Cota Ramaswami & M. J. Gopalan

 

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Morappakam Joysam Gopalan was in a dilemma. He was needed by the Indian hockey team in Berlin; he was also required by the Indian cricket team in England.

 

The man from Chennai (then Madras) had excelled in both his chosen sports and the well-deserved recognitions were coming in profusion. And why not? In 1934-35 Gopalan had shown outstanding merit with the all-conquering Dhyan Chand’s Indian hockey team through New Zealand. And within a year in 1935-36 he had Jack Ryder's Australians in no end of trouble with figures of 6 for 23 and 5 for 62 for the Madras Presidency team.

 

 The right-arm pace bowler had a difficult choice ahead of him because the tours to Berlin and England coincided. He had to opt for either one of the two. His choice fell on cricket. A strange decision indeed. The mercurial hockey administrator of the time Pankaj Gupta had advised him, “Gopala, come with us to Berlin. You are assured of an Olympic gold medal.”

 

The defending Olympic hockey champions, Dhyan Chand’s India were the top favourites to retain the gold medal in the Berlin Olympics of 1936. And in England with the cricket team he would only be second fiddle to the magnificent duo of Mohammed Nissar and Amar Singh Ladha. But cricket was probably his first love and off to England he went with Vizzy’s Indians. On such slender threads hangs one destiny.

 

The dickensian twist of the tale unfolded in a matter of months. Whereas Dhyan Chand's men returned with gold medals around their necks, Vizzy's band of segregated groups showed the world to what depths petty-minded Indian sportsmen could stoop.

 

 Gopalan did not get to play a single Test match in UK and got very few opportunities to show his worth. He and the other in-form fast bowler Shute Banerjee even witnessed how one fast bowler (Baqa Jilani) played a Test (at Oval) because he abused another player (CK Nayudu) as directed by the captain!

 

 After his return from the disgraceful England tour in 1936 he did not play any official Tests but was included in one unofficial Test against Tennyson's England team in 1938.

 

However, by then, Gopalan had already printed his name in gold in the annals of Indian sport by becoming the country's first double-international sportsperson. In 1932-33 Gopalan made his official Test debut at Calcutta's Eden Gardens against Douglas Jardine's side. In that match he was not particularly penetrative, but his bowling figures were not disappointing either. He, however, had the satisfaction to accept all the three catches that came his way.

 

Gopalan's first-class career spanned from the day he delivered the first delivery of the inaugural Ranji Trophy match for Madras in 1934 to 1951. Although basically a bowler of medium-fast category, who relied on swing and seam, he later developed into a batsman of adventurous mien.

 

Even at the age of 40 his carefree batting style had John Goddard's West Indies team in disarray. Scored a breezy half century as captain of the South Zone team in 1948-49 as the last flickers ebbed away.

 

Hailing from a family of modest means, Gopalan initially was recruited by the Madras Police. Later his cricketing credentials so impressed his State captain CP Johnstone that at the latter’s insistence he was absorbed by the multi-national corporation, Burmah Shell.

 

 In 1961 Gopalan, India's first double-international, was awarded the Padma Shri. He left us in 2003 fully deserving the awards and recognition that came his way in the very restricted opportunities that was made available to him.

 

***

 

India's another sports double-international, Cota Ramaswami, was also from Chennai. He belonged to a different genre, though. Prosperous, articulate, confident, Cota Ramaswami was an amateur sportsman in the most authentic sense of the term. For him sport was certainly not the first priority.

 

 His academic achievements took him to Cambridge University and on his return accepted a highly responsible post in the Madras Agricultural Services.

 

In the midst of his various activities Ramaswami found the time to lay bare his outstanding sporting qualities. At Cambridge University he was denied a chance even to appear in the cricket trials! Racism, was it? Hope not. But the fact remains that the brilliant man Cota had little time to waste with radical means of protest. On the contrary the bright student decided to show them their mistake in his own splendid way. A splendid lesson for all of us.

 

Not to be outdone, Cota the Andhraite promptly switched allegiance to tennis and volleyed his way to a ‘tennis-Blue' in the early 1920s. A decade later he was representing India in Davis Cup encounters. Those who had ignored him at Cambridge played no international for any country. Some justice, somewhere.

 

Cota Ramaswami was a gifted timer of the ball. In his youth, the graceful left hander would use all his propensities for stroke-play with gay abandon. A delightful mix of academics and sports, his was a commanding figure for the big occasion.

