Making a case for the quintessential Wankhede Stadium performer to be honoured here without diluting the need to perpetuate the memory of stalwarts like Sardesai, Ashok Mankad, and Solkar
Ravi Shastri en route a six-hour 142 in the November 28-December 3, 1984 opening Test against England at Wankhede Stadium. PIC/RAJEEV ASGAONKAR, MID-DAY ARCHIVES
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has honoured four of their past-era captains — Sunil Gavaskar (box and statue), Sachin Tendulkar (statue), Dilip Vengsarkar (stand), and Ajit Wadekar (stand). There is talk that a statue of Vengsarkar too will soon be installed on the premises. It is probably overlooked that Vengsarkar was the second Mumbai player after Gavaskar to play 100 Tests (at Mumbai in 1988) before Tendulkar accomplished the feat at the Oval in 2002.
The current administrators have also been reminded not to forget the likes of Dilip Sardesai, Ashok Mankad, and Eknath Solkar, who served the MCA with distinction. Sardesai was part of 13 (1960-61 to 1972-73) of those 15 consecutive triumphant Ranji Trophy seasons.
Ashok Mankad, apart from leading Mumbai to Ranji Trophy glory in 1974-75 and 1975-76, mentored a legion of players, while tireless Solkar captained the 1980-81 Ranji Trophy-winning Mumbai with five regulars (Gavaskar, Karsan Ghavri, Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil, and Ravi Shastri) on India duty in New Zealand. Without diluting the need to honour the late and deserving Sardesai, Mankad, and Solkar, I would like to make a case for Shastri.
Here is a cricketer who is the quintessential Wankhede Stadium performer. But before dwelling on Shastri’s Wankhede heroics, let me share a story about the kind of confidence he had when it came to his India aspirations. In early 1980, a group of young cricketers made their way to the North Stand of the Wankhede Stadium. The India vs England BCCI Golden Jubilee Test was on and one among them said that the next time India play at the Wankhede Stadium, he’ll be on the playing surface. That player was Shastri; in 21 months’ time playing the opening Test of the 1981-82 series against England. Not only that, he got promoted to No. 6 after batting at No. 10 the previous innings. He scored an impressive 33 off 134 balls. He had only Graham Dilley’s wicket to show in the single innings he was called on to bowl, but along with Dilip Doshi, he helped quieten the Englishmen.
Shastri’s innings was cut short by the man who he dismissed. His captain Gavaskar indicated that it wasn’t the fairest of leg before decisions. “Shastri played some very good cricket and took the score along. Many thought that the ball [from Dilley] would have gone down the leg side, but the umpires are the best judges and we have to accept their decision,” Gavaskar wrote in Sportsworld magazine. It was during this Test that the late Mumbai-based journalist Pradeep Vijayakar urged Gavaskar to push Shastri up the order, as revealed by the batting legend during his 75th birthday podcast with me last year.
Shastri’s next Test at Wankhede too was memorable for him, thanks to knocks of 77 and 38 at No. 5 and No. 4 respectively against the mighty West Indies.
The following year, Shastri figured in the first of the two consecutive Ranji Trophy triumphs for Bombay over Delhi. The 1983-84 one was the less eventful one. In 1984-85, armed with the Champion of Champions honour achieved at the B&H World Championship of Cricket in Australia, Shastri bowled Mumbai to victory despite Delhi dominating a good part of the April 1-6, 1985 final. Shastri top-scored with 76 following half-centuries from Gavaskar, Lalchand Rajput, and Patil to help Bombay declare at 364-7 to set Delhi a 300-run target in 379 minutes and 20 mandatory overs.
Chetan Chauhan got cracking again, putting on 95 for the first wicket with Manoj Prabhakar. Shastri got them both and six more for Bombay to win by 90 runs to lift the Ranji Trophy for the 30th time in the national championships’ golden jubilee year.
It capped up a fine 1984-85 for Shastri, but what a wonderful time he had when he set foot at the Wankhede Stadium all season. In November 1984, he had carved 142 against the Englishmen for his first Test century on Indian soil for India’s solitary win of the series. Shastri smashed 17 fours and a six in his knock. How can one refer to a Shastri maximum and not reflect on what was to happen a little over a month later at Wankhede? On January 8, 1985, he clubbed six sixes in an over from Baroda’s Tilak Raj, a feat that put him on the same pedestal as Garfield Sobers. The West Indian legend performed similarly and unprecedentedly in first-class cricket way back in a 1968 County Championship game for Nottinghamshire versus Glamorgan at Swansea.
In 1986, Shastri joined his fellow Mumbai batsmen Gavaskar and Vengsarkar as the third centurion in India’s first innings total of 517-5 declared in the drawn Test against Allan Border’s Australians. It would be short-sighted to call for something to be named after Shastri at Wankhede just for his all-round exploits. There are other factors. Like leadership. In 1993-94, Shastri, in the absence of regular captain Sachin Tendulkar (on India duty) galvanised a young Bombay team into a formidable force in the knockout stage to win the Ranji Trophy after eight seasons (1985-86 to 1992-93). The side went on to be a wrecking crew. The win over Bengal in the final at Wankhede was preceded by away triumphs over Haryana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
Shastri’s deep connection with the Wankhede continues. I get a sense that the cricketer-turned-commentator gets an extra rush of adrenaline when he calls games at Wankhede. Shastri doesn’t have to voice the need for him to be honoured on his home ground. The record books speak volumes of a deserving recipient.
mid-day’s Deputy Editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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