Hyderabad: Ajit Agarkar, one of India’s promising all-rounders, etched his name into cricket history books during the 1999-2000 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) — but not for reasons he would have liked for. Agarkar was dismissed for a record 5 consecutive ducks against Australia, earning the unfortunate record of the most consecutive ducks by an Indian batter in Test cricket at that time, earning him the unfortunate nickname "Bombay Duck."
Ajit Agarkar earned the nickname "Bombay Duck" because Agarkar hails from Mumbai (formerly Bombay), cricket fans and the media humorously coined the nickname "Bombay Duck," playing on the name of the popular fish dish and his streak of low scores. The wickettakers were Damien Fleming, Brett Lee(twice), Mark Waugh and Glenn McGrath.
Story behind ajit agarkar's infamous nickname " bombay duck" pic.twitter.com/YmDNmeX1XD
— 90skid (@memorable_90s) October 14, 2021
The streak began during the first Test in Adelaide, where Agarkar was dismissed for a golden duck in the second innings. It continued in Melbourne, where he recorded another pair of ducks (golden ducks). When the Indian team arrived in Sydney for the third and final Test, Agarkar was under immense pressure. Unfortunately, he could not change his luck, as he fell for a golden duck in the first innings and a second-ball duck in the second innings of the Sydney Test.
The tale behind Ajit Agarkar's infamous nickname, " bombay duck."
— Lakshminarayana (@LnMedikonda) August 20, 2023
during india's 1999-2000 tour of australia, agarkar set a record of five consecutive innings (seven consecutive innings against australia) resulting in ducks (four of them first ball).
pic.twitter.com/QmECIUaobp
Agarkar finally broke the duck streak during the South Africa series at home, ending his low-scoring run in Test matches.
However, his struggle against Australia continued for two more innings, as he recorded 12-ball and 15-ball ducks in the first and second innings of the first Test at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai for the BGT 2001 series, extending the streak to seven innings. Following this, Agarkar did not participate in the remaining matches of the series, as the streak.
This is Ajit Agarkar. He raised his bat not because he scored a century in Australia but scored a single after 7 consecutive ducks....
— Darshan Mehta (@darshanvmehta1) June 5, 2024
Guys....this is just info...no relation absolutely to INDI Alliance celebration on 4th June.#elections2024 #nda#india #modi pic.twitter.com/0bxhHsOFsn
It had already been three years before Agarkar scored a single run against Australia in Test cricket. In the 2003-04 series, India faced Australia down under and there Agarkar finally scored a run after seven consecutive ducks against Australia. In the Brisbane Test, the first of a four-match series, Agarkar pushed a ball into the gap, desperately sprinted for a single and raised his bat, humorously acknowledging the crowd as if he had scored a century. His celebration transformed the moment into a light-hearted, self-deprecating gesture, drawing laughter from teammates and fans alike. In that innings, Agarkar managed to score 12 runs off 26 balls, which included a lone boundary.
Old funny cricket gold!
— Rob Moody (@robelinda2) June 2, 2020
Raise your bat, son!
The " benefit match full toss" to give ajit agarkar a well deserved single....after a plethora of ducks...
the raise of the bat to the crowd said it all! pic.twitter.com/uS94zEe2yL
Despite the streak, Agarkar’s career was nothing but awesome. He became one of India’s most reliable all-rounders in ODIs, amassing over 250 wickets and contributing crucial runs lower down the order. He still holds the record for the fastest fifty by an Indian in ODIs. His Test career had its share of highlights too, including a memorable century at Lord’s in 2002, someone like cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar doesn't have it.
The "Bombay Duck" streak hence remains one of cricket’s most peculiar moments.
