Former India pacer David Johnson tragically passed away at the age of 52 after a fall from a balcony in Bengaluru on the morning of June 20, Thursday. The right-arm fast bowler from Karnataka, born on October 16, 1971, in the Arasikere region, represented India in international cricket during the mid-1990s. Johnson made his Test debut against Australia in October 1996, featuring in a total of two Test matches.
A standout moment in his career was clocking a speed of 157.8 kmph during the Test match against Australia. The unfortunate incident occurred at SLV Paradise in Kanakashri Layout, under the jurisdiction of Kottanur police station. It took place on Thursday at 11:15 am. According to reports, Johnson allegedly jumped from the balcony while family members were at home.
The Kottanur police visited the scene and sent the body to the hospital for a post-mortem. The incident is suspected to be a case of suicide, allegedly due to depression. Currently, the Kottanur police are gathering more information. Johnson is survived by his wife and two children. He had been running a cricket academy but had not been in good health recently.
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“We were informed that he had fallen from the fourth floor of his apartment building. He was taken to a hospital, but the doctors declared him brought dead,” a KSCA official told PTI.
During Australia’s tour to India, Johnson managed to take the wicket of Michael Slater in the one-off Test in Delhi. His last Test match was against South Africa in Durban in 1996, where he took the wickets of Herschelle Gibbs and Brian McMillan. Despite his potential and impressive pace, Johnson’s international career was short-lived, and he did not feature in any ODIs for India. In his two Test matches, he managed to take three wickets.
David Johnson, once clocked 157.8 km/h during the Test match against Australia, passed away in Bengaluru at age of 52.
He played two tests for India in 1996.
pic.twitter.com/76yXOBwoLh— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) June 20, 2024
Johnson had a significant domestic career for Karnataka, spanning 39 First-Class matches with notable success. His best match figures were 10 for 152 against Kerala in the 1995-96 Ranji Trophy season. His performance in the domestic circuit for Karnataka paved his way to the national team.
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Former India player Anil Kumble, who also represented Karnataka, expressed his condolences on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) regarding Johnson’s demise. “Saddened to hear the passing of my cricketing colleague David Johnson. Heartfelt condolences to his family. Gone too soon ‘Benny’!” Kumble tweeted. Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir and BCCI secretary Jay Shah also took to ‘X’ to pay tribute to the former India player.
Saddened to hear the passing of my cricketing colleague David Johnson. Heartfelt condolences to his family. Gone too soon “ Benny”!
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) June 20, 2024
Saddened by the passing away of David Johnson. May god give strength to his family and loved ones.
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) June 20, 2024
Deepest condolences to family and friends of our former Indian fast bowler David Johnson. His contributions to the game will always be remembered 🙏
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) June 20, 2024
