This is not a story of a legend of the game or someone who was feared worldwide for his strokeplay. This is story of a man on who played cricket for India in the pre-Independence era. Had India played Test cricket in the early 1900s, Cotar Ramaswami’s batting statistics would have been better with more Test appearances in his name.
Early cricket career
The Chennai-born cricketer played just two Tests for India. The tall batter made his debut when he was few months or a year away from hanging his boots. Well, at least in the international arena. Ramaswami, a left-handed batter who represented Hindus in the Bombay Quadrangular and Pentangular, made his Test debut at the age of 40.
Impressive debut
Ramaswami was a veteran in the Indian team led by Maharajah of Vizianagram but not the best. In the first innings, when India won the toss and opted to bat first, Ramaswami scored 40 runs. Batting at no.6, Ramaswami was India's second highest scorer of the innings that was wrapped up for 203.
In the second innings, Ramaswami got a batting promotion and he justified it. After openers Vijay Merchant and Mushtaq Ali scored centuries, Ramaswami scored 60 runs during his two-hour stay at the crease. India were able to play a draw against the mighty Englishman despite a below par batting display in the first innings.
At the age of 40, Ramaswami's reflexes had become a tad slow but his temperament remained the same. In the second Test of the tour, he managed 29 runs in the first innings. Following on and demoted to no.8, Ramaswami stayed unbeaten for 41 and fought the lost cause of saving India from a comprehensive loss.
That average
Despite a decent show with the bat in his debut Test series, Ramaswami did not play another Test for India. From two games, he had an average of 56.66 including one half-century. In all the First-Class games combined on that tour, he scored 737 runs at an average of 30.70.
Playing till mid 40s
His hunger for runs did not die with the 1936 tour and he continued to play. He represented Madras when the domestic Ranji Trophy tournament was still in its early years. He played his last game in the 1941/42 season. The southpaw had two centuries and 12 half-centuries to his name in First-Class cricket.
Becoming the selector
Later, he became the manager of the Indian team. He travelled to West Indies in 1953 which was India's first tour of the Caribbean. Few years later, he also served as the national selector.
Unexpected end
Earlier, Ramaswami had represented India in Davis Cup in the 1920s making him one of the few double internationals. Later, he narrated a few interesting stories in his autobiography Ramblings of a Games Addict.
However, his adventurous life left a big question mark in the end. At the age of 89, he left his home in Madras but never returned. Apparently, he did not want to be a burden on his family. After his bold decision to leave home in 1985, he was never found. Eventually, Wisden listed him as "death unknown".
