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December 5, 2009Posted on 12/05/2009 in Indian cricket
Brabourne Stadium: down memory lane
From Manohar V. Rakhe, United Kingdom
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On Wednesday morning I saw on TV, MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara walk out for the toss at the Brabourne Stadium at the third Test and my mind was transported back to 1956!
It was in 1956 that I was first introduced to Test cricket. I was barely 12 years old and had no clue whatsoever as to what Test cricket really was about. Although, like all Mumbaikar children, I too played cricket, mostly with a tennis ball or even a ball made out of rags, I had never seen a Ranji Trophy match, let alone a Test.
In 1956, the Australians had come to India, under the captaincy of Ian Johnson, on their way back home from England. My cousin had got three tickets for the match - for himself, his wife and his younger brother. As the younger brother was taken ill, I got the chance to go for the Test.
When we got to the ground, I was completely dumbfounded. I had never imagined so many people could congregate in the same place and at the same time. The noise was unbelievable. Our seats were in the East Stand, in those days, comparable to SCG’s The Hill! We had to barge our way through the crowds to find three empty seats (no reserved seats in the East Stand then). By the time we sat down, the match had already started.
We were so far away from the middle that it was difficult to make out who was fielding and who was batting. My knowledge of cricket was marginally better than that of my cousin, in the sense that I knew that in cricket they score runs and not points! Every player was in resplendent white clothing, though I had no idea who was who. I remember seeing these two tall fellows, running towards the stumps, waving their arms and finally bowling the ball, which I swear, I never saw, until it was being passed from hand to hand, back to the bowler. I learned later that those two tall fellows were Ray Lindwall and Pat Crawford.
As my cousin’s younger brother recovered from his illness, the next day, the first day of that Test match was all I could see. But that was enough to convert me into a total cricket addict. After that I had a chance to Tests against West Indies, Pakistan and finally an inter-collegiate final between Ruia (my college) & Siddhartha College. The rivalry between these two Mumbai colleges was no less fervent than that between England & Australia.
After the establishment of the Wankhede Stadium, the Brabourne sort of faded in the background, but not in my mind. Even today, some memories of those matches are as fresh in my mind as if they happened yesterday. Some memories do stand out among a host of others. The fearsome West Indian duo of Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist running in to bowl and then ending up within hand-shaking distance of the batsman.
In one of the matches, Garry Sobers was batting, hitting the ball to all corners of the ground. Polly Umrigar, the Indian captain went up to Ghulam Guard, the bowler and had a word with him. A couple of balls later Guard sent down a bouncer at Sobers. Before anybody realized what was happening, the ball was sailing into the middle of the crowd in the East Stand. That was the first time I saw a hook played off the front foot!
Then there was the sensational announcement in the press that an Indian actress, Anju Mahendru, relatively unknown at that time, had got engaged to Sobers. As a publicity stunt, I don’t think, it has been bettered, yet!
Then, in a Test against Pakistan, at the fall of the first wicket, as the No. 3 batsman was walking up to the wicket, a gentleman in front of me, stood up and started clapping enthusiastically, welcoming Hanif Mohamed to the crease. Only Hanif was not even playing in the match!
Oh, memories, memories! To add to all those, Thursday I collected another treasure. That was the sight of Virender Sehwag, marching towards his third triple century. The only difference this time was, though Sehwag was on the hallowed and my beloved turf of the Brabourne Stadium, I was thousands of miles away in London. May be, my body was in front of the TV, in the sitting room. But my spirit was most definitely behind the bowlers arm in the North Stand. An unforgettable experience, indeed!
Posted by: Deepanjan Datta at December 5, 2009 8:46 AM
Though I was born a good 8 yrs after the last test was played at the Brabourne ... I have been brought up on so many tales of great test match cricket at the stadium. It was nice to read a first hand account of those days :). Considering the sporting nature of the pitch its a pity that something like ticket sales could keep such a nice ground away from Test Cricket.
