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{{short description|Indian former cricketer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Abbas Ali Baig
| country = India
| fullname = Abbas Ali Baig
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|03|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[British India]]
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = [[Leg break]]
| international = true
| testdebutdate = 23 July
| testdebutyear = 1959
| testdebutagainst = England
| testcap = 93
| lasttestdate = 31 December
| lasttestyear = 1966
| lasttestagainst = West Indies
| club1 = [[Hyderabad cricket team|Hyderabad]]
| year1 = 1954–1976
| club2 = [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]]
| year2 = 1959–1962
| club3 = [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset]]
| year3 = 1960–1962
| columns = 2
| column1 = [[Test cricket|Tests]]
| matches1 = 10
| runs1 = 428
| bat avg1 = 23.77
| 100s/50s1 = 1/2
| top score1 = 112
| deliveries1 = 18
| wickets1 = –
| bowl avg1 = –
| fivefor1 = –
| tenfor1 = –
| best bowling1 = –
| catches/stumpings1 = 6/–
| column2 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches2 = 235
| runs2 = 12367
| bat avg2 = 34.16
| 100s/50s2 = 21/64
| top score2 = 224*
| deliveries2 = 660
| wickets2 = 9
| bowl avg2 = 48.00
| fivefor2 = 0
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 2/26
| catches/stumpings2 = 154/–
| source = [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1113/1113.html CricketArchive]
| date = 21 November
| year = 2012
}}

'''Abbas Ali Baig''' {{audio|Abbas Ali Baig.ogg|pronunciation}} (born 19 March 1939) is an Indian former [[cricket]]er who played in 10 [[Test cricket|Tests]] between 1959 and 1967. In a career spanning 21 years, he scored 12,367 runs in [[first-class cricket]] at an average of 34.16. He [[List of India national cricket coaches|coached the Indian cricket team]] during its [[Indian cricket team in Australia in 1991–92|tour to Australia in 1991–92]] and the [[1992 Cricket World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://test-cricket-tours.co.uk/page_2630640.html |title=Australia Tour 1991–92 |access-date=2016-11-17 |archive-date=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117210939/http://test-cricket-tours.co.uk/page_2630640.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Biography==
Born in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]], [[India]], Baig made his [[first-class cricket|first-class]] debut during the [[1954–55 Ranji Trophy]], against [[Andhra Pradesh cricket team|Andhra Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hyderabad v Andhra |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/21/21401.html |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> In his next match against [[Mysore cricket team|Mysore]], he scored 105 and 43 not out.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hyderabad v Mysore |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/21/21422.html |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> At the end of the tournament, he ended up as his team's second-highest run scorer, scoring 187 runs at an average of 62.33.<ref>{{cite web |title=Batting and fielding in Ranji Trophy 1954/55 (ordered by runs) |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/1/Ranji_Trophy_1954-55/Batting_by_Runs.html |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref>

In the late 1950s, Baig moved to England and went to [[University College, Oxford]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Abbas Ali Baig |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1113/1113.html |publisher=CricketArchive}}</ref> In 1959, he played 15 first-class matches for the [[Oxford University cricket team|university team]]. During this time, he scored 221 not out and 87 against [[Free Foresters cricket team|Free Foresters]] and broke [[Derrick De Saram]]’s aggregate of 283 runs—208 and 75—to become the highest run scorer for the team in a first-class match.{{efn|As of August 2015, this remains the second-highest total by an Oxford batsman; [[Sam Agarwal]] broke (313 runs) Baig's record in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Records/England/Firstclass/OxfordUniversity/Batting_Records/Highest_Match_For.html |title=Most Runs in a Match for Oxford University |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref>}} It was during this time [[Indian Cricket Team|India]] toured England. In the fourth match of the series, Baig was "summoned" to play for India, replacing the injured [[Vijay Manjrekar]].{{Sfn|Ramnarayan|2015|p=140}} Aged 20 years and 131 days, Baig became the youngest Indian cricketer to [[List of centuries scored on Test cricket debut|score a century on debut]] when he made 112 in India's second innings.<ref name=OTD>{{cite web |title=A true competitor |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/149888.html |publisher=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref> It was also the first century by an Indian debutant outside India.<ref name=Partab>{{cite web |last1=Ramchand |first1=Partab |title=Abbas Ali Baig |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/26817.html |publisher=[[ESPNcricinfo]] |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> Despite another century from [[Polly Umrigar]], India lost the match.{{Sfn|Ramnarayan|2015|p=140}} However, Baig retained his place in the team for the final match of the series. He also set the record for becoming the first batsman to score a century in the 4th innings of a test match on test debut.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/239555.html|title=Records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Batting records {{!}} Hundred on debut {{!}} ESPN Cricinfo|work=Cricinfo|access-date=2017-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62863.html|title=4th Test: England v India at Manchester, Jul 23-28, 1959 {{!}} Cricket Scorecard {{!}} ESPN Cricinfo|work=Cricinfo|access-date=2017-03-07}}</ref>

