Long before web-based scorecards and detailed records came up on your computer screen through a mere click of a button, men like Sudhir Vaidya provided statistics as box items in newspapers or embellished articles by cricket writers. Vaidya celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday and his love for the game hasn't diminished with age. Cricket statistics still excite him and he swears by his handwritten records for some queries.

While Virat Kohli's team are in the throes of adversity in England where they are 0-2 down in the five-match Pataudi Trophy series, it was the other way round in 1986 when Vaidya was in England as statistician and scorer for All India Radio. Kapil Dev's team was 2-0 up thanks to their wins in Lord's and Leeds. "India had a splendid team then, a good mix which batted quite deep," Vaidya recalled.