When Yajuvendra Singh took seven catches in the Bangalore Test against the English in 1976-77, my friend Sajeev showed me still black and white pictures of the match and that drew me to cricket, which I have been romancing since then. After losing the first three Tests to 'magical' bowling by John Lever, India had fought back and won the fourth at Bangalore. By then the vaseline headband used by Lever to keep the bowl shining had been exposed by Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi.
The first series that I really followed, first day by day, and virtually ball by ball was India's tour Down Under in 1977-78. The Indian team began the tour by playing four-day as well as one-day matches against state teams over a period of four weeks before the First Test at Brisbane. The Kerry Packer World Series had, by then robbed top teams like England, West Indies, and Australia of its superstars. Australia fielded a near rookie team, except for Jeff Thomson and out of retirement 42-year-old Bobby Simpson. A number of future stars emerged which included wicket-keeper Steve Rixon, Bruce Yardley, and Kim Hughes. Indians were the more experienced team but Australian umpires ensured India lost the first two Tests at Brisbane and Perth by small margins. Chandrashekhar took 6 for 52 in both the innings at Melbourne and India won by 222 runs. This was followed by the Sydney Test in which India inflicted innings defeat. The final Test at Adelaide was the decider and ran into a sixth day, with Australia emerging winners. The score-line of 3-2 was not the real reflection of the strengths of the two teams.
Those were teams when scores were kept by listeners on the radio. And I remember Sunil Gavaskar scoring hundred in the second innings of the first three Tests, after falling cheaply in the first innings each time. But Gundappa Vishwanath (473 runs) outscored Gavaskar (450 runs) in the series. The biggest find of the series was Chetan Chauhan. And players like Ashok Mankad, Dilip Vengsarkar, Karsan Ghavri, Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal fought for berths in the team.
The series kept me hooked to cricket for life. And as the series was going on, back home a young 17-year old had equaled Sunil Gavaskar's Vizzy Trophy record of 325 runs in an innings. The lanky all-rounder was soon to make his debut for India in 1978 when India toured Pakistan for a three-Test series in which Zaheer Abbas decimated the Indian spinners, bringing an abrupt end to careers of the spin quartet.
But those reminiscences that are still fresh in my mind shall continue, next time I sit down to blog. Actually working from home has its limitations.
The first series that I really followed, first day by day, and virtually ball by ball was India's tour Down Under in 1977-78. The Indian team began the tour by playing four-day as well as one-day matches against state teams over a period of four weeks before the First Test at Brisbane. The Kerry Packer World Series had, by then robbed top teams like England, West Indies, and Australia of its superstars. Australia fielded a near rookie team, except for Jeff Thomson and out of retirement 42-year-old Bobby Simpson. A number of future stars emerged which included wicket-keeper Steve Rixon, Bruce Yardley, and Kim Hughes. Indians were the more experienced team but Australian umpires ensured India lost the first two Tests at Brisbane and Perth by small margins. Chandrashekhar took 6 for 52 in both the innings at Melbourne and India won by 222 runs. This was followed by the Sydney Test in which India inflicted innings defeat. The final Test at Adelaide was the decider and ran into a sixth day, with Australia emerging winners. The score-line of 3-2 was not the real reflection of the strengths of the two teams.
Those were teams when scores were kept by listeners on the radio. And I remember Sunil Gavaskar scoring hundred in the second innings of the first three Tests, after falling cheaply in the first innings each time. But Gundappa Vishwanath (473 runs) outscored Gavaskar (450 runs) in the series. The biggest find of the series was Chetan Chauhan. And players like Ashok Mankad, Dilip Vengsarkar, Karsan Ghavri, Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal fought for berths in the team.
The series kept me hooked to cricket for life. And as the series was going on, back home a young 17-year old had equaled Sunil Gavaskar's Vizzy Trophy record of 325 runs in an innings. The lanky all-rounder was soon to make his debut for India in 1978 when India toured Pakistan for a three-Test series in which Zaheer Abbas decimated the Indian spinners, bringing an abrupt end to careers of the spin quartet.
But those reminiscences that are still fresh in my mind shall continue, next time I sit down to blog. Actually working from home has its limitations.
