clinched the “Man of the Series” title in the 1987–88 Sharjah Cup, a three-nation tournament held in Sharjah. Just months later, he made history by taking 10 wickets in three matches, becoming the first Indian bowler to secure 4 wickets in three consecutive ODIs. His exceptional performance in the tournament showcased his bowling prowess and contributed to India’s success on the international stage.

He played 18 ODIs and took 23 wickets at 31.26.

Decline

His effectiveness reduced when he travelled out of India especially when WI batsmen attacked Narendra Hirwani on Indian cricket team’s tour to the West Indies in 1988–89. This is also cost him an spot in in the 1992 World Cup squad.

And soon after the arrival of the great Anil Kumble, he was mostly sentenced to domestic cricket where he was a stalwart in his own right with 723 wickets from 167 matches.

Hirwani did make a comeback in 1996 but again fell out of favour after couple of series. In 2001 he was again picked in the squad to play Australia but not make it to playing eleven, for which he publicly criticised captain Saurav Ganguly, soon the hurricane faded into oblivion.