da realsbet： Indeed, the comparative non-performance of the Indian sides in theCaribbeans in the post-Gavaskar period has served to magnify thegreatness of his feats
Partab Ramchand09-May-2002Watching with dismay the Indians floundering against the pace andbounce at the Kensington Oval the other day, my mind went back almostsimultaneously to two infinitely more glorious chapters of Indiancricket in the West Indies - the Test at the same venue in 1971, theonly time in eight encounters that India have managed to avoid defeatat Bridgetown, and Sunil Gavaskar’s heroic exploits against theCaribbean side.
Indeed, the comparative non-performance of the Indian sides in theCaribbeans in the post-Gavaskar period has served to magnify thegreatness of his feats. Notwithstanding a rather mediocre series in1983, Gavaskar still totaled 1,404 runs in 13 Tests on three tours ofthe West Indies, with seven hundreds at an average of 70.20.
Gavaskar’s record against the West Indies is probably all too wellknown, but it is so awesome that it bears repeating over and overagain. In 27 Tests against the much-feared opponents for most of thetime that the stout-hearted and technically proficient Indian openerplayed against the West Indies, they were the number one cricketingnation in the world he hit 2749 runs with 13 centuries, three ofthem double hundreds.Playing without a helmet and much of the protective gear thatcricketers have resorted to in the last decade-and-a-half since hisretirement, Gavaskar tackled the pace of Andy Roberts, MichaelHolding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Wayne Daniel, Joel Garner,Sylvester Clarke and Norbert Philip with more than just a degree ofconfidence, and this is borne out by the final record. No otherbatsman has hit so many hundreds and double hundreds against thebrutal pace and disconcerting bounce that has always been a feature ofthe West Indian bowling.His detractors may point out that in two of the six rubbers Gavaskarplayed, the West Indians were not exactly at full strength. Perhapsthere is a grain of truth to this argument. All the same, it must bepointed out that in 1971, it was his first foray into internationalcricket, while in 1978-79 he still had to negotiate bowlers of thecalibre of Clarke, Philip and Vanburn Holder. In each of thesecontests, he ran up an aggregate of 700-plus, with a tally of eighthundreds.By that same yardstick, moreover, the Indians on the current tour -and in 1997 – have come up against a West Indian side palpably indecline, but the application, determination and concentration allhallmarks of Gavaskar’s batting – have been sadly lacking. Twoshocking batting collapses at Bridgetown, in 1997 and a few days ago,only underlines this.Indeed, the comparative non-performance of the Indian sides in theCaribbeans in the post-Gavaskar period has served to magnify thegreatness of his feats. Notwithstanding a rather mediocre series in1983, Gavaskar still totaled 1,404 runs in 13 Tests on three tours ofthe West Indies, with seven hundreds at an average of 70.20. Fourcenturies were notched up at Port of Spain, two were compiled atGeorgetown, and one at the Indians’ least favourite venue, Bridgetown.In the three post-Gavaskar tours of the West Indies, there have been atotal of six hundreds by five batsmen in 12 Tests. Gavaskar, in fact,is one among only four Indian century-makers at the Kensington Oval.Two of the four hundreds at the ground were in the same match, withSanjay Manjrekar getting 108 and Ravi Shastri scoring 107 in 1989. Buteasily the best knock by an Indian at this ground was Dilip Sardesai’s150 in 1971. In terms of courage in adversity, it ranks very high.Which brings me to the only time India have averted defeat at thejinxed venue.The West Indies, one down in the series, had led off with 501 for fivedeclared, and midway through the third day, India, at 70 for six, wereon the ropes. The momentum that the Indians had attained early on thetour forcing the West Indians to follow on in the first Test atKingston and pulling off their historic victory in the next game atPort of Spain had been lost, with Barbados defeating the visitors by10 wickets on the eve of the fourth Test at Bridgetown. It only seemeda matter of time before the home side leveled the series.Then Sardesai took charge. With two hundreds in three Tests, he wasvery much the man in form, and now with Eknath Solkar giving himadmirable support, the two figured in a 186-run seventh-wicketpartnership, one of the most famous rearguard actions in Indiancricket. Solkar fell for 65, and shortly afterwards, India were 285for nine. There were still 17 runs to go to avoid the follow-on, andit was the post-lunch session of the fourth day. Bishan Singh Bedi,however, summoned up the courage and skill to stay with Sardesai forover an hour, and the two added 62 runs for the 10th wicket. Sardesai,who had come in at 64 for four, was last out at 347 after batting justover six hours.The follow-on was saved, and even though the West Indies scored at abrisk rate in the second innings before declaring at 180 for six, fiveminutes after the start of play on the final day, there was littledoubt that India would save the match. This they did fairlycomfortably, and thanks to Gavaskar’s unbeaten 117, finished at 221for five. At the time, with the Indians emerging triumphant in therubber, the draw at Bridgetown, gallant as it was, was lightlyacknowledged as only one of four such results in the series. But giventhe fact that India have lost all the seven other Tests at this venue including five in a row now – perhaps the time has come to hail thenext drawn game at Bridgetown whenever it happens – as a moralvictory. And an Indian win? Well, that would be termed as nothingshort of a miracle.