Baroda Hall of Fame - Vijay Samuel Hazare

Hall Of Fame - Vijay Samuel Hazare

Text Box: Full name Vijay Samuel Hazare
Born March 11, 1915, Sangli, Maharashtra
Died Dec 18, 2004, Baroda
Major teams India, Baroda, Central India, Maharashtra
Batting style Right-hand
Bowling style Right-arm medium

Text Box: A protestant, one of India’s greatest batsmen and always immaculately dressed cricketer of his time, Vijay Hazare was small in stature, but had all the strokes together with a very strong defence. Square-shouldered and with sinewy wrists and forearms, he would move his right foot back outside the leg-stump and hammer his square-cut through the covers. If the circumstances warranted it, he would forget his straight bat orthodoxy but he rarely lofted the ball. His concentration was intense. He was also a very useful medium-pace bowler and a fine fielder. Retiring and gentlemanly, he was a conscientious captain of India for three years in the early 50s; he led the country in 14 Tests, nine against England and five against West Indies. He made his first big impact when scoring 316 not out for Maharashtra against Baroda in 1939-40 and an incredible 309 not out in a total of 387 for The Rest against the Hindus in the same season. In 1946-47, when making 288 in 2 ½ hours for Baroda against Holkar in the final of the Ranji Trophy, he added 577 with Gul Mahomed for the fourth wicket, a world record in first-class cricket – and he took 6 for 85 in the first innings. He toured England in 1946 and as captain in 1952, Australia in 1947-48 and West Indies as captain in 1952-53. At home he played against West Indies in 1948-49, England in 1951-52 and Pakistan in 1952-53. On his first England tour he scored 344 runs at 49.77 an outing, besides taking 56 wickets at 24.75 a piece, but was disappointing in Tests. In Australia he made most runs in the Tests, 429 at an average of 47.66 and in all first-class matches reached 1,056 runs at an average of 48.00. In the fourth Test at Adelaide he scored 116 and 145 (out of 277), the first time an Indian has made two centuries in a Test. Against West Indies in 1948-49 he headed the batting with 543 runs at 67.87 an outing in the Tests, his solid 134 not out in the second match at Bombay saving India from defeat after following on, and in the fifth match at Bombay his 122 nearly brought victory. At the top of the batting against England in 1951-52 with 347 runs at 57.83 an outing, he hit dogged centuries in the first two Tests, 164 not out in 8 hours 35 minutes at Delhi, his Test-highest and 155 at Bombay in 5 hours. As captain of a weak side in England, he was supreme in the Tests with 333 runs at 55.50 an outing. In the first-ever Test against Pakistan at Lucknow in 1953-54, he made 76 and in the third at Bombay, on turf that was far from easy, he contributed a steady 146 not out in 4 ½ hours, adding 188 with Polly Umrigar for the fourth wicket. After an unsuccessful tour of the West Indies, he was discarded both as captain and player, but he had scored at least one Test century against each country. His brother also played in Ranji Trophy. He was in the Selection Committee in 1959-60 and National Selector for three years from 1960-61 to 1962-63.

Hall of Fame—Main

BCA Photo Gallery

	Matches	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Test	30	52	6	2192	164*	47.65	-	-	7	9	-	1	11	0
First-Class	238	367	46	18740	316*	58.38	-	-	60	73	-	-	166	0

	Matches	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4	5	10
Test	30	2840	1220	20	4/29	4/29	61	2.57	142	1	0	0
First-class	238	38628	14645	595	8/90	-	24.61	2.27	64.92	-	27	3