Indian cricket was on top of the world

The sweetest moments of one’s life are meant to be cherished - topping the merit list, having a baby, becoming a minister, Chief Minister or Prime Minister, or getting a prestigious award from the government.

For cricketers, a sweet moment can be the completion of a hundred or five-wicket haul for his country / state / club / school / college / university side. It becomes sweeter if his performance ensures a win for his team.

I was probably destined to be part of something special. I started playing competitive cricket only in college. Within a year, I represented my college, then my university, broke the inter-university record for the highest individual score, and then got picked in the mighty Mumbai team. That, I thought, was the ultimate honour. But I was wrong.

There was another honour in 1971, when I succeeded the Junior Nawab of Pataudi as captain of India, just before we flew to the Caribbean to play a strong West Indies side led by the incomparable Garry Sobers.

Our record against the West Indies prior to that series was embarrassing. We had not won a single Test against them, whether at home or abroad. Hence, one had to be outrageously optimistic to even think about winning the series.

Despite strong criticism and a spin-oriented attack, we beat a team that comprised Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Vanburn Holder and the rest.

Nothing could be better than that, I felt. But some people opined that our victory in the Caribbean was nothing but a ‘flash in the pan.’ Not content with that, they proceeded to say that the impending tour of England would be our Waterloo. Their conviction was fuelled by the fact that England were the No. 1 side in the world then, having regained the Ashes in Australia in 1970-71.

If these doubting Thomases felt that we would take cognisance of their views, they were dead right. However, we were not at all upset. We simply got together and pledged to give it our best shot.

The first two Tests were drawn, and England were in a dominant position at the start of day four of the third Test. B. Chandrasekhar then took over proceedings in a dramatic style. A stunning turnaround ensued.

The events occurred one by one. We needed 173 to win, and the middle-order batted well. When Ken Barrington, one of England’s greats and the then manager of the England team, woke me up in the dressing-room of the Oval with the words, “Ajit, wake up, you have won,” I thought it was the “moment.” Although I didn’t display any emotions at that stage, I was certainly feeling on top of the world, Indian cricket was on top of the world. We had achieved something that was considered as next to impossible and unthinkable – beating England in England, and that too when they were rated No. 1!!!

The reception we were accorded in Mumbai on our return was to be experienced to be believed. Crowds lined the streets and cheered our motorcade all the way, from the airport to the Brabourne Stadium. They showered us with garlands and flowers, and their cheers could have been heard across the Arabian Sea. Prof. Chandgadkar, the Secretary of the BCCI, had promised a red-carpet welcome if we were to win in England. The whole of Mumbai turned up to help him keep his word!

The memories came flooding back when Dhoni and his team were given a similar welcome after their victory in the ICC World Twenty20 in September 2007.

The events preceding the reception were as unbelievable. We were to land in Mumbai, but our plane was diverted to Delhi (London-Rome-Mumbai), where Mrs. Indira Gandhi, our Prime Minister, felicitated us.

The victories in 1971 marked the start of a new era. They enabled us to shed the inferiority complex for good. We started believing that we could beat anybody anywhere.

The dream that I never thought could become reality had come true. I will always remain grateful to my colleagues, and more so, the giants of yesteryear, like C.K. Nayudu, Vijay Hazare, Vijay Merchant, Vijay Manjrekar and many others, who sowed the seeds and provided the platform. My generation reaped the harvest.

Friday, July 15, 2011 by deivam P Mohanraj · 0