 

When selected to play for Madras Presidency in 1935-36 against Ryder's Australians, Ramaswami was nearly 40, and well past his prime. But the gifts of timing and application were still very much in evidence. He proceeded to scores of 48 not out and 82 with utmost ease and utter disdain.

 

Then within months the India team for the tour of England was announced. Finding his name in the team, Ramaswami was said to have remarked that he was chosen for reasons other than cricket! Amazing men we have with us.

 

 Actually he was being far too modest and unnecessarily self-critical. Probably he said so because he knew that his salad days were behind him and that his physical condition did not measure up to his own high ideals.

 

 But on the 1936 tour of England the supposedly fitter men were beating hasty retreats to the safety of the pavilion. The 40-plus academician made his debut at Old Trafford with scores of 40 and 60. Then in the following Test at the Oval his consistency remained with innings of 29 and 41 not out. Thus with an average of 56.66 he finished his debut series in England as well as his Test career.

 

 Cota Ramaswami proved about 9 decades ago that more than physical fitness, it is a man’s skills and mental strength that takes him to the pinnacle of success. A lesson contemporary Indians, no less the cricketers, would do well to learn and emulate.

         

Ramaswami was the most respected personality in the Indian team on that tour of England in 1936. His impeccable bearing, his academic credentials, his manner of speech and conduct earned the admiration of his team mates. He was the man who, perpetually as it were, was acting the mediator between the warring groups.

 

When the impetuous youngster Lala Amarnath was being sent back from UK on disciplinary grounds by captain Vizzy and the manager Brittain-Jones, it was the sensible Cota Ramaswami who went to plead with the administration to keep Amarnath back with a caution. That matured view was not kept, but frowned upon. The legacy of that dreadful tour and its aftermath still remains in the contemporary cricket scenario with all our conspiracies and cronyism.

 

 Ramaswami would have made an excellent captain of India. He had all the requisite qualifications. But then in those days we suffered from a notion that cricketers from the north and the west were superior to the rest of the Indians! So the most deserving man from Madras was never under any consideration to give leadership to the nation.

One fine morning in 1990, the 94 year old Cota Ramaswami tottered out of his house and drifted away into the unknown...  his body was never found.

 

By international, standards, Gopalan and Ramaswami were not of the top bracket. But in the context of the Indian sports environment they were outstanding models. In a huge country like ours there are just too many obstacles to pass through: too many competitors, too few opportunities, logistics too complex, exposure far too restricted.

 

Only a handful rise to eminence. Apart from outstanding merit, in India one needs tons of luck to catch the selectorial eye. Especially so in team sports, where a brilliant individual can so easily be sidelined because of his team's failure to rise to the top.

 

In a country where sportsmen are known to be close to drug dealers, betting syndicates, black-mailers, match-fixers, murderers etc who has the time for sports double-internationals?

 

Yet, despite the travails, these two men went on to represent the country not in one sports discipline but in two! No praise can do them justice. No sports historian has yet found the time to think of these legendary double-internationals.

 

                                      Vijay Laxman Manjrekar

 

Vijay Manjrekar was an artist’s delight; so was he of the artisan's. He blended the creativity of the artist to the craftsmanship of the artisan. At 18 he made his first appearance in first-class cricket for Bombay.

 

Immediately the connoisseurs of the game detected the class of his batsmanship. Modelled on classical lines: precision of footwork and economy of movement gave him the rare virtues of balance and timing. Even in defence, he exhibited grace and nonchalance.

 

But what of his temperament ? He was yet to notch a single first-class century prior to his call for Test debut at the Eden Gardens but had given enough indications of his unmatched potential. None questioned his undoubted technical excellence. But, rightly so, some doubts persisted about the young man's temperament to play the typical long, grinding innings at the Test Match level.

 

 True enough, Manjrekar displayed his wealth of talent in his Test debut innings of 48 on the emerald green pitch of Eden Gardens of those days and helped his handsome Bombay colleague Dattu Phadkar to add 76 runs. But when Manjrekar seemed to be in full flow, he gave his wicket away to an innocuous delivery. In the next Test, too, at Kanpur he had settled down only to gift his wicket away. These were the lessons he would not forget ever.

 

Luckily for Manjrekar the selectors persevered with him and he set off for England in 1952. On that dismal tour, Manjrekar's performance was a silver lining. At Headingley in the first Test when Manjrekar joined his captain Vijay Hazare 3 wickets had gone down for 42 with three world-class bowlers  Freddie Trueman, Alec Bedser and Jim Laker on a stranglehold. But on this day Manjrekar was a transformed man. Gone were the exuberance and the indulgence of youth.

