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Born: September 25, 1946, Amritsar, Punjab
Major teams: India, Delhi, Northamptonshire, Northern Punjab
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox
Achievements: One of the famed Indian Spin Quartet; former India captain; before Anil Kumble, the Indian spinner with highest number of Test wickets
Bishan Bedi, who was part of the feared Indian spin quartet, was a master of the art of spin bowling. Making his debut in 1966 against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Calcutta, Bedi soon managed to carve a niche for himself in an Indian team teeming with spinners of high-caliber.
An orthodox left-arm spinner, Bedi was able to conjure up tricks galore with his simple flowing action. The lion-hearted cricketer that he was, Bedi was never afraid to toss the ball up, enticing batsmen to step out and hit him over the top.
In the away series victories of 1970-71 against West Indies and England, Bedi bowled in tandem with his other illustrious peers Chandrasekhar and Venkataraghavan to torment opposition batsmen.
As India captain Bedi has moderate success, leading India to victory in six out of the 22 Test matches played under him. In the 1978-79 series in Pakistan, Bedi and his aging comrades were ruthlessly flayed by a formidable Pakistani batting line up on flat pitches and he soon retired.
Ever the outspoken cricketer, Bishen Bedi courted controversies on umpteen occasions. He declared India's innings at 97 for 5 at Kingston in protest against intimidatory bowling by West Indian quicks.
