Son of Karnataka follows in Cricketing father’s foot steps

Mangalore Today News Network

July 11, 2014: Karnataka cricketer, Stuart Binny made his Test debut for India against England at Trent Bridge, a simple cap handing-over by skipper M S Dhoni marked the occasion.

Binny, whose father Roger Binny played Tests for India and is curently a National selector, became the 281st Test player for India, and the latest from the rich stables of Karnataka. Before him, R Vinay Kumar, who made his debut at Perth against Australia in 2012, was the last player to make Test debut from the State. It was a remarkable turnaround for a man who made his first-class debut way back in 2003.

There never was any question on Binny’s talent, the Karnataka man was marked as someone suited for limited-overs versions because of the way he played his game. Perhaps, even Binny himself wouldn’t have thought about playing Test cricket at that stage.

That the Indian team management decided to take some risk and field five bowlers too helped Binny’s cause. The medium pacer showed his efficiency against Bangladesh in Dhaka recently, plucking six wickets for just four runs. The way Binny exploited a damp pitch caught the eyes of the mandarins.

“Stuart is someone who can bowl and bat as well. If we can groom him, then he can be someone who can do pace bowling all-rounder for us in the next 6-8 months. He won’t be as good as someone like (Jacques) Kallis but he can be someone who can bowl that 10 overs and bat a bit. He has got the talent,” said Dhoni.