 

In one session he climbed to manhood. Cool and composed, he proceeded to match Hazare defence for defence; stroke for stroke. The pair added 222 runs, but more than the statistical figure the partnership heralded that an adolescent had grown into maturity and was ready to carry the mantle from Vijay Hazare in the decade to come.

 

Manjrekar kept his promise. Till he was forced to retire from the Test match scene in 1965, after scoring an unbeaten 102! The man was a tower of strength to the team's cause as well as to his mates. For a decade and a half no Indian batsman displayed the tenacity, the artistry, the courage and the craftsmanship that Vijay Manjrekar did. Tiger Pataudi is on record mentioning that he had not seen a batsman as comfortable as Vijay Manjrekar against both pace and spin.

 

Manjrekar was no fair-weather cricketer. Not a man to pull away from adversity. For sheer courage and technical excellence his innings at Barbados in 1962 has scarcely been bettered. Remember the island match against Barbados when India captain Nariman Contractor was laid low by the fearsome West Indian speedster Charlie Griffith?

 

Well, in that particular innings, Vijay Manjrekar too had to retire hurt with a swollen nose against the fury of Charlie Griffith. The Indians were all out for 86 and, on being asked to follow-on, had no gumption to fight back. All except one. That batsman was Vijay Manjrekar. He left the comfort of his hospital bed, went to the ground and pleaded to be allowed to hold his weapon and go out in the middle to face the enemy onslaught.

 

Now he was not playing merely a game. He was upholding the pride of a nation. The halo of a Maratha warrior was on him. In total contempt he took charge of the situation. Neither Griffith nor Wesley Hall nor Garfield Sobers made the faintest of impression on him that day. He was a soldier inspired; an Indian who would not relent no matter the adversity. He scored an unbeaten hundred, the second fifty coming in as many minutes in the company of medium pacer Vasant Ranjane, the last man! Rarely if ever has a player been expected to stand up and play for the self- respect of his motherland as Manjrekar had taken up the challenge upon himself.

 

Vijay Manjrekar was a professional in the strictest meaning of the word. He had pride, he had capability and he would endeavour to produce his best under every conceivable condition. He was no cry-baby who would blame others for his own weaknesses; no moaner who would leave the ship in mid-stream. Not one with a godfather in BCCI or with political patronage. Such was his commitment to the game that he earned his living from his earnings out of the game. As there was little by way of money from the game in India, Manjrekar spent his summer months in the Lancashire leagues.

 

 In India he had represented Bombay, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in the national championships but wherever he was his was an influence that permeated down to the grass-roots level. Numerous cricketers, who came to the forefront in the 1970s, hero-worshipped him and tried their best to model themselves on him. He was the vanguard of a generation that took self-respect and national pride to the crease every time they gook guard.

 

Manjrekar's batsmanship was of the classical mould. On a rock-like defence flowered a wide repertoire of strokes. Lessons on technique he mastered early in life. But he was no blind follower of orthodoxy. He would utilize technique as his slave but would never stoop to become a slave to technique. The hardened cricketer played the game tough, as it should be. There was no airy-fairy, casual streak about him.

 

Extremely strong on drives off either foot, he would delight to rock back and crack a rasping hook. The square cut was his trade-mark stroke especially after an operation on the right knee restricted him from stepping out of the crease and the gradual accumulation of bulk discouraged him from hooking and pulling as of yore.

 

Manjrekar’s square-cut, later exhibited so very well by Gavaskar, Vishwanath and especially Borde, was to lean back and cut the ball from the stumps. The leaning back was to make room for the full flow of the arm to generate power in the square cut.

 

Vijay Manjrekar had quite a few unusual achievements. He made his maiden first-class century in Test cricket. He played for probably the highest number of first-class State teams. His versatility was such that though primarily a batsman, he represented his country in Test cricket as a wicket-keeper too and was fairly effective at that. In 1952-53 at Kingston, Jamaica, skipper Hazare asked Manjrekar to don the big gloves as both the principal wicket-keepers were found wanting.

 

He kept brilliantly to the wiles of Subhash Gupte and Vinoo Mankad. In a West Indies innings of 576 runs, the debutant irregular wicket-keeper gave away just 7 byes. And then went out to bat at number 3 to score a magnificent 118. In the 1^st innings too his bat had fetched 43. No fatigue ever bothered him. The bulky man was physically far fitter than and far more energetic than players with trimmer waists.

