Atul Bedade - India - Batsman

A run-machine for Baroda, Atul Bedade failed to live up to the expectations during his stint with the Indian team in the early part of the 90's. His ability to hit sixes at will was looked upon by the selectors who felt that India needed big-hitting batsmen.

After some prolific years in the domestic season, Bedade was chosen in the Indian squad for the Australasia cup in Sharjah in 1994. His over-reliance on power, combined with the inability to move his feet, was exposed by the fast bowlers. He played only one good knock in that series. His 44 in the final against Pakistan was noticeable for the four sixes that he plundered. India went onto lose the match by 39 runs but Bedade had shown his immense power.

In the series against the West Indies, he stroked his only fifty at Jaipur but he drifted away from the scene. In his remaining ODIs, he failed to show his prowess and was dropped from the team. Recently, in 2006, Bedade appeared in an umpire's examination. He was the only international Indian player who featured but he failed to clear the exam.

By Siddharth Vishwanathan