S. Giridhar and V. J. Raghunath are colleagues at the Azim Premji Foundation, Bengaluru. Theirs is a friendship that began in 1984 when they worked at Carborundum Universal’s factory at Chennai and played city cricket tournaments together. Raghunath, was a left-handed batter and a fearless close catcher who rubbed shoulders with some of India’s best cricketers of the 1960s and ’70s in the first division leagues of Chennai and Mumbai. Giridhar, bowled leg spin and was also an agile close catcher, though he did not play at the same level.
Apart from Mid-wicket Tales, they have also jointly written From Mumbai to Durban: India’s Greatest Tests (2016). Giridhar, has also done a detailed study of government schoolteachers for a very moving and inspiring book, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Teachers: The Heroes of Real India.