 

 And, wonder of wonders, he was omitted from the Test team after scoring an unbeaten century! Of course, there have also been others who have gone through many of Manjrekar's experiences and ordeals, but there are not too many who have contributed so much and got so little in return.

 

Over a decade and a half, he was the mainstay of our batting line-up. Played 55 Tests scoring 3208 runs at an average of 39.12 including 7 centuries of which the highest was a flawless knock of 189 not out against Dexter's team in 1962. In Ranji Trophy he made 3734 runs at 57.44 with 12 centuries.

 

With unwavering concentration hour after hour he would go about his job with a minimum of fuss. Time and again he would go into his shell with customary caution for the sake of his team's interest, but in times of attack he would again take the initiative to lead from the front.

 

No better example could be given than that against Australia in the 2nd Test at Bombay in 1965. Chasing a target of 255 on the last day, India had lost 6 wickets for just 122 runs when Manjrekar in the company of his young skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi added a vital 93 runs and enabled the ‘evergreen’ Chandu Borde to put the finishing touches to a magnificent victory by 2 wickets against Simpson's Australians.

 

Manjrekar's courage is legendary. Once in 1958-59 in the Delhi Test when the young Chandu Borde was attacking the West Indians’ fearsome pace battery with his audacious stroke-play it was found that Borde, unbeaten on 96, had none to partner him with 9 wickets down. Without a moment's hesitation in walked Manjrekar, who himself was down with a badly injured thumb in plaster. Little did he care about personal comfort and security. By deeds he used to inspire and not by words.

 

I treasure a vivid memory of Vijay Laxman Manjrekar. Central Zone was playing East Zone in a Duleep Trophy tie at Eden Gardens in 1965. After East Zone had piled up 392 runs, Central lost 4 wickets for about 150 when Manjrekar came out to join Hanumant Singh. Throughout the last day the pair batted in splendid but contrasting styles. Whereas Hanumant was dancing down the wicket and driving elegantly all round the wicket, Manjrekar was content to play the sheet-anchor’s role to perfection, where the trade-mark draw-away square-cut predominated.

 

The pair crossed the target with about 15 minutes left for draw of stumps. Now the only interest left in the match was whether the veteran Manjrekar would reach his century, Hanumant already having reached his and was nearing the 150 mark.

 

As the last over of the day began, Manjrekar was just 9 short of his 100 and in total command of the situation. But, believe it or not, the man played out a maiden over! He actually made no apparent effort to go for strokes in order to reach the magical figure.

 

When asked as to why he did not try for the century, he coolly replied, “As Subroto Guha did not bowl a single bad delivery in the last over, I played every ball on its merit." Not a thought of self-interest crossed his mind. So absorbed was he to take his team to first innings lead and victory that he did not feel it worth his while to think of his own hundred. A true artist; a real pro; a role model for every batter.

 

His cool demeanour, his witty remarks, his melodious voice hid a man of rare resolve. Impregnable in defence and impeccable in technique, the composed man was a sadhu in flannels. He was as near to perfection as one could possibly be. Infallible against spin and at ease against pace, the man had no apparent weakness. Peers who have played with or against him unanimously emphasize that he was among the leading batsmen in the world between 1952 and 1965.

 

In 1980 he had come down to Calcutta to take part in a veterans’ exhibition match at the emerald-green CCFC ground. I had the good fortune to open the innings with him. As we walked to the wicket he said, “I shall take the first strike as I am senior to you!” Yes, he was in his 50s and I was 20 years his junior.

 

The first delivery he softly pushed towards point and ran like mad! I hesitated for a moment and then somehow made my ground. Immediately he walked up to me, “What’s up? Are you ok?” I smiled, “Sir, are you sure you want to run quick singles at your age?” He gave a wink, “Arre, getting off the mark. Aur kya?” Fantastic approach even at the end of the tether. Lessons of youth never quite die. I still marvel at the spirit of the man in his 50s.

 

Within two years he was no more. Left behind memories of inspiration; of courage; of technical excellence; of a man largely forgotten by his own men. Left behind a progeny – son Sanjay – to carry forward his mission.

 

 

 

 

 

WAZIR ALI, the genuine leader who gave India her first-ever victory.

