Bipin Dani
At the Wisden International Awards in At the Wisden International Awards in 2003 speaking to John Buchanan, who was the Australian cricket team coach, Bishan Singh Bedi has asked, “Tell us, John, have you made this Australian team great, or have they made you?” to John Buchanan.
Buchanan-led Australian teams became champions of both the 2003 Cricket World Cup and the 2007 Cricket World Cup, along with winning the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.
Though he did not play international cricket, he was a successful coach having worked with the Kolkata Knight Riders )KKR) in the IPL.
What reply Buchanan gave to Bishan Bedi is not known but the former Australian coach had immense respect towards the late Indian spinner.
Speaking exclusively, the 70-year-old Buchanan said, “I met Bishen on my first and second tours of India. I wanted to learn how to bowl spin in India and how to bat against spin.
He told me if you want to to play spin in India, you either don’t let it turn by getting to the ball on full or half volley or you retreat into your crease and play it once the ball has ‘done all its work’”.
“I enjoyed my conversations with him as he asked challenging questions and spoke from a position of proven knowledge”.
