Opinion Stalking victory
Tiger taught Indian cricket how to beat its opponents and taught the world that spinners could take wickets.
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Tiger Pataudi was a Maharaja,but he always lived like an ordinary cricketer in the dressing room and during tours. It speaks volumes of the man. He was Indias greatest-ever captain,who gave a new dimension to the countrys cricket and laid the platform for a brighter road ahead. He brought English cricket to India as he conveyed the message that to beat them,we had to play like them.
When Nari Contractors near-fatal injury elevated Tiger to Indias captaincy,he was very young just 21 years old. He had seniors like Polly Umrigar and Vijay Manjrekar in the side. Both extended a helping hand,but even in his first series as captain,Tiger gave ample evidence that he was a born leader. He never spoke much on the field or even off it. He always looked people in the eye,and that used to work wonders. He always liked me. Today,as I heard the news of his passing away,two incidents keep coming back to my mind.
It was during the third Test of the 1974-75 series against the West Indies in Calcutta. The West Indies,with Vivian Richards,Clive Lloyd and Alvin Kallicharran in their ranks,had to chase just 230-odd runs in the fourth innings for victory. We had already lost the first two Tests and after the fourth days play in the third Test,we were once again under pressure. Around 10.30 in the evening,he took me aside and asked what should we do on the final day. I told him that he was the captain and we would follow his plans.
Then he told me,I want you to bowl effectively,but at the same time you must keep one end tight. Bishan (Bedi) will bowl in his own way,but Chandra (Chandrasekhar) would be my man to take wickets. West Indies will wilt under pressure. They really did,as Chandra wrecked havoc and we won the match. Tiger was such a fantastic reader of the game.
The next Test was in Madras and when Keith Boyce came to bat,I was a tad iffy about whether to bowl over the wicket or round. Tiger came to me and told me to relax. He moved Solkar from forward short-leg to midwicket. Boyce was caught and bowled in the very next ball as he tried to play squarer on the leg side and got a leading edge. Tiger came rushing to me from mid-on and said: You are a genius. After the match,Gary Sobers and Lance Gibbs came to our dressing room and offered their congratulations. I told them that our captain was the real genius.
Mind you,we went into that series on the heels of a disastrous England tour. Indian cricket was in total disarray after the tour and Tiger was recalled to take charge of the Indian team. After losing the first two Tests against West Indies,we bounced back to make it 2-2,though they won the last Test as Lloyd made full use of a few dropped catches and scored a double hundred. Tiger bowed out on a high,having resurrected the team that had looked completely down and out after England.
How good was he as a player? He was exceptional with the way he played with just one eye. The innings he played against Australia at the MCG in 1968 the innings was played with one leg and one eye as he had a hamstring injury and his century at Leeds in 1967 were simply unbelievable. But more than that,being an outstanding fielder himself,he made all of us realise the importance of fielding to become a good side.
However,his greatest contribution will always be to make spin bowling into an attacking option. All other teams used spinners to restrict the opponents. But he told us that if the spinners had to bowl 80 overs in a day,then they had to bowl to take wickets. In the process,we became the fearsome foursome.
His death is a great loss for Indian cricket. I feel proud and privileged that I played under him.
As told to Shamik Chakrabarty Prasanna,an off-spinner,played 49 Tests for India
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