 

Wazir Ali led India to her first-ever international victory. He led India in two unofficial Tests against Ryder’s Australia in 1935-36. Thereafter it was realized by the collective wisdom of our national selectors that he could not be relied upon to lead India again. The national selectors were Duleepsinhji, Iftikar Ali Khan Pataudi and HD Kanga.

 

Whereas Pavri and Baloo were the products of inter-community cricket, men of the stature of Deodhar and CK Nayudu; Mohammed Nissar and Wazir Ali acted as the bridge between inter-community (Pentangular) and inter-state (Ranji Trophy) championships.

 

Wazir Ali's life was a picture of pathos. The prolific performer for India went over to Pakistan after the partition and died in penury. It is indeed a sad commentary on the cricket administration of both India and Pakistan that they did precious little for a person who was a pillar of strength to the pre-partitioned national team in the 1930s.

 

The man took nothing out of the game he loved the most. Not an extra paise came into his pocket from cricket. By virtue of his deeds he gave plenty to the cause of cricket in India. Yet when the time came for him to bid adieu from active service we could not repay an iota in gratitude. Not that it mattered to him. For he was too upright, too self-respecting to crave for pecuniary benefits, posts and awards.

 

Wazir Ali and his younger brother Nazir Ali were pioneers in one respect. The Ali brothers were the first family members to have played Test cricket together for India. In the inaugural Test at Lord's in 1932 they made their debut and played once more in 1932-33. Nazir also played county cricket for Sussex in 1927 and was indeed fortunate to have received the patronage of the maharaja of Patiala to study engineering in England.

 

Wazir, however, was totally engrossed with cricket. Opinions vary between Jalandhar and Karachi as his birthplace but there is no dispute that he learnt his cricket in the rugged atmosphere of the Patiala palace. Strong of physique and possessing an equable temperament, he was a man for the big occasion. A distinguished personality in his own right. An independent mind that took no part in provincial or communal factionalism. He was way above petty matters.

 

He was one of the few Test cricketers of the 1930s who belonged to no group in particular, although certain sections wanted him to be their leader. Once when certain players stayed out in protest unless Wazir Ali was given the India captaincy ahead of CK Nayudu, Wazir Ali himself was no party to it. He gladly played under CK Nayudu whenever selected.

 

But CK Nayudu himself could not reciprocate as magnanimously. CK and his group declined to play under the leadership of Wazir Ali at Lahore and at Madras against Jack Ryder's Australians in 1935-36. More on the two unofficial Tests later, except to add that Wazir defeated the Aussies on both occasions. The first-ever international victory at cricket for India.

 

Wazir Ali had no time for frills or bickering; none at all for groupism. He played his cricket for India by virtue of his walloping bat. Made runs against all oppositions and under every kind of condition. No crisis overwhelmed him; no opposition overawed him. Reticent and reserved, he preferred to let his bat do the talking. As it should be for all sportsmen.

 

As in death so in life, Wazir Ali never received the recognition he deserved. During his playing days his presence and performance were taken for granted. Mainly because he was a non-controversial man. A man who hated to draw attention to himself. His strong-silent nature was his strength, but in a world of frivolous values it became a distinct weakness.

 

Made his first class debut for the Muslims in 1923 and made an immediate impact with his wide repertoire of powerful strokes. Against Gilligan's M.C.C. team of 1926, Wazir Ali made two centuries.

 

Later in the Quadrangular and the Pentangular championships his prolific prowess fetched no less than 5 centuries. In the 1938-39 Ranji Trophy final against Bengal, the eventual champion, he made a grand 222 not out for Southern Punjab thereby becoming the first double centurion in Ranji Trophy.

 

Impeccably dressed on and off the field, he was universally admired for his sartorial elegance. He was among the first to use a handkerchief as a scarf giving him a dashing appearance. A precursor to the ‘stylish 1960s’ made attractive by the suave presence of  ML Jaisimha, Salim Durani, Tiger Pataudi, Farokh Engineer and Budhi Kunderan.

 

Even the stiff upper lip of Douglas Jardine moved in his praise as a player and a person. Legendary Aussie cricketer Charlie Macartney praised his leadership qualities. Dignified and pleasant, Wazir Ali was a very popular man among the cricketing fraternity of the 1930s. He was as adept at playing the flute. A man of dimensions.

