Cricket has always had its share of fierce battles, but few were laced with as much wit and warmth as the legendary exchanges between ace Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad and former Indian spinner Dilip Doshi who expired in London on Monday.

Miandad was overcome with emotions as he paid tribute to his "close friend" Doshi while speaking to Telecomasia.net, recalling with fondness the mischief, banter and friendship that blossomed between the two.

"When he used to bowl at the leg-stump, I would start saying 'bow-wow'," Miandad smiled. "When he finally asked what it meant, I told him: 'Only dogs — and you —  try to catch my leg!'"

It was 1979. Pakistan were touring India, and a young, cheeky Miandad had found the perfect target for his humour in the reserved and erudite Doshi, who was often tasked with curbing the Pakistani batter's scoring.

Doshi's response? A mix of frustration and disbelief — enough to prompt complaints to the umpires and even captain Sunil Gavaskar, who, like the rest of the Indian team, couldn't help but laugh.

"He was from a very sophisticated, highly educated family — always impeccably dressed, his white kit spotless," Miandad recalled while paying tribute to Doshi.

One particular exchange became part of subcontinental cricketing folklore. "I once asked him what room number he was staying in at the hotel. He angrily asked why. I told him, 'I want to hit the ball straight into your room!'"

The harmless barbs became a running theme whenever they met on the field — even years later in English county cricket, when Miandad turned out for Glamorgan and Doshi for Northamptonshire. "Even there, I would keep teasing him. But by then, we had become friends," Miandad said. "We met often. He invited me to his house in Kolkata. His wife is also a very kind and decent person."

Though the jokes flew thick and fast, Miandad held nothing but respect for Doshi's cricketing prowess. "Doshi Saheb took 114 wickets in 33 Tests — that says everything. He played in an era where scoring was slower; imagine what he could have achieved in today's game where batters take more risks."