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[keep-it-cool]

http://cricket.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1524825.cms

1971: The rising

AVIJIT GHOSH

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


It's been 35 years since Salim Durani bowled that inspired, Warnesque delivery but Ajit Wadekar still remembers it like yesterday.

On the fourth day of the second Test against West Indies, in 1971, India got lucky. The dangerous opener Roy Fredericks, who had helped wipe off India's first innings lead of 138, was run out for 80. Now with two wickets down and the Windies leading just by 12 runs, a whiff of a chance had wafted in. Till that path-breaking Port of Spain game, India had played 24 Tests against the Caribbeans over 23 years. Barring the controversial Bombay Test in 1948-49, India had never come close to winning. But this clearly seemed to be a great opportunity.

And yet there were hurdles in the way; none bigger than the next man in: Garfield Sobers, the greatest cricketer of all time. On many occasions, against greater opponents like England and Australia, the stylish left-hander had walked out in similar situations and turned the game around with his forceful yet graceful batting.

But Wadekar knew this was going to be different. The pitch had turned from the first day. And now the Indian captain had spotted a huge rough a foot outside the left-hander's off-stump. The team's top left-arm spinner was Bishan Singh Bedi.

"But I wanted someone with a faster trajectory, so I asked Salim Durani to bowl," recalls Wadekar. All-rounder Durani was 37 years old then. If More and Chappell had their say then, he might have been ruled too old for the tour. But those were different days. To some Durani was an underachiever; to others, a wayward genius.

On the previous night, in the room of another golden oldie, M L Jaisimha — the most astute cricketer never to have captained India — Durani had promised to take two wickets for India: Sobers and Lloyd. "When Prasanna was injured at a crucial time during the Test, he reminded Wadekar of Durani's presence," writes Mihir Bose in A History of Indian Cricket.

Tall and debonair — he later played hero to Parveen Babi in B R Ishara's Charitra — the Kabul-born Durani had a languid action. [b]But six-feet tall, the left-arm spinner could make the ball both bounce and turn. On a helpful surface, he could also produce the unplayable ball[/b].

To this day, Wadekar can picture that delivery. Durani ambled in and pitched the ball on the rough. As Sobers moved his feet to play, the ball spun back like a cobra on heat. "It went through Sobers' bat and pad and lifted the leg bail," writes Sunil Gavaskar in his autobiography Sunny Days. And he adds: "The way Uncle Salim jumped up after this and kept on jumping was a sight worth seeing."

"It was a dream delivery," recalls Wadekar. "In an age of television that ball would have been shown over and over again. And probably, like the Shane Warne delivery that bowled Mike Gatting round the legs, one would have remembered it much more." That Durani delivery — and the other one that claimed Lloyd — set India up for one of their most famous victories. But perhaps the first drawn Test at Jamaica had already shown the shape of things to come. India had done the unthinkable: asked Sobers to follow-on. "I deliberately went to the West Indies dressing room to deliver the news. They were stunned," Wadekar recalls.

So despite drawing that game, India went out on a psychological high in the second Test. "But the wicket looked dicey. I prayed that I win the toss but I didn't," says Wadekar.

The action began from the very first ball. "Abid Ali wanted to bowl a bouncer which became a shooter. Poor Roy Fredericks had no chance," says Wadekar. Soon, the ball was beginning to turn. And shortly, Prasanna had the great Rohan Kanhai caught at backward short-leg by Solkar. "Kanhai was deceived in the air," remembers the Bangalore-based off spinner.

The Windies collapsed for 214 and India replied with 358. Dilip Sardesai, who had slammed 212 in the first Test, again scored a brilliant 112.

Sardesai, a middle-order Bombay batsman, had a wretched Australian tour in 1967-68. "The joke was that Renneberg, the Australian pace bowler came up to him and introduced himself, ‘I open the bowling with Graham McKenzie but you probably don't know me. I come on second'," writes Bose. He was selected for the Windies squad at the captain's insistence. "This is probably how he repaid me," says Wadekar.

Sunil Gavaskar, making his Test debut, also batted well. "I kept praying that he got out after he made his 50," reminisces Wadekar. Indian cricketers then widely believed that no batsman who had scored a century on debut made another. Gavaskar got out for 65.

This was also one of those rare Test matches where the two off-spinners, Prasanna and Venkatraghavan, played together. In the second innings, Venkat took five wickets. "He was always a steady bowler... I knew that the Windies were strokemakers who would get impatient if bottled up. That's what Venkat did," says Wadekar.

The Calypso Charmers were knocked out for 261 and India overcame the target with over a day to spare. "We were very happy but also a little cautious. There were three more Tests to go. But it was only after we drew the fifth Test and won the series, that we opened the champagne," says Wadekar. 

