A Buddha Smile

FROZEN MOMENTS

IN the last two matches of the '83 World Cup, Kapil Dev smiled—once each time. After a magnificent stand between Amarnath and Yashpal Sharma effectively won the semi-final against England, Kapil, who came in with 8 or 10 runs still needed, was beaming from cheek to cheek. Fancy India in the World Cup final! He smiled away at the non-striker's end as Patil hit the winning runs, the ball engulfed by an advancing crowd.

I do believe Kapil and his men never thought they could win the World Cup. A lowly 183 would've given Kapil no hope, nor did he think there was a chance when his bowlers cheaply dismissed those greatest of all opening partners—the transnational firm of Greenidge and Haynes Inc. (Head Office in Bridgetown, branches in Kingston, Port of Spain, Georgetown, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Bombay, Karachi, Auckland and wherever else the game of cricket is played).

For that brought Richards to the crease, who hit four boundaries in as many minutes. Eager to get it done with, he pulled at a good length ball from Madan Lal, the top-edge soaring away beyond mid-wicket. Kapil, with long loping strides, made good ground. The TV cameras caught him in his last steps, a broad grin on his face. I have made this catch, it said, and we may yet win this match.

FACING UP TO BLUSTER

SRIKKANTH'S 38 was the top score in a low-scoring match. He and Gavaskar were facing a torrid opening spell from Joel Garner. They kept playing and missing, until Srikkanth put his left foot out and flayed Big Bird through point—the shot of a man who'd put his faith aforehand in the Anjaneya deity residing outside his home ground, Chepauk. At the other end Andy Roberts was bowling just as fiercely. Having Gavaskar caught at slip, he let down a bumper at his partner. Srikkanth was quickly into his hook, playing it down to long leg for four. "That was Andy's slow bouncer", said Brian Johns-tone, knowledgeably, on the BBC, "he's just setting him up". Roberts' fast bouncer duly arrived, and Srikkanth hooked it for six.

FATE OF TWO MATES

TWO of my former comrades were named in the squad for the World Cup in '83. One, Kirti Azad, I'd even briefly captained for St. Stephen's College, Delhi. Kirti was always a big lad who talked bigger. He had his great moment in England when he bowled Botham at a crucial juncture of the semi-final. The ball rolled along the ground—and in truth should be credited to the pitch. In the final he made 8 runs and bowled three ov-ers without getting a wicket. But he never fails to remind us—in rehearsal for what he'll tell his grandchildren one day—that he was a member of a World Cup-winning squad. But even I forgave him his boasting when, earlier this year, he used his past to challenge Bal Thackeray's obnoxious campaign against the Pakistani cricketers.

In inter-collegiate matches both Kirti and I were frequently bested by the left-arm swing of Sunil Val-son, who played for the college across the road. 'Wallie' was a superb bowler, quick, hostile, with late and wicked movement in the air and off the wicket. Once, when Delhi played Bombay, he beat the great Gavaskar with the first two balls, and had him caught behind off the third. Sadly, his own team, the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association, would not push his case for national selection.The only man who truly recognised his merit was Bedi. Alas, the Sardar's star fell just as Valson's should've arisen. Between '79 and '82, when the fast bowler was in his prime, he was tarred as Bedi's man, and kept out of the Indian team. Belatedly chosen for the '83 World Cup, he didn't play a single match.

AND NONE SAW IT LIVE

AT least two hundred and fifty million Indians claim to have seen the whole of the '83 final live on TV. They're all lying. When the West Indies were 50 for 2, TVs across the land reverted from Lord's to the Doordarshan news. Now remember there was no Star or ESPN around those days, no Metro Channel even. What we missed, in fact, was the moment that turned the match. There's no Indian, dead or alive, who saw, as it happened, the face of Kapil Dev crease out into a smile as he ran those thirty yards towards deep mid-wicket.