1968
No bowler has ever had a more successful Test debut than Narendra Hirwani, who was born today. Hirwani, a stocky, bespectacled legspinner, was only 19 when he destroyed West Indies with 16 for 136 at Chennai (then called Madras) in 1987-88. His second-innings 8 for 75, in which a Test-record five batsmen were stumped by Kiran More, is in the top half of the Wisden 100. But successful debuts have been something of a curse in recent times, and so it was for Hirwani. After 36 wickets in his first four Tests his next nine Tests were all overseas, where he struggled to find any purchase and took only 21 wickets at 59.

1854
Test cricket's first double-centurion was born in Sandhurst, Australia. The fleet-footed Billy Murdoch was a master on flat pitches and most of his career highlights came at The Oval. After 19 runs in his first five innings he stroked an unbeaten 153 there in 1880, and his 13 and 29 were crucial in Australia's seven-run victory in 1882 (363 runs were scored for the loss of 40 wickets in the match), in the game that led to the birth of the Ashes. Two years later he smacked 211 on the same ground. Murdoch died in 1911 after suffering a heart attack during the fourth Test between Australia and South Africa at Melbourne.

1968
Had he been born on this day in another country, Stuart Law might easily have played 100 Tests, such is his talent. In his one Test, against Sri Lanka at Perth in 1995-96, he made 54 not out and denied himself an average. He became increasingly typecast as a one-day player -- he top-scored with 72 in Australia's dramatic World Cup semi-final win over West Indies at Mohali in 1996 -- despite a first-class average of over 50. Fans of Essex, whom he represented so illustriously until departing amid much rancour at the end of last summer, are very thankful for that. Law was also the man to lead Queensland to a long-overdue first Sheffield Shield in 1994-95.

1875
Birth of the rumbustious allrounder Len Braund, who represented Surrey and Somerset and played in 23 Tests for England between 1902 and 1908. He was a powerful leg-side hitter, a devious legspinner (after he converted from fast-medium) and the best slip fielder of his time. At Edgbaston in 1902 he took a famous catch as England skittled Australia for 36, their lowest Test score. Standing in the slips he anticipated a flick off the legs from Clem Hill off the bowling of George Hirst, and darted off down the leg side, James Foster-style, to take a blinder. He also took 8 for 81 in the decider at Melbourne in 1903-04 as England grabbed a 3-2 victory. He was an umpire for 16 years, but lost both legs late in life and died in Fulham in 1955.

1992
Zimbabwe began life as a Test-playing nation with a shocker of a draw against India at Harare. The Zims crawled through 214 overs for their first-innings 426. This was perhaps understandable, but when their turn came India were even worse. They ground out 309 in 169 excruciating overs and Sanjay Manjrekar's century, which took 500 minutes and 397 balls, was the fourth-slowest in Test history. For Zimbabwe, John Traicos returned to Test cricket a record 22 years and 222 days after the last of his three appearances for South Africa. He was too good for India's young master though -- Traicos (45) had Sachin Tendulkar (19) caught and bowled third ball for 0.

1961
The distinctive, diminutive figure of Gladstone Small, who was born today, was an instant success in Australia in 1986-87, where he took 12 wickets in two Tests as well as the catch that retained the Ashes. But injuries meant for a stop-start career in which Small played only 17 Tests, though he was a key figure on England's tour of West Indies in 1989-90, where he took 17 wickets at 29. As time went on, the virtually neckless Small became increasingly toothless at Test level (his strike rate was a wicket every 71 balls), and his last Test appearance came on the ill-fated Australian tour of 1990-91.

1952
Roy Dias, who was born today, was a beautiful timer of the ball who averaged a very respectable 36.71 from his 20 Tests, only one of which Sri Lanka won. Dias played a crucial part in that victory -- his country's first -- with 95 and 60 not out against India in Colombo. He followed that with a crucial, unusually reserved 106 in the next match at Kandy that enabled Sri Lanka to grab an improbable draw and with it their first series victory.

Other birthdays
1927 Buck Divecha (India)
1928 Deepak Shodhan (India)
1954 Aamer Hameed (Pakistan)
1961 Steve Smith (Australia)
1980 Reetinder Sodhi (India)

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