 

On the 1932 tour of England he lived up to the reputation that had preceded him to England. Scored 1725 runs at an impressive average of 33.82 with 6 centuries. In the only Test of the series he was the most consistent batsman with scores of 31 and 39. He and his captain C.K.Nayudu were going great guns at 102 for 2 in reply to England's 259. Just as it looked that India would gain the first innings lead, a disputed decision had Wazir out lbw and the Indians collapsed for 189.

 

In the 1932-33 series at home against Jardine's M.C.C. team he had mixed success. But, by the time Jack Ryder's Australians arrived for an unofficial Test series, Wazir was in his elements. The first two Tests were lost when the selectors decided to give Wazir an opportunity to lead India for the first time.

 

Wazir Ali – so long a brilliant and bold leader for the Muslims, whom he had led to 5 championship titles – had Ryder’s men on the run. This was the match at Lahore which C.K.Nayudu and his men avoided. But far from being distracted, Wazir Ali  led from the front with scores of 76 and 92 and won the Test.

 

The next Test at Madras was won as well by Wazir's men. Thus from zero-two down, the Indians had drawn parity. Wazir's magnificent marshalling of his young team paid rich dividends. He handled the great duo of Nissar and Amar Singh as no one had done before or after him. But true to the scenario of our land the dynamic skipper Wazir Ali was never again asked to lead the national team!

 

Wazir was disgusted with the way the dreadful 1936 tour of England took place and it reflected on his performance. On his return he played first-class cricket in style and splendor till 1940 but by then he had voluntarily relinquished his desire to play in international matches.

 

Wazir Ali opted for Pakistan following the aftermath that heralded our independence. But there he died a disillusioned man in 1950 at just 47 in despair and deprivation. Even the pride of watching his son wear the Pakistan colours was denied to him by fate. The 18 year old student Khalid Wazir played for Pakistan in England in 1954.

 

The stylish, dignified man who never held any rancour against anybody left us in eternal debt. His memory remains a constant reminder of our insensitivity and ingratitude to our former cricketers.

 

Those who have great faith in statistical figures - I personally have very little - would do well to know that India’s most successful captain ever was the one and only Wazir Ali. He led his country in two unofficial tests against Ryder’s Australia in early 1936 and won both. Absolutely 100% win-loss record. Statistically, apart from Ravi Shastri (one win out of one), no other Indian captain is in close range of Wazir Ali.

 

Although Wazir Ali’s two victories had come in unofficial tests, we must be honest enough to admit that Jack Ryder’s Australians were far superior to some of the Test oppositions of the last two decades, whom we keep thrashing with gay delight. And most importantly, many prominent Indian players stayed away from Wazir Ali’s Indian national team because of provincial and communal considerations.

 

Unfortunately the Indian media never acknowledged the undoubted skills of Wazir Ali, the batsman, and more so Wazir Ali, the leader of men. Has any of our cricket historians ever highlighted the fantastic Ali family of three Test cricketers?

 

Let us not forget that the first man who gave India a taste of international cricket victory was a leader who answered to the name of Wazir Ali.

 

VINOO MANKAD, the one and only : India's greatest ever all-rounder

 To have seen him at cricket was to see a master craftsman in motion. A Michaelangelo at work. Some cricketers rise above their contemporaries by the sheer weight of their performance and then there are others who achieve fame through the image they create on the minds of men.

 Vinod Mankad, christened Mulvantrai Himmatlal way back at Jamnagar in 1917, belonged to both the groups. If his phenomenal performance graph evoked admiration, the image of the short, strong man carrying all on his broad shoulders etched an impression that would last a lifetime and more.

 From mid-1930s to mid-1950s his career spanned. At that time not many Indian cricketers had the spirit or the means to spend every moment at cricket. They would concentrate hard during the short season and then be forced to rust away in search of pecuniary gains in other walks of life.

 But Vinoo Mankad was a non-conformist in this respect. His burning ambition to be the best in the world was fuelled by Nawanagar State’s princely patronage and by the coaching of Albert Wensley of Sussex.He relentlessly pursued the goal without the slightest hint of deviation. He played cricket round the year. He knew no other career; nor was he interested.

From Nawanagar to Gujarat to Bombay to Bengal to Lancashire to Rajasthan wherever he went he tucked his bat and his bowling skills in those powerful palms of his. During the Indian summers he would be playing as a professional for Haslingden in the Lancashire League in UK. He was certainly the first of the true professionals that India has had.

 Beginning from his debut season in Ranji Trophy in 1936-37 as well as against his first international opposition – Tennyson's MCC team in 1937-38 – he made a lasting impression. Then came the World War II and with it some vital years of his salad days were lost. However not one to be discomfited by misfortunes, Mankad actually used the period to hone his undoubted talents still further.

