The former Indian swing bowler Subrata Guha was an accurate right-arm medium-pace bowler who could swing the ball in both directions. Unfortunately, his test appearances were limited. He was born in Calcutta on January 31, 1946.
Subrata Guha played only four Tests for India in the late 1960s. He finished with three wickets at an unflattering 103.67 and 17 runs at 3.40. His best bowling was 2 for 55. He took the wicket of Paul Sheahan and John Gleeson at Kanpur in 1969–70.
Moreover, Guha made his presence felt when he took 11 wickets in the match to bowl an unfancied combined Central and East Zone team to a shock victory over the all-conquering West Indian side in 1966–67. In this match, he was brilliant to take 4 for 64 and 7 for 49. But he had a nightmarish start to his Test career when he sent down 48 over’s and conceded 115 runs without taking a wicket against England at Headingly in 1967.
In the Ranji Trophy, he was considered a solid pillar of strength for Bengal for more than a decade. His stats include 209 wickets at an average of 14.61, with the best return of 7 for 18 against Assam at Gauhati in 1972-73. In his entire first-class career, he captured 299 wickets at an average of 20.29.
Subrata Guha arrived on the cricket scene when the accent of the Indian attack was almost totally dependent on the spin. His test appearances were thus limited, which was a pity for he was an accurate right-arm medium-pace bowler. He managed to have great control over the swing bowling on both sides.
Subrata Guha was part of the Indian side under Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi captaincy. He got little success inside matches and took 22 wickets in 13 games. He made his Test debut against England at Leeds with a nightmarish start to send down 48 over’s for 0 of 115 runs. That is why Guha was overlooked for the tour of New Zealand and Australia in 1967–68. Thus, he went to domestic cricket for a few years.
Guha was considered to be part of the Indian side to play three Tests against Australia in 1969–70 with moderate success and was not considered thereafter. The former Indian swing bowler died in Mumbai following a massive heart attack early on the morning of November 5, 2003, at the age of 57.
