David Johnson (cricketer, born 1971)

David Johnson (16 October 1971 – 20 June 2024) was an Indian cricketer who bowled right arm medium-fast bowler and a right hand batsman. He played Test matches for India in 1996 making his debut against Australia. He represented Karnataka in the Indian domestic cricket setup playing 39 first class matches in a career spanning ten years between 1992 and 2001. After his retirement, Johnson remained involved with the sport as a coach and mentor.

David Johnson
Personal information
Born(1971-10-16)16 October 1971
Arsikere, Mysore State, India
Died20 June 2024(2024-06-20) (aged 52)
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 208)10 October 1996 v Australia
Last Test26 December 1996 v South Africa
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1992/93–2001/02Karnataka
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class LA
Matches 2 39 33
Runs scored 8 437 118
Batting average 4.00 11.20 9.07
100s/50s 0/0 1/0 0/0
Top score 5 101* 17
Balls bowled 240 5,936 1659
Wickets 3 125 0
Bowling average 47.66 28.63 31.46
5 wickets in innings 0 8
10 wickets in match 0 1
Best bowling 2/52 8/55 4/26
Catches/stumpings 0/– 20/– 4/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 20 June 2024

Biography

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Johnson was born on 16 October 1971 in Arsikere, Hassan district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.[1]

On the back of a strong domestic performance for Karnataka, Johnson made his Test debut in the inaugural Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Feroz Shah Kotla in 1996. He then accompanied the team to a tour of South Africa and played the first Test at Durban. That happened to be his last international outing.[2]

Johnson, though, continued to play for Karnataka until the 2001/02 season. During the late 1990s, when Karnataka dominated the domestic circuit, Johnson was part of the pace battery which included Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Dodda Ganesh. [3]

Death

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On 20 June 2024, Johnson died in an incident after a fall from his balcony on the fourth floor of an apartment in Bengaluru. He was 52.[4][5]

According to Kothanur police officials, Johnson is believed to have died by suicide after jumping from the third floor of his house in Kothnur. A UDR (unnatural death report) was filed at the Kothanur police station. The body was taken for postmortem to Ambedkar Medical College Hospital at Shampura main road.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Former Indian cricketer David Johnson passes away at 52". Financialexpress. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  2. ^ Nishant, Shashwat. "Former India Cricketer Dies After Tragic Incident In Bengaluru". News24online.com.
  3. ^ a b "David Johnson, ex-India cricketer, passes away after falling from balcony; police suspect suicide". Indianexpress.com. 20 June 2024.
  4. ^ Bharadwaj, K. V. Aditya (20 June 2024). "Former Indian pacer David Johnson passes away". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Former India fast bowler David Johnson dies at 52". ESPNcricinfo. 20 June 2024.
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