The 1946 tour of England was to mark his debut on the official Test scene. He took the opportunity with a bear-hug. Wherever in the batting order he was asked to bat at, however much the bowling he was asked to do, Mankad thrived with his customary tenacity.

From the very beginning his sound cricketing brain convinced him that he would be both the war-head as well as the work-horse. It was the ideal situation that this man of unbounded courage, phenomenal skill and unfaltering stamina yearned for. He would have laughed at the modern nonsensical idea of ‘taking rest’ during one’s short prime span of youth.

 Mankad wasted no time on frills; none whatsoever on frivolities. If cricket was to be his life he would love to be a part of it every minute of his existence. So it was to be for him. He must have batted in every position from number 1 to number 11 for India. And in bowling whether India was defending or attacking he was sure to be in the thick of action.

 In England in 1946 he achieved the 'double' (1000 runs and 100 wickets), a dream for any all-rounder. The magnificence of the debutant would be best understood when we find that since Learie Constantine in 1928 no other overseas all-rounder had achieved the enviable piece of statistic. Even the cynical English critics had little alternative but to praise the new star as the English batsmen wended their way to doom. Former England captain Arthur Gilligan rated Vinoo Mankad at par with the legendary left-arm spinners Wilfred Rhodes, Colin Blythe and Headley Verity. Wisden acknowledged his greatness by naming him as one of the ‘Cricketers of the Year’ in 1947.

 Mankad did not make the cricket pundits gape at his action. No, no, he was not bothered by artistry. His arm came round; not in the classically straight mould. His curve was not of whispers and gossips; his trajectory was of business. It was clinically clean, surgically pin-pointed in the accuracy. Little wonder that even at a time when close-catching was not India's forte, this marvel of a left-arm orthodox spinner had the subtlety to take no less than 162 Test Match wickets in only 44 Tests spanning over 12 years. At a time when Bradman, Harvey, Barnes, Hammond, Hutton, Compton, Weekes, Worrel, Hanif and Sutcliffe and other greats were at the other end.

 Not one to relax and ruminate over his effective bowling, Mankad's batting flowered simultaneously. A rarity again: most all-rounders – except of course Keith Miller and Garfield Sobers – first make their mark in one discipline before they embark on a broader horizon. Not so Mankad. To him both batting and bowling received equal importance because he wanted no rest!

 In the following tour of Australia in 1947-48, he scored two Test centuries against Bradman's all-conquering Australian attack which comprised Miller, Lindwall, Johnston, Toshack and McCool. Here in Australia he was promoted to open to confront the world’s best fast bowling attack of Keith Miller and Ray Lindwall whereas in England he was usually way down the order.

 Such was his application and willingness to learn that he did not bat an eye-lid as his skills with the bat opened the eyes of his onlookers, wide in admiration and awe. One moment he was lifting the fast bowlers and at the next moment he would be stoutly defending against the spinners, as the situation warranted. Batting right-handed, Mankad was an exemplary cutter of the ball and would play the lifted shots with measured precision.

 In only 23 Tests he reached his 1000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket. The quickest to reach the 'double' among the premier all-rounders in Test cricket till Ian Botham was to surpass him much later in 21 Tests. Most certainly Mankad was one of the greatest of all-rounders that the game has ever known.

 India recorded her first Test victory against England (then MCC) at Chepauk in 1951-52 under Vijay Hazare. Roy and Umrigar scored centuries and laid the foundation. But still, obviously enough, to win a Test match the team had to get the opposition out twice. Here again it was none but Mankad who made the task easy for India by dismissing 7 batters. Mankad was always at the centre of every battle.

 Vinoo Mankad is one of the few cricketers who can claim to have had a Test Match named after them. At Lord's in 1952 he opened India's batting and scored 72 and then bowled a marathon spell of 73 overs taking 5 wickets for 136 runs. As if this was not enough to whet his appetite for cricket, he went back to the crease to smack an innings of 184 glorious runs. Then when England batted for an 8-wicket victory he still found the stamina and the spirit to bowl another 24 overs! Most certainly the best individual performance for a losing side.

 Today when one hears of players of inconsequential effort feeling tired, one is best left to smirk. This particular Test has gone down in the annals of Test cricket as the 'Mankad Test' to perpetuate the memory of a man who knew no fatigue, no frills, no frustrations. To him cricket was motivation enough and playing for the honour of the motherland was the breath of life itself.

