1891
Clarrie Grimmett, the first bowler to take 200 Test wickets, was born on this day. Grimmett played his first Test at the age of 33. His legspin partnership with Bill O’Reilly was the greatest of all time.
1975
Marcus Trescothick, the brutal left-handed opening batsman for England, was born on this day. He established himself as a key player in both forms of the game. But the pressures of the international game and the endless touring took its toll. He suffered from depression and twice left a series midway. He retired from international cricket in 2008 and wrote an autobiography, which dealt extensively with his struggles with depression.
1982
Tapash Baisya, who played 21 Tests and 56 ODIs between 2002 and 2007 for Bangladesh, was born on this day. On his Test debut at the age of 19, Baisya managed to take only one wicket. But he took his best match figures just three matches later- 6 for 117 in Chittagong against West Indies. Baisya also played the 2003 and 2007 World Cups.
1984
Alastair Cook, the first England batsman to cross the 10,000-runs milestone, was born on this day. Cook made his Test debut against India in 2006 where he scored a century. He made back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan in the same year. In 2012, Cook became England’s Test captain and led the side to a historic series win in India, where he also became England’s leading Test century-maker and the youngest player to pass 7000 runs. He then led his side to a 3-0 win over Australia in the home Ashes in 2013. Cook also produced the longest innings in England’s Test history, an 836-minute 263 in Abu Dhabi in October 2013.
1997
The one-day international between India and Sri Lanka in Indore was the first international match to be called off because of an unsafe pitch.
