‘Fearless’ Jimmy Amarnath turns back the clock
15 days ago | 5 Views
New Delhi: Throughout a 19-year India career, Mohinder Amarnath was an epitome of guts and courage for his batting through the pre-helmet and post-helmet eras of cricket. He was equally hailed for his remarkable spirit, making a number of comebacks into the India team after suffering at the hands of the national selectors many times. A remarkable phase in the early 1980s saw Amarnath excel with the bat in Pakistan, the West Indies, and then help India rock the cricketing world by winning the 1983 World Cup, chosen the Player-of-the-Match in the semi-finals and final no less. His dubbing the national selectors a “Bunch of Jokers” after being snubbed for the home series against New Zealand in 1988 is part of Indian cricketing folklore.
Around 36 years after his international retirement, ‘Jimmy’ Amarnath, now 74, with younger brother Rajender, has published Fearless, A Memoir, an engrossing narration of a rollercoaster 69-Test career in which the quality of performances -- 4378 runs; 9 of his 11 centuries came away from home – make up for all those games he didn’t get to play. And, of course, as the forceful figure in transforming Indian cricket’s direction on that magical summer day at Lord’s.
Excerpts:
West Indies 1976
We knew this series would be tougher than 1971. The obvious reason was that the West Indies had been humbled by Australia and they were desperate to salvage their reputation. Apart from that, memories of the series loss to India in 1971 had troubled them for years. The West Indies’ cricket had found itself at a critical juncture; the captain along with several players were under the microscope. We were conscious that they would unleash their battery of fast bowlers against us.
India lost the Barbados Test not because of destructive pace bowling but because of our poor handling of the spinners, Holford and Jumadeen. The pressure to take advantage of slow bowlers after facing express deliveries led to the downfall of many of our batsmen.
Trinidad Test...
Once Bishan had the ball in his hand, he crafted a web so strong and effective that one batsman after another fell into his trap… Richards had gone past the half-century mark and his team was still in deep trouble. At this stage, Bishan enticed him with a flighted delivery, beating Richards with a vicious turn. Before he could regain his footing in the crease, the wicketkeeper had removed the bails. It was a big wicket for us. However, our jubilation was ruined by the leg umpire, Sang Hue, wearing dark glasses; he rejected the appeal. The close-in fielders were bewildered with the decision; …After Bishan completed the over, he too could not hold back his disappointment; he went to the umpire in question and asked him about the decision. The umpire was frank and brief. He said, ‘Bishan, you are here for a short time, but I have to live here!’ Richards scored 130 before Bishan could get his revenge.
Chasing world record 4th innings target
I was happy to occupy the crease and frustrate the bowlers. To be honest, we were not chasing the target, but rather trying to save the Test match. My job at number three was to seal one end, no matter if runs merely trickled from my bat. Though it may sound strange, I smelled the leather more often than hitting the ball…
When India achieved the milestone, celebrations commenced from the stands. Acknowledging the support of the ethnic Indians, I moved inside and removed my pads. Swelling with emotion, I covered my face with a towel and tears instantly rolled down my cheeks! For the first time, I realized the importance of representing my country and tasting victory against all odds...
Kingston Test 1976
The previous day, moisture on the pitch had not allowed the ball to skid and gather speed, but the conditions had changed. Seeing this, Clive Lloyd instructed the slip cordon to move a few yards back and he signalled the bowler to come round the wicket. It shocked everyone, including Gaekwad and me. We knew sighting the ball from this angle would be challenging. The sight screen could not be adjusted to spot the ball. Added to this were the hanging branches of a tree above the sight screen, occupied by enthusiastic spectators in multicoloured shirts, constantly shifting to get a better view, which drew our attention.
The first session of the second day proved we were not playing cricket; we were at war… India managed to get 306 runs for the loss of six wickets, when Bishan decided enough was enough; he declared the innings at that score.
World Cup 1983
When the Indian team was finally announced, I had no idea about the squad. I received the news of my selection not from the BCCI, but through a friend in England! The general atmosphere around the event indicated little interest from the BCCI. For them, this World Cup was a mere formality and no more… I believe there was no farewell function or even any token encouragement from the higher-ups! The preparation for this event was the board’s last priority, so they didn’t bother holding any sort of conditioning camp. They felt it was an unnecessary expenditure.
Before the start of the World Cup, it was customary for all the teams to assemble at Lord’s for a get-together. Different shades of blazers made this event colourful. However, the BCCI created an embarrassing situation for the captain and vice-captain. Ours was the only team that exhibited the title of captain and vice-captain embroidered on the blazers in block letters. When I met Dennis Lillee, he seemed rather amused with the title and said, ‘Oh, so you are the vice-captain of the Indian team?’ The remark made me uncomfortable.
After Lillee’s comment, humorous as it may have been, I covered the pocket of my blazer with my left hand, fearing a similar question from someone else…
Semis v England
While bowlers cast magic spells on the English batsmen, the brilliant minds of Gavaskar and Yashpal came into action as well. They swapped positions without informing the captain. Allan Lamb and Gatting did not notice it either; they tried to steal another quick single, a decision that proved suicidal. Yashpal Sharma’s direct throw at the bowler’s end got rid of the dangerous Allan Lamb. After a brilliant start, England was crippled by our performance and managed to put up a rather modest total of 213.
The British sports media was baffled by this result. They couldn’t believe India could ever defeat England. My dreams were coming true. I had watched the 1975 World Cup final at Lord’s and, ever since then, I’d dreamed of playing the finals at this venue. I pinched myself to check if it was all true.
Final v WI
We were disappointed with our performance; we failed to last the full 60 overs and were bowled out for 183. Before going to the field, Kapil addressed the team in a typical Punjabi accent: ‘Chalo, jawano, ladte hain (Come on, boys, let’s fight it out)!’ Akin to soldiers, we marched out of the dressing room and through the packed Long Room at Lord’s…
The winning moment
When the last pair of Holding and Garner occupied the crease, we sensed history in the making. We, the underdogs of the tournament, casually dismissed by pundits and critics, and the public, could see the shores of the promised land! The last pair kept us waiting for some time. When Kapil operated from the pavilion end, I muttered a prayer: ‘God, please don’t let Kapil take the last wicket!’ This was not for reasons of personal glory but for safety. I wondered how I would cover the distance from the point boundary to the pavilion through the excited crowd! The frenzied images of the Manchester semi-final flashed back to me.
After the victory
I could have picked the ball or bails, but got so nervous seeing the tsunami of people running towards the pitch. I left everything and ran for my life like Carl Lewis. My mad dash to the pavilion was probably the fastest 100-metre sprint of my life! …The dressing room was like an open house; hundreds of people thronged to greet us. I did not recognize half of them, each eager to hug the nearest player. The celebrations continued outside the pavilion too. Thousands of Indian supporters gathered below the Lord’s dressing room’s balcony, waving their Indian flags and repeatedly chanting, ‘India! India!
Bunch of Jokers after snub v N Zealand Tests, 1988
The Indian team was staying at Taj West End; hence the presence of the media. It was a perfect place to express my feelings… The news spread like wildfire amongst the journalists and they reached the designated room for a much-awaited press conference. I did not waste any time and said, ‘I have undergone disappointments in my career, but this one takes the cake. Time has come to set the record straight and speak my mind. The present set of selectors are unfit for this job. They are a BUNCH OF JOKERS!’
HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON !
#