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Greg Rowell during his first-class career represented New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.
Sachin Tendulkar retired as the most prolific batter in international cricket history. (AFP Photo)
With the Indian team currently preparing themselves for a two-day practice match against the Prime Minister’s 11, a former Australian first-class cricketer recalled the time when he represented the PM’s XI and got the wickets of some of Indian cricket’s biggest legends at the time.
Greg Rowell during his first-class career represented New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania where he racked up a total of 46 FC and 27 List-A games in his career which spanned through the 90s.
As per a report by Indian Express, he is now a successful lawyer and also an official with Cricket Australia when he recalled the India vs Prime Minister’s 11 game at the Manuka Oval back in 1991.
A fairly young prospect at the time, he looked to make a strong case for himself and he sure did shine as he finished with figures of 7/27 which included the wickets of some of the biggest names in Indian cricket like Ravi Shastri and a young Sachin Tendulkar.
Reflecting on the post-match thoughts, he recalled, “I remember Shastri spoke warmly at the end of the game. And Prime Minister Hawke, back from those days when politicians were popular, came to the dressing room to have a chat. That was a thrill.”
Both India and the members of the PM’s 11 have a chance to make an impression when the two sides play against each other. Both teams have a fair share of young talents who would be keen to leave their mark.
But the most important thing, especially for India is to ensure that they get accustomed to playing with the pink ball. It presents a new challenge altogether and also considering the day-night conditions, it could be a different ball game altogether.
India will be keen on extending their lead and piling on the miseries against the Aussies. With Rohit Sharma back in the side, the momentum is with the Indian team going forward to the Adelaide Test. But the Aussies could be desperate to mount a comeback as they aim to end their decade-long losing streak to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
