“๐โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ , ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐.” –๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐
I have been a cricket fan from early days – playing for DCC-Margao and Mahalaxmi-Panjim in the Goa League – for a couple of seasons, as well for my college in the inter-zonals at Kolhapur.
I was in my first year Polytechnic (Fr. Agnels, Verna) when I saw this gutsy Australian cricketer Dean Jones – he has been a memory ever since his epic batting in the 1986 Madras tied test match.
I used to love watching cricket on TV, I still do.
During my Engineering, we had classes/assignments/practicals all day. Whenever we had a break, I would rush down to ‘Thomas’ restaurant – famous for pao-bhaji, hamburgers, and Thomas’ ruchik jokes in English.
Also, that was the only restaurant with a TV set during the days when smartphones were unheard of. Watching highlights later was out of the question, YouTube came up years later.
๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ
Test matches in September at the Madras Chidambaram Stadium must be ‘hotter’ than anywhere in the world. Even watching the match on TV felt so hot.
Indian cricket boasted of some of the legends, we have been so lucky to be born in the same era as them – Gavaskar, Srikanth, Azharuddin, Mohinder Amarnath, Ravi Shastri, Kapil Dev, Chetan Sharma, Kiran More, and the notorious Maninder Singh of that match.
Australia too had champions like David Boon, who would not pass the modern Yo-yo fitness test but was unbeatable against India those days nevertheless, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, monkey-charmer Greg Mathews, and the tall, lanky bamboo-stick Bruce Reid.
Australia had an upper hand in the match all through, but it was India who could have won the match batting second.
I guess the last day of the test match was the first day of the week – Monday, we had class but we couldn’t miss the final session of the match.
After a terrible collapse, it was Ravi Shastri who stood strong against the Aussies towards the end, hitting a couple of straight sixes off Reid which was rare to see in a test match or even one-dayers of those times.
It all came to the last over of the match – India needing 1 run to win in 3 balls and sat-srikalji Maninder Singh at the crease.
Thomas’ restaurant was full of buzz, it looked like a coaching camp of young cricketers – everyone giving their own opinion on how easy Maninder could just hit and win, some just prayed with eyes closed.
The TV was full-blast - two balls remaining.
Greg Mathews with cap on -- hopped, jumped, and bowled. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ถ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐!
๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฆ
My memory is still fresh about Dean Jones from that match – he made a double century in the first innings – taking most of his runs in singles – vomiting at least twice in the process.
He battled illness and dehydration in the extreme heat. His effort and determination was a remarkable man-of-the-match achievement. He defied all odds to make 210 runs.
It was later reported that Jones was rushed to hospital after the day’s play and placed on drips after his heroics that has since become iconic.
His death in Mumbai by a heart-attack is too unfortunate for a person to die at an age of 59.
๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐. ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐.
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป…