Third Man

Revelling in the challenge of his position as Third
Man, Ramnarayan was an integral part of many
Hyderabad victories in the Ranji Trophy, performing
alongside names like Abbas Ali Baig, Abid Ali,
ML Jaisimha and MAK Pataudi. He also had the
opportunity to bowl to stalwarts of Indian cricket
like GR Vishwanath, Ashok Mankad, Brijesh Patel
and the Amarnath brothers and rub shoulders with
the likes of VV Kumar,BishanBedi, Salim Durrani
and Hanumant Singh in the vibrant first class scene
of a largely amateur era.
The stories featured in this fine book are recollections
of a life spent playing and observing cricket. They
are stories of a time when sheer love for the game
drove people to cricket grounds. At a time when
rampant commercialization has overtaken the game,
these stories bring back memories of a simpler time.
Nostalgic and insightful, Third Man is a welcome
addition to cricketing lore contributed by a former
cricketer who, as a journalist today, straddles the
worlds of sports and arts.