Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Biography
Mansur Ali Khan, Nawab of Pataudi & Bhopal
Born: January 5, 1941
Bhopal, India
Died : September 22, 2011 (aged 70)
New Delhi, India
Spouse: Sharmila Tagore
Children: Saif Ali Khan
Saba Ali Khan
Soha Ali Khan
Tribute to Tiger: Top 5 Pataudi Moments
He undoubtedly was one of the most charismatic cricketers India has ever produced. It was much before Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni donned the blue jersey that India learnt how to fight in tough conditions and emerge victorious. And it was all taught by Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the blue-blooded India captain. Here we pay our tribute to the legend and present Top Tiger moments.
An accident that could not deter the champion
In 1961, at an age of 20, a car accident at Hove permanently damaged vision in his right eye. "It took me a long time to realize I had virtually lost the use of one eye, but even then, never for an instant did I consider I might not be able to play cricket again," Pataudi had said. However, it was said to an end of his career. But three of four weeks after his operation, Pataudi was soon at the nets learning to play cricket with one eye.
"My batting needed sorting out. For long hours George Cod, the Sussex coach, bowled to me in the net while I worked out what I could still do and what I could not. At first I couldn't pick the length of the bowling at all. Then I reached a sort of compromise, but I suppose it took five years before I could claim to be completely on terms with my handicap," Pataudi had said in his autobiography Tiger's tale.
Youngest India captain at 21
Less than a year after his accident, Tiger was named India's captain after Nari Contractor was out of a game due to a head injury he sustained in the West Indies. He held the record of being the youngest captain till Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu took it from him in 2004. But he remained India's youngest captain.
First captain to win overseas Test series
It was under his captaincy that India won their first ever overseas Test series. During India's tour to New Zealand in 1968, Pataudi led the team to a 3-1 win. India won the first Test at Dunedin and the hosts leveled it at Christchurch. India bounced back in to the series and clinched the next two Tests at Wellington and Auckland. Pataudi made 221 runs in the series. "Tiger gambled like a crazy punter. His daredevil tactics paid off. The crowd worshipped him. Tiger got the best out of everybody, and we won," wrote legendary off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna in his biography.
First ever Cricket-Bollywood love story
It was the first love story that brought cricket and films closer to each other. This romance between a batsman and a beauty was nothing lesser than a fairytale. They broke the barriers of religion, class and other social norms to script the "happily-ever-after" story. Nawab Pataudi later said he had to bat on for four long years to finally marry Sharmila. It is also said that he gifted a refrigerator to woo her. Sharmila, on her part, revealed she "was attracted to Tiger for his sense of humour" and said "for us, the world ended and began with each other".
His father played for both England and India
Coming from a royal family, Mansur became the ninth Nawab of Pataudi at an early age as his father Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi died on his 11th birthday in 1952. Pataudi Sr. was one the very few cricketers who played for India and England. Mansur's elevation as captain of the Indian cricket team meant it was a father-son feat without a parallel.
Pataudi Cricket History Information
Full name Mansur Ali Khan or Mansoor Ali Khan
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium
Role Captain
International information
National side Indian
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class
Matches 46 310
Runs scored 2793 15425
Batting average 34.91 33.67
100s/50s 6/16 33/75
Top score 203* 203*
Balls bowled 132 1192
Wickets 1 10
Bowling average 88.00 77.59
5 wickets in innings – –
10 wickets in match – –
Best bowling 20 1/0
Catches/stumpings 27/- 208/-
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