 Lest we forget he also happened to hold the world Test record for the 1st wicket for more than 50 years. In association with Pankaj Roy against New Zealand this premier all-rounder achieved the fabulous partnership landmark of 413 runs. Mankad’s contribution was 231.

  In an eventful Test career, Vinoo Mankad scored 2109 runs with 5 centuries, including two double, at an average of 31.47. His first class career spanned from 1935 to 1963 resulting in 11,544 runs at 34.87 and 776 wickets at 24.60.

 Knowledgeable, he used his intelligence and applied himself accordingly. He asked even the opposition for guidance! He knew the art of application. His cricket was built on the rock solid foundation of basics. No diversion seeped in to weaken the firm edifice. With this attitude he won the hearts of hardened men; the plaudits of cynical critics; the respect of his mates and opponents.

 Vinoo Mankad was a cricketer’s cricketer. A perfectionist in every department of the game. He was the man who pioneered the voodoo associated with Indian spinners along with the advent of Ghulam Ahmed and Subhash Gupte.

 Mankad has always been associated with strange happenings on and off the field. On the tour of Australia in 1947-48 Mankad was at the nucleus of a major storm. In the Sydney Test match Aussie opener Bill Brown was repeatedly leaving the non-striker’s crease before the ball was delivered. Bowler Mankad noticed the misdemeanor, did not waste time and calmly removed the bails before delivering the ball. The umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger.

 Although there was widespread criticism, Sir Don, the Aussie captain, defended Mankad as the latter had warned Brown earlier in the Australian XI match and more so because Mankad’s action was as per the laws of cricket. Ever since then this way of dismissal has been unofficially hailed as “Mankaded’.

 The ‘Mankad Test’ at Lord’s in 1952 has been mentioned. What needs to be mentioned now is the scene behind that great feat. India had a disastrous start to the series in the first Test at Headingley where they lost 4 wickets for zero runs on the board. Seeing this Pankaj Gupta, the manager, was fuming because the petty-minded national selectors had omitted Mankad from the touring team! At the time Mankad was the best all-rounder in the world. India’s national selectors at the time were CK Nayudu, HN Contractor and M Dutta Ray.

 Gupta, as the manager of the Indian cricket team to England in 1952, sent a telegram to the BCCI as a formality and without waiting for their reply selected Vinoo Mankad, who at the time was playing in the Lancashire League to play the 2^nd Test at Lord’s! Mankad went on to display one of the greatest-ever individual all-round performances in the history of cricket.

 Without the intervention of the mercurial manager Pankaj Gupta, Vinoo Mankad – among the greatest all-rounders in the world – would not have played the Test and it is highly doubtful whether he would ever have played for India again.

 The incident requires further elaboration. Mankad had just helped India to gain her first-ever Test match victory at Chepauk in early 1952 and then left for Lancashire to fulfil his professional commitment. In the meantime in India the national selectors were to meet to select the India team to tour UK in April 1952. The selectors suddenly decided that a trial match would be held and that every probable player would have to play to be eligible for selection.

 Vinoo Mankad , the premier all-rounder in the world, informed the selectors that he was already in UK and might kindly be permitted to miss the trial match for otherwise he would have to pay his to and fro air-passage from his own pocket. His request was turned down! The trio including CK Nayudu gave the impression that the team would be chosen on the basis of that match only! Unfortunately CK Nayudu’s ego decided that the world’s best all-rounder would have to prove his merit in that particular ‘trial’ match!

 Pankaj Gupta , the ebullient manager of India teams, especially of hockey, had no time for petty jealousies based on provincialism, communalism and egoism that was apparent in the logic of the national selectors. Gupta had handled Dhyan Chand’s men to three Olympic ‘golds’, where he encouraged Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, agnostics and atheists to consider themselves as ‘Indians first, Indians last’. He had no time for petty-minded men and their media supporters. It was only because of Pankaj Gupta that Vinoo Mankad got his rightful place in the India team.

 The best all-rounder in the world had to fight the petty-mindedness of former Indian cricketers throughout his life. So very ahead was he than most of his peers that invariably he became a lonely soul in the national side. On and off the field, Vinoo Mankad received very little support from his own mates. He remained a singular man in a plural game.

 His iconic stature has finally been rewarded by ICC by naming him in the very exclusive ‘Hall of Fame’.