Bishan Singh Bedi is a former Indian cricketer widely known as one of the legendary Indian spinners of all time. He was primarily a left-arm orthodox bowler with an easy action who had the ability to bowl flighted deliveries with subtle variations. He was part of the famous Indian spin quartet during the 1960s and 70s alongside Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar. Bishan Singh Bedi bowling in a match.Bishan Singh Bedi was born when India was facing a non-violent war against the Britishers. During childhood, he used to play marble in the streets of Amritsar. He started playing cricket at the age of thirteen when he heard the commentary of a cricket match between India and the West Indies on the radio. He started playing to decrease his weight. Then he moved to Delhi in 1968-69 where in the 1974-75 Ranji Season, he took record 64 wickets. [14]ITV India Youtube Channel Bishan Singh Bedi during his young days.He made his international debut in a test match against West Indies in 1966. Bedi took two vital wickets and restricted their first inning score to 390. West Indies won this match by an inning and 45 runs. Bishan Singh Bedi (2nd from right; standing) posing with his team in his debut international match.His first 5-wicket haul came against New Zealand at Christchurch on 22-27 February 1968. New Zealand was at point 208 runs for the loss of one wicket. Bedi then came on to bowl and took their first wicket. Bedi finished his spell with six wickets after conceding 127 runs. In their second inning, he took two wickets and gave 21 runs in 17 overs. However, New Zealand won this match by six wickets.His best test bowling was 7 for 98 which came against Australia at Eden Gardens in December 1969. In reply to Indias 212 runs, Australia lost both their openers for the score of 84 runs. Bedi took the key wicket of their captain Billy Lawry. Then, Ian Chappell, had a centurys stand with Doug Walters before Doug Walters was stumped off the bowling of Bishan Singh Bedi. Soon, Ian Chappell also went for 99 runs. Bedi ended his quota of bowling with his best test bowling spell.Bedi had a personality clash with Mumbaikar Sunil Gavaskar. They had clashed on a number of topics. However, they firmed respected each other game. This can be estimated from the fact that Bedi named his first son on the name of Gavaskar. Bedis playing days nearly ended when Gavaskar was made the full-time captain in 1979. Later, when Gavaskar was sacked from the team, Bedi was the national selector. In 2007, Bedi termed Gavaskar as a destructive influence on Indian cricket. [15]The Quint Bishan Singh Bedi with Sunil Gavaskar.One of his most miserly spells came against East Africa during the 1975 World Cup. India desperately needs a win over here having lost their first game against England where Gavaskar scored record 36 runs of 175 balls. East Africa was batting first. It was really difficult to face Bedis bowling in that match. Bedi ended his bowling spell with 6 runs in 12 overs and one wicket which includes eight maidens. East Africa could only manage to score 120 runs. India won this game by ten wickets and registered their first ODI victory ever. Bishan Singh Bowling in a match against East Africa during 1975 ICC World Cup.Bedi recalls in a TV series regarding an unofficial test with Sri Lanka in 1975 in Nagpur by saying that I was captain of the team. We were made to stay in an MLA hostel. It was during the month of December and the winter was at its peak. But only I had warm water coming in my room, and not other players. So I called the secretary of the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) and told him to provide warm water to all players. I told him that people who would be coming in numbers to watch the match will not come to see him but the players. I had an altercation with him and he behaved very rudely. I must have abused him too. It was so bad that after the match ended, they (VCA) did not even book the first-class railway ticket for me and another player. We had to travel sitting in the luggage rack of the general compartment in that cold weather. India team for the unofficial match against touring Sri Lanka in 1975. Bishan Singh Bedi 2nd from right; standing.His highest score was 50 runs, his only international fifty, which came against New Zealand in Kanpur in 1976.The same year, he was appointed the national teams captain after replacing Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. His first win as captain came against the West Indies team at Port-of-Spain in the third test of the 1976 series. This was the same match where India scored then-record 406 runs in the fourth inning. This followed up with a series victory over New Zealand by 2-0 at home. However, after a consequent tournament defeat against England, Australia, and Pakistan, he was replaced by Sunil Gavaskar as captain in 1978.