Following the series in England, Baig was included in the Indian squad for the [[Australian cricket team in India in 1959–60|home series against Australia later that year]]. In the second Test at [[Kanpur]], he scored 19 and 36 runs in both the innings. The match marked India's first Test victory against [[Australia cricket team|Australia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Second Test Match: India v Australia |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152737.html |website=[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]] |publisher=reprinted by ESPNcricinfo |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> In the first innings of the next match at [[Bombay]], he scored 50 and was involved in a crucial 133-run partnership with [[Nari Contractor]]. Baig followed that with another half-century in the second innings when he made 58. His half-centuries helped India secure a [[Draw (cricket)|draw]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Third Test Match: India v Australia |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152738.html |website=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack |publisher=reprinted by ESPNcricinfo |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> During a break in India's second innings, when Baig walked to the pavilion along with [[Ramnath Kenny]], he was kissed on his cheek by a young woman spectator,{{Sfn|Ramnarayan|2015|p=140}} becoming the first Indian cricketer to be kissed on the field.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dhoni sets a world record |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/dhoni-sets-a-world-record/articleshow/3238643.cms |access-date=27 August 2015 |work=[[The Economic Times]] |date=16 July 2008}}</ref> [[Vijay Merchant]] who was commentating then remarked "I wonder where all these enterprising young ladies were when I was scoring my hundreds and two hundreds."<ref name=Telegraph>{{cite news |last1=Banerjee |first1=Malini |last2=Roy |first2=Priyanka |title=Misses with kisses |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090823/jsp/calcutta/story_11396536.jsp |date=2 August 2009 |work=[[The Telegraph (Calcutta)|The Telegraph]] |access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> A painting called "The Kissing of Abbas Ali Baig", depicting the incident was featured in [[Salman Rushdie]]’s novel ''[[The Moor's Last Sigh]]'' (1995).<ref name="Rushdie2011">{{cite book |last=Rushdie |first=Salman |authorlink=Salman Rushdie |title=The Moor's Last Sigh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oSTQ6kF7IbEC |year=2011 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-1-4090-5887-8 |page=233}}</ref> Baig's success in the 1959/60 season led to him being named as one of ''[[Indian Cricket (annual)|Indian Cricket]]'' 's five "Cricketers of the Year".<ref>{{cite web |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/Overall/Indian_Cricket_Cricketers_of_the_Year.html |title=Indian Cricket Cricketers of the Year |publisher=CricketArchive |access-date=23 March 2009}}</ref>

In the following season, Baig had an unsuccessful outing against Pakistan, managing to score just 34 runs in four innings. This led to him being dropped from the side for the subsequent series. During this time, it was said he received hate mail for under-performing against fellow Muslims.{{Sfn|Astill|2013|p=114}} However, he was impressive in the domestic circuit, scoring heavily in the [[Ranji Trophy|Ranji]] and [[Duleep Trophy]] tournaments. In 1966, he was included in the team for the home series against West Indies. Baig scored 48 runs in two of the Tests he played in the series. He was dropped again and never played Test cricket again. He almost made it to the squad for the [[Indian cricket team in West Indies in 1970–71|1971 tour of West Indies]] before being dropped. He was selected in the [[Indian cricket team in England in 1971|Indian team that toured England in 1971]].

Baig's three younger brothers—[[Murtuza Baig]], [[Mazhar Baig]], and Mujtaba Baig—all played professional cricket. Murtuza played first-class cricket for Hyderabad but was less successful than Abbas.{{Sfn|Ramnarayan|2015|pp=140–141}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Ramnarayan |first=V. |title=Third Man: Recollections from a life in cricket |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qr16BwAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=Westland |isbn=978-93-84030-82-7 }}
* {{cite book |last=Astill |first=James |title=The Great Tamasha: Cricket, Corruption and the Turbulent Rise of Modern India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6IRVMNzNJpIC |year=2013 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4081-9220-7 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{ESPNcricinfo|id=26817}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Bishan Singh Bedi]]
| title = Indian National Cricket Manager
| years = October 1991 – September 1992
| after = [[Ajit Wadekar]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baig, Abbas Ali}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:India Test cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers who made a century on Test debut]]
[[Category:Indian cricketers]]
[[Category:Somerset cricketers]]
[[Category:South Zone cricketers]]
[[Category:Commonwealth XI cricketers]]
[[Category:Oxford University cricketers]]
[[Category:Gentlemen cricketers]]
[[Category:Hyderabad cricketers]]
[[Category:Indian Universities cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Hyderabad, India]]
[[Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford]]

Abbas Ali Baig - Revision history

>Citation bot at 16:51, 8 April 2021