Posted by: RANJAN BANERJEE at December 5, 2009 4:06 PM
I treasure quite a different memory of Brabone Stadium. I was in Bombay(not yet Mumbai then)as a member of the TELCO cricket team paticipating in the Inter TATA Cricket Tournament.We had the privilage of practicing at the prestigeous Brabourne.I was padded up waiting for my turn to bat.I had an inner feeling that someone was standing very near behind me.I looked around & saw a tall handsome gentleman dressed in spotless white.He came forward & extended his hand towards me.I shook his hand & at the same time was trying to recollect his face which appeared quite familiar.He humbly said that he was honoured to meet an active cricketer like me. Though he was extremely fond of watching cricket, he was constrained to visit matches due to security problems. Just then it struck me like a thunderbolt. I was talking to Mr Dilip Kumar, the legendary actor.His popularity barred him from visiting the grounds.He stayed for a short while longer & left.My treasured memory of Brabourne stays tilltoday
Posted by: Navin Mehta at December 5, 2009 4:17 PM
Wonderful memory lane trip, specially reading about fearsome duo Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist. I remember seeing these two in action at Eden Gardens, Calcutta, putting awesome fear in every batsman and totally destroying the batting side. I think we lost the match by a huge margin. Roy was so dangerous and out of control that he was sent back home mid way through the series.
Posted by: circketlover at December 5, 2009 7:04 PM
A nice walk down the memory lane; however, a few corrections to faded memories needed. The advertising stunt of an engagement between Sobers and Anju Mahendru occurred in the 1966 Windies tour of India --- not in the 1958 tour when Hall, Gilchrist, Umrigar and Guard played in the Bombay Test. Also, Hanif did play in the 1st Test at Bombay and in fact scored 160 runs after being dropped by P.G. Joshi (w.k.) off Desai's bowling. What you may be remembering is the Lala Amarnath Benefit match which was played at the end of Pakistan's tour in which Hanif did not play and which was the first match I watched at the Brabourne. Next I watched the India vs. England Test in 1961 when Salim Durrani hooked a six into the East Stand on public demand. Also, great memories of Vijay Merchant's commentary, Ramakant Desai's running into bowling accompanied by rising crescendo of noise by spectators and all transistors playing Vividh Bharati from 2 to 3 pm.
Posted by: pra- jag at December 5, 2009 8:26 PM
Dear Manohar
It was nice to go down the memmory lane,I have some unusual memmories of Brabourne stadium.I saw the first test in my life in 1959 against Australia, after their historic defeat at Kanpur (Jaasu patel's match)In 1959 the centuries of,I think the pair was Neil Harvey and Norman O'neal,racing against eachother,run by run and then the famous kiss for Abbas ali Begon the last day for saving the match,
I think it was out of some politics the other stadium was built,the grace of Brabourne stadium and true wicket is unmatched at otehr stadium.the present test has been excellent for batsmen and bowelrs alike and matcch has gone to 5th day,whereas on Wankhede stadium match and the PTCH hardly lasts for 3 days sometimes 2 days!!!!!
JAIHIND
Posted by: Bis at December 5, 2009 8:50 PM
The Brabourne is the cradle of Indian cricket and the nursery of the Bombay school of batsmanship. Past masters like Merchant and Hazare, Umrigar and Mankad (sr. and jr.), Sardesai, Gavaskar and Vengsarkar graced its emerald turf with their straight backlifts, twinkling footwork, whiplash wristwork and textbook followthroughs. Indian cricket has wrapped itself in the tender embrace of its rightful guardian and nurse once more and all Indians and lovers of cricket should rejoice!
Posted by: Viraat Kasliwal at December 6, 2009 9:12 AM
Ive walked the corridors of the CCI for the last 16 yrs of my short 21 yrs...but i never thought id get a chance to watch a test match here let alone an indian victory...today was a very special day especially for one of the Brabourne's biggest patrons of the Club in the last decade and i mean none other than the late great Raj Singh Dungarpur. The history and tradition of this ground is like none other in the country not even the eden gardens and it is in a league of its own along with a select few like the Lords MCG and SCG...i do hope this last match between India and Sri lanka will open the blind eyes of the BCCI and MCA and they will return full time cricket to the Brabourne...
