The sad demise of a huge name in English Spin bowling, Derek Underwood, who was well known as the best after World War II, was noted by the age of 78 on April 15th. The characterization of Underwood’s career with a degree of precision and skill was the unforgettable put up of his cricketing world having epic fights against a legendary batsman, Sunil Gavaskar.
His name comes the class of left-arm slow orthodox spin. Underwood was highly appreciated by his equivalent for his precision of a small spot, which made him as one to be witnessed on the challenging pitches (the uncovered ones) of the 1960s and 1970s. His ability to crank up the pace and take very less time to snatch wickets allowed him to become “Deadly” by nature.
Underwood was totally recognized not just for awards but also for achievements. Throughout a career of 24 years, he registered 297 wickets from 86 Test matches which is the greatest English spin bowling record that has ever been done. Notably, their First-Class cricket also reflects a terrifying 2,465 wickets.
Playing against the mighty Indians in 1977, Underwood, who scored 29 wickets, is one of his remarkable performances in the series England won by 3-1. This extraordinary win by England made them the first of the English to win a series on Indian soil after the famous English victory in the 1933-34 tour led by Douglas Jardine.
Derek Underwood`s legacy as a bowler was solidified by his multi-talents (We all know the fact that) he was the only bowler who dismissed the highest number of times (plot spoiler alert 12) (the only one who could see that in test matches) that of Sunil Gavaskar namely. Gavaskar digressed the fact that Underwood asked him for some difficult deliveries and unremittingly strained him as it was his first tour with Australia.
Moreover, Underwood extraordinarily managed not only to follow his cricketing ambitions but also to work as a MCC manager during 2008-2009. Despite this, it will be the charming yet lethal spin bowling which will make cricket fans warm their hearts about him, after which he will leave them with a lasting impression.
