Description

Wizards: The Story of Indian Spin Bowling

The story of Indian spin bowling goes as far back as the turn of the twentieth century. In the Bombay Triangular (later, Quadrangular and Pentangular) and in the 1911 tour to England, Palwankar Baloo and his brand of left-arm spin delighted Englishman and Indian alike. Later, in the ’50s, the genius of Subhash Gupte, Vinoo Mankad and Ghulam Ahmed enthralled connoisseurs throughout the cricket-playing world.

But it was truly in the ’60s and ’70s, with the fabled Spin Quartet – Bedi, Prasanna, Chandra and Venkat – who foxed and out-thought the mightiest batsmen, that India began to dominate the world of spin. In the ’80s and ’90s, Sivaramakrishnan, Maninder Singh and Hirwani flattered to deceive before Kumble, Harbhajan and Ashwin re-established India’s reputation as possibly the finest spin nursery in world cricket.

No other skill has contributed more to the country’s cricket – and, arguably, spin bowling is what drove its race to the top. The first comprehensive book on Indian spinners, Wizards is deeply researched, nuanced and richly anecdotal, and fills an important gap in literature on the sport. An essential addition to every cricket lover’s library.

Anindya Dutta

Anindya Dutta is an international banker who has spent the past two-and-a-half decades working in major financial markets—London, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Singapore. Besides being a banker, Anindya is also deeply interested in sports history and is a sportswriter by vocation.

Anindya’s first book, A Gentleman’s Game (2017), was followed by his widely acclaimed and bestselling account of the greatest bowling spells in the history of cricket, Spell Binding Spells (2017). His third book, We are the Invincibles (2019), a fascinating account of Bradman’s 1948 team’s tour of England also received critical acclaim.

Besides penning books, Anindya is also a columnist for Sportstar, Hindustan Times, ESPN Cricinfo, Cricket Monthly, Cricket Soccer, Roar and Fountain Ink.

Delicately maintaining his work-write balance—banker by day and writer by night—Anindya lives in Singapore with his hugely supportive wife, Anisha and canine daughter, Olu.