[keep-it-cool]

Another one .. it is indeed a time for reminiscenses ... and I, for sure, am not complaining ...

http://web.mid-day.com/sports/international/2006/may/136438.htm

It may have been a long time since the West Indies teams ceased to be the dominant force in world cricket, but for Indian cricket the benchmark in the Caribbean Islands still remains the performance of Ajit Wadekar-led 1971 team.

For the last thirty-four years, Indian teams have been unsuccessfully trying to emulate the feat — a 1-0 series win. And as Rahul Dravid’s batch embarks on another tour of the Caribbean Islands within two weeks, it is this benchmark they would be eager to emulate.

Wadekar takes us down the memory lane through one of the historic moments of Indian cricket, of how the underdogs conquered the champions.

Underdogs

Nobody gave us a chance, they were a team of superstars, Garry Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Charles Davis, Roy Fredericks — while we had very few experienced players. Gavaskar was making his debut, Gundappa Vishwanath was just coming up, Eknath Solkar had just started.

In fact Sobers, who was my idol and a good friend, had come to receive me at the airport.

And during lunch at his place Sobers remarked, ‘your team doesn’t look good’. To which I retorted, ‘we will check it out on the ground’.

Planning

We had planned it well. I had played against them in the home series and new their players very well. They were strokeplayers and we knew if we curbed their strokeplay they would get impatient. One of our big strengths was having specialised close-in fielders to back our spinners.Abid Ali, Eknath Solkar, myself, Sunil Gavaskar, S Venkatraghavan.

‘I had told them if you drop a catch of Sobers on 20, you had it, then you would get another chance after 220.’

Early warning

The West Indies received a rude jolt in the first Test at Sabina Park, Jamaica. Dilip Sardesai hit a brilliant double hundred and our spinners Bedi, Prasanna and Venkatraghavan, helped us take a lead of 175 runs.
The West Indian players got the shock of their lives when I asked them to follow-on.

The game was reduced to a four-day match after the first day was washed-out. The West Indies players were under the impression that 200 runs lead was needed for follow-on, but that’s the five-day game rule. For a four-day game it is 150. They were fuming and Sobers told me to come and check with the umpires, I told him you can go and check with the umpires.

Even though the wicket was very good for batting, we wanted to gain the psychological edge.

The historic win

The wicket at the Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad was responsive to spinners, just ideal for us. They had a good spinner off-spinner in Jack Noreiga but we had played the best. Dilip Sardesai again hit a brilliant hundred, Gavaskar got 65 on his debut while Solkar chipped in with 55 and we took a 138 runs first innings lead.

Masterstroke

The turning point of the match came when I brought on Salim Durrani to bowl to Garry Sobers and Clive Lloyd (second innings). It proved to be a masterstroke. Within 20 runs, Durrani removed both of them to as good seal the match for India. I tried Durrani because I wanted the exploit the rough close to the good-length spot for the left-handed batsmen.

Play it safe

We were careful of not getting carried away. We put off the celebrations till the end of the series. We decided that we would stay positive but play safe. If we get an opportunity we would jump at it but not to lose the upperhand.

Our biggest test came in the fourth Test at Kensington Oval, a fast and bouncy track. Powered by Sobers’ 178, West Indies piled up a total of 500 plus.

We were in deep trouble at 70 for six, but Sardesai (150, last man out at 347) played the innings of his life and with Solkar giving him good support, the follow-on was avoided.

Garry’s gift wish?

The first day of the fourth Test was April 1, my birthday, and Sobers brought a cake for me on the ground. So, I asked him what gift he wanted. Sobers, whose team was trailing 0-1,  said in jest: ‘Just this Test, Maan!
 
 
Subhash Gupte
Gupte's inputs

Subhash Gupte (late former India leg-spinner), who had settled down in the West Indies, proved to a big help to us. He was our local manager and we got a lot of tips from him. It helped that we were from the same club, Shivaji Park Gymkhana.
 
Mumbai’s three musketeers

I knew Gavaskar very well as he played under me for Mumbai. I told him, ‘don’t worry about anything, I want you to play for a long time for India’. I wanted Gavaskar to get runs but I was praying he would not get a hundred because it was considered inauspicious as those who had hit hundreds on debut had not lasted long.

He just went from strength to strength. In the fifth Test, which they had converted to a six-day match, we had conceded a big first innings lead.

At the start of the second essay, I just told him ‘stay there’, and did he follow my advice? He went on to hit a double hundred. Gavaskar, who had hit a hundred in the first innings also, finished with 774 runs.

