A versatile allrounder, Roger Binny proved his value to the Indian team in both Test cricket and the one-day game. He was capable of rescuing India, like he did while scoring 83 not out and sharing a record 155 run seventh-wicket partnership with Madan Lal against Pakistan at Bangalore in 1983. He was capable of bowling India to victory, as he did in taking seven wickets in the match at Headingley in 1986. Or when with a spell of 4 for 9 in 30 balls towards his best Test figures of 6 for 56, he pushed Pakistan to the wall at Calcutta in 1987. But there is no doubt that Binny's most outstanding feats were associated with limited overs cricket - and more specifically the 1983 World Cup. He played a leading role in India's victorious campaign taking 18 wickets, then the record in the competition.

Tall and athletically built, Binny was an aggressive batsman who could either open the innings or go in the middle order, was a medium-pace bowler who could swing the ball both ways - and was particularly effective in English conditions - and an excellent field. He first made his mark when putting on a record unbroken partnership of 451 runs for the first wicket with Sanjay Desai in the Ranji Trophy game against Kerala in 1977-78, his share being 211. He was generally in and out of the Indian team but whenever he was persevered with, he proved his value. With the ball, he was capable of destructive spells like when he dismissed Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas and Miandad at Bombay in 1979 to put Pakistan on the backfoot or when he dismissed Greenidge, Haynes and Richards to rock the West Indies at Ahmedabad in 1983. A Karnataka stalwart for several years, Binny later made his mark as a coach and was given a lot of credit for the victory of the Under-19 team in the World Cup in Sri Lanka in January 2000. There were rumours that that Binny may be called up to coach the India team the same year but those turned out to be exactly that.
Partab Ramchand

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Jun 22, 2008 Sunil Gavaskar, Kris Srikkanth and others mess about at a felicitation ceremony © AFP

Jun 3, 2008 Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Syed Kirmani and Roger Binny present an autographed bat © AFP

May 16, 2001 NCA and India junior coach Roger Binny (left) with Indian coach John Wright at the camp © Cricinfo Ltd

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