Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha better known as M. L. Jaisimha was a right handed batsman. M. L. Jaisimha was an Indian Test Cricketer.

Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha was born on 3rd March in the year 1939. He hailed from Secunderabad, which is located in Telangana.

Career of Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha
M. L. Jaisimha or Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha was a right-handed batsman who was noted for his style on and off the field. He bowled medium pace, often opening the bowling for India and off breaks and was a brilliant fielder.

M. L. Jaisimha or Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha made his first-class debut at the age of 15 scoring 90 for Hyderabad Cricket Team against Andhra Pradesh Cricket Team. After two indifferent seasons, M. L. Jaisimha or Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha cracked hundred against Madras Cricket Team and Mysore Cricket Team, the premier teams in the South Zone of India in domestic level.

He got 20 wickets in Ranji matches. In the same season he found himself a place in the side that toured England in the year 1959. The debut at Lord`s was disastrous, but his next two Tests won him notice. In the final Test against Australasian Cricket Team in 1959 to 1960 at Kolkata (Calcutta), he went into bat towards the end of the day and finished on 20 not out on the second.

M. L. Jaisimha or Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha started his second innings just before close on third, batted throughout the fourth scoring only 59 runs and was out on the final day for 74. This made him the first batsman to bat on all five days of a Test match. At Kanpur against Pakistan Cricket team two years later, M. L. Jaisimha batted through a whole day for just 54 runs. This innings which lasted 505 minutes for 99 runs ironically ended when he attempted a quick single to complete the hundred.

Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha as an Opener
Meanwhile, M. L. Jaisimha converted himself into an opener. While there was a bit of competition for the Indian middle order, Pankaj Roy, who was another Indian stalwart batsman was coming to the end of his career as an opener. In that position, ML Jaisimha scored hundreds against England in 1961 to 1962 and 1963 to 1964 and a 134 against Srilanka. In the latter series against England Cricket team, M. L. Jaisimha made 444 runs. In 1964 to 1965, M. L. Jaisimha batted in the middle order for Hyderabad Cricket Team and hit 713 runs.

Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha was not part of the team that toured Australia in 1967 to 1968, but injuries to Chandu Borde and B.S. Chandrasekhar and loss of form of others resulted in Jaisimha being flown in. He went straight into the third Test and scored 74 and 101, nearly pulling off an improbable win. Curiously, each of his three hundreds came in the third Tests of the respective series. He never again crossed 25 in Test cricket.

The last series of Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha was the tour of West Indies in 1970 to 1971.

Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha led Hyderabad Cricket team for 16 seasons and 76 matches. The Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi often played under his leadership.

Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha as a Board Member
Later, M. L Jaisimha became the national board level selector between 1977 to 1978 and 1980 to 1981. There he managed the Indian tour to Sri Lanka in 1985 to 1986. MCC made him a lifetime member in the year 1978. Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha was also a TV commentator for some time. His son Vivek Jaisimha was a first class cricketer in India.

Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha died due to lung cancer on 6th July 1999 in Sankipuri, which is located in Secunderabad, Telangana.