David Johnson, was a right-arm fast bowler for India, professional cricketer and a former international from Karnataka. He died in Bengaluru on Thursday morning of a heart attack at the age of 52. David Johnson, a native of Araseikere in Hassan, had been ill, but his treatment was unsuccessful, leading to his passing today.
He was celebrated as a proud Kannadiga who played two Test matches for India. His death has deeply saddened cricket enthusiasts. He played for India in the mid-1990s and was born on October 16, 1971 in Arasikere, Karnataka. In his debut test match against Australia in October 1996 he took part in two Test matches only.
During one Test match against Australia his career highlight was when he bowled at a speed of 157.8 km/hour. His last Test match was also held in South Africa where they played against South Africa that year. Despite playing very few One Day Internationals (ODIs) for India due to his short international cricketing experience, David Johnson was always known as one of the fastest bowlers during his time.
Johnson has been an important player for Karnataka who has helped them win many important contests domestically. National recognition came to him after taking ten wickets for just hundred fifty-two runs against Kerala during the season of Ranji Trophy of 1995-96 which stands out as the best performance till date.
David Johnson made his Test debut on October 1996 against Australia Feroz Shah Kotla (now Arun Jaitley Stadium), New Delhi replacing injured Javagal Srinath. He only bowled four overs in this first innings because spinners were dominant as he did not get to bowl much. Nevertheless, he took Australian star Michael Slater’s wicket –a death knell–40 runs from twelve overs in the second innings. In total
Anil Kumble Tweeted “Saddened to hear the passing of my cricketing colleague David Johnson. Heartfelt condolences to his family. Gone too soon “ Benny”!
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
