Bob Cowper was an excellent batting all-rounder for Australia during the 1960s. As his designation states, he was more of a batsman who was also invaluable with his finger spin. The left-handed genius from Victoria held the distinction for smashing the first ever Test triple century in Australia, a feat that was never repeated until Matthew Hayden's record-breaking knock against Zimbabwe in 2003-04. What made Cowper's knock even more respected was that the fact that it came in an Ashes series where he was dropped midway for being a really slow scorer. It was an ironical reason for axing a Test batsman, more so as Cowper had narrowly missed a century at the MCG earlier in the series, having been dismissed for 99. He was recalled in the series, coincidentally at the MCG again, and this time Cowper produced a masterclass for the ages.

After the classy triple century, Cowper's spot in the side became cemented. While being a reliable top order batsman, he also chipped in with his priceless off breaks that more often than not gave bonus wickets for Australia. Success came on a consistent basis for Cowper but he had other interests as well. Primarily a banker and a stockbroker, he valued monetary benefits and the sport never really gave him as much as he desired. As a result, he quit international cricket when he was just 28 in 1968. A hand injury also probably played its part in the decision though Cowper always wanted to focus on banking and the stock market. He played a First-class season after his international retirement before quitting the sport altogether. Cowper's stint in business was an extremely successful one and he even returned to cricket as a match referee.

By Hariprasad Sadanandan