Former Delhi player Suresh Luthra took his last breathe in Faridabad on Tuesday as he was suffering from prolonged illness. He was 74 and was living with his wife and two sons. He was a left-arm pacer with a pronounced swing which left many reputed batsmen baffled, was a trusted match-winner for his team. A student of Swami Talwar, well-known coach and a player from Punjab, he was a much-feared bowler in the North.
Talking about him, Haryana off-spinner, Sarkar Talwar said, “I have seen his style and skills for a long time. We knew each other for 40 years and believe me he was devastated as a bowler. He would run through the opposition and was a favorite of the captain. He was a lovable character and much-respected for his gentle behavior off the field. On the field, he was fiercely competitive.”
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On the For Vinay Lamba, a former Delhi captain, it was a personal loss. “We grew up in west Delhi and played for the same club (Salwan). My association with him was 50 years old. He should have played a higher grade of cricket. He was a gentleman. Very helpful. He was sincere in every assignment that he undertook. He was a fast bowler with a swing as his forte but he had a terrific slower one. He would turn the ball a big way. It was not easy to pick him.”
It is said that in tournaments in the north many teams would request the organizers not to put them in the same group as State Bank of India (SBI). Describing the same, Talwar said that Luthra used to destroy the opposition with his monstrous swing and he was a terror on matting pitches.
Luthra maintained a scrapbook of his exploits as a young bowler. The pages were highlighted by paper cuttings with screaming headlines “Luthra lethal; Luthra destroys; Luthra devastating.” As Talwar pointed out, “it was always Luthra versus opposition.”
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After a first-class career of 67 matches (1014 runs with one century and 262 wickets with 9 for 70 as his best), Luthra served Delhi as a coach, manager, and selector. He was committed to cricket.