Posted by: Richard Heller at December 6, 2009 10:56 AM
I've had the undeserved pleasure of playing three times at the CCI with visiting teams of English journalists and Parliamentarians. (I am a slow-medium swing bowler who moves the ball both ways off the bat). Wonderful experience, despite figures of 1 for plenty. Met many famous Indian cricketers, including Bapu Nadkarni, holder of record for most consecutive maidens. Forty+ years later he was still furious that sequence was broken by a misfield! Gave a signed copy of my cricket novel to CCI Library on first visit. Discovered 8 years later it had never been borrowed. Its sequel THE NETWORK will not meet that fate - it is published online!
Posted by: Jagannathan Viswanathan at December 6, 2009 1:38 PM
Like Manohar there are many others like me who have the same nostalgia about the Brabourne Stadium and rank it out there with Lords for its memories. For me it is the bookmark at cricinfo below
Defence Fund Matches, 1963/64
Board President's XI v Prime Minister's XI
Bombay
28,29 February 01 March 1964 (3-day match)
My father, sister and brother all went to see this match in a picnic like atmosphere and saw a no greater sight than a small Rohan Kanhai ferociously flat batting a hook off possibly of Wesley Hall. Like Manohar I was just 13 at that time and the sight of a hulk like Hall with a gold chain dangling off his neck was terrifying. Years later when I recounted this to Kanhai in the West Indies himself he remembered it vividly. There was also the wonderful sight of a mix of international and Indian cricketing greats like The Nawab of Pataudi, Trevor Bailey, Godfrey Evans, Seymour Nurse, Arthur Morris, Borde, Jaisimha, Hanumanth SIngh
Posted by: Mohan at December 7, 2009 3:50 AM
Seeing the Brabourne this week was such pleasure! The pavilion and the annexes, the wide strip of ground between the boundary and the stands, the lush green of the outfield are still unmatched at any ground in India. I wonder why at all tests are no longer played there - after all, CCI is a full member of the BCCI, and the ground could get matches by rotation.
The hot favourite for me will be Chandra's 11 wickets against Sobers' Windies in 1966 - the match that also had a sterling reargaurd batting performance - yes BATTING - from Venkataraghavan, and outstanding aggression with the bat from Budhi Kunderan! And the caption of the lead photograph in the Hindu the day after the test - A PAT FROM "PAT" (Pataudi, the Captain)FOR CHANDRASEKHAR (not yet "Chandra" then!!!!)as the modest Chandrasekhar walked back to the pavilion with Pataudi's arm on his shoulder......
Yes, we miss Brabourne - even if Wadekar's 313 pulverised my "Mysore" team out of the Ranji trophy finals.....
Posted by: Brendan Layton at December 7, 2009 4:28 AM
Wonderful article.
I can feel nothing but envy that you saw Ray Lindwall bowl (Albeit, probably past his prime)
Posted by: V N BEDEKAR at December 7, 2009 7:09 AM
Braborne certainly brings in nostalgia to most of the cricket lovers of my age group ( I am 61 )The most memorable moment for me is India's victory over Australia in October 1964.Till then India had won twice against Pakistan in 51-52-just after partition Pak was still considered India B
against England in 52 & twice in 62 when their top players did not come to India,twice againstNZ always a below India team.and the famous Kanpur win against Australia--which many thought was a 'trick 'by chief selector Lala Amarnath & Jasu Patel.
64 victory was against the top team,hard fought in a fluctuating game,through terrific team batting efforts in the second innings.Borde was the hero on this Dashra day--a great Hindu Festival.
I was in Pune then hearing Running Commentry on radio. Later we lived in Mumbai-never missing Brabuorne matches-including Ranji & Dulip Trophy. Thali lunch at Purohit & Rustom Ice cream will make the perfect day
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