 
Dilip Sardesai
 
Solid Sardesai

He was a bit worried of his place at the start. But I knew his potential and he repaid the faith (scoring 642 runs, avg 80.25). He just went on from strength to strength.

Not afraid of fast bowling, he batted effortlessly. He looked like a West Indian batsman - confident, attacking, even a touch arrogant. Always got runs when he needed. He was at his best.

 
Eknath Solkar
Super Solkar

He was our crisis man. Never to shy away from a challenge, the gutsy Solkar was always there.. when we needed some runs or when we needed a breakthrough. He finished with 224 runs, six wickets and nine catches.

Once he opened the innings for us in the West Indies and kept playing and missing the ball. Garry Sobers went up to him and said, ‘You better play with your bat’, Solkar gave it back saying, ‘You bowl your stuff, I will bat my stuff’.
 
 

[avinashgodkhindi]

For a moment, when I read the heading, I got other ideas!!! Specially since warne was in the news for the wrong reasons a couple of days ago, and Durani was known to be one of the most handsome guys of his time ;-) But Durani also has the repuation of being a gentalman, unlike Mr. Warne

[keep-it-cool]

For a moment, when I read the heading, I got other ideas!!! Specially since warne was in the news for the wrong reasons a couple of days ago, and Durani was known to be one of the most handsome guys of his time ;-) But Durani also has the repuation of being a gentalman, unlike Mr. Warne

at the very least, he had the good sense / fortune of not being caught

[Blwe_torch]

Nice article!
Canwe move it to the 'Players of Yester-years'?

[keep-it-cool]

Blwe, if you are asking me, Sure. By all means, move it where you think it is best slotted.

[poondu]

KIC, Good stuff, Applause

[keep-it-cool]

KIC, Good stuff, Applause

thank you, sir!!

[toney]

kic, awesome stuff, maan!! Reading such stuff is always better than watching the recordings (though I dont mind having a few tapes). They seem so much more romantic. Applause!!

[keep-it-cool]

kic, awesome stuff, maan!! Reading such stuff is always better than watching the recordings (though I dont mind having a few tapes). They seem so much more romantic. Applause!!

thanx .. i agree, such memories are priceless

[kban1]

Good post -- kic

Always great to read about such glory days -- Applause

[keep-it-cool]

Good post -- kic

Always great to read about such glory days -- Applause

thanx again .. this is becoming a habit on this thread

[kban1]

Solkar takes a blinder

Knott was looking to send it around the corner; around the corner was Ekki


Mudar Patherya

January 18, 2009
 
 

A catch, a photograph, a new twist for Indian cricket © Cricinfo Ltd
 
London, 23 August 1971


There are two contenders in my mind for the inflection point in the modern history of Indian cricket. One is Salim Durani clean-bowling Garry Sobers for zero at Queen's Park Oval in 1971. The other is Eknath Solkar catching Alan Knott off S Venkataraghavan at the Oval in 1971.

The first was so unexpected that most photographers were probably caught looking the other way. The second instance was well documented. Alan Knott turning the ball round the corner, Solkar doing a Gordon Banks, Farokh Engineer a bit surprised, and Sunil Gavaskar airborne in glee. Henri Cartier-Bresson's "decisive moment".

Solkar described this catch years later. Venkat and he had "set Knott up". England's wicketkeeper liked to turn the offspinner round the bend. Most bowlers would have plugged the gap. On the contrary, Venkat and Solkar kept the area vacant, invited Knott to indulge. Solkar moved sideways in anticipation, and as soon as he reckoned that Knott was going to turn, he coiled for the dive, leapt, and took the plunge. Literally.

It would be easy to look at the picture, say "Wow", and move on to the next page. But wait, rewind the frame a couple of seconds, think the sequence over in your mind's eye and then regard the picture as the final frame. Solkar didn't just catch Knott inches above the Oval. He gave Indian cricket a new twist.

This article was first published in the print version of Cricinfo Magazine

 
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/379522.html

[keep-it-cool]

awesome ..and no helmet either!!!

[12kris]

                                             India,particularly the West Zone used to produce a left handed utility all-rounder, consistently from the '60s till the '90s. Bapu Nadkarni, Russi Surti,Salim Durrani, Eknath Solkar and Karsan Ghavri were around to chip in when other batsmen failed. What was a bonus was that most of these players used to bowl both pace and spin, adding to their utility. From the '90s, barring a Sunil Joshi for a while, we have felt the dearth of this breed. How we miss a Solkar or a Nadkarni!

[daryy]

Most people think time is like a river that flows swift and sure in one direction, but I have seen the face of time, and I can tell you - they are wrong.

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[teamindia]

Welcome to the DG folks. Nice to see some new people joining in.