Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Down Memory Lane Part II
DOWN MEMORY LANE PART II
Well, we saw some interesting (?) stories in part I of this write-up. Now, let me be a little more serious while ruminating over my own past, perhaps ranging half a century and more !
Oh ! The word Century reminds me of two things . One is Cricket and another, the octogenarians I came across. (I am aware of these two being miles apart; however, we shall connect both anyway!!)
Wah Cricket ! It runs in the very blood of us Rahalkars !! My father was a great admirer of Cricket although he played much more of Tennis as well as Table-Tennis. We had our galli-team of Cricket formed of urchins like us who indulged more in shouting, howling and screaming ! It used to be rubber ball or at most a tennis ball. Later we switched on to cork balls and much later the leather ones.
However, we were just crazy to listen to the English commentary broadcast over All India Radio (Akashvani). There was neither Marathi or Hindi commentary then, what to speak of Television. The English commentary over the radio made our ears literally glued to the broadcast, since the commentators were indeed masters of their art (of narrating live stories on the battle field)! Barring a single person ‘Vizzy’ ( Maharaja of Vijayanagaram) all others were superb. Particularly interesting used to be Bobby Talliarkhan, Vijay Merchant, Saradendu Sanyal, V. M. Chakrapani, Devraj Puri and the likes. Those ball to ball commentaries would project entire milieu of the stadium, besides the huge uproar from the crowd when a six or boundary was hit or falling of a wicket.
Nevertheless, actual presence over the match venue was always thrilling and deeply enjoyable. We were fortunate to witness almost all international teams playing against the Holkar’s eleven. At least I have seen almost all those matches played on the grounds of Yeshwant Club at Indore. I have seen stalwarts of the day as well as by-gone days such as Col. C. K. Nayudu, Capt. Mushtaque Ali, ‘Khandu Rangnekar, Hiralal Gaekwad, Maj. Jagdale, Capt. C. T. Sarvate, Bhayaji and so on playing for Holkars.
I have seen Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith, Basil Butcher, Conrad Hunte as well as the ‘big cat’ Clive Lloyd and Rohan Kanhai in action. I still remember a towering six at mid-on by Col. C. K. Nayudu off Sir Frank Worrel, (one of the three W’s- Weeks-Warrel-Walcott of the erstwhile mighty West Indians).
Besides, the famous Indian players Subhash Gupte, Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Manjrekar, Vijay Hazare, Tiger Nawab of Pataudi, Eknath Solkar, the strong shouldered Abid Ali, Farooque Engineer, Budhi Kunderan, Polly Umrigar and Hanumant Singh, who were my favourite cricketers.
(As said earlier, I used to play only galli-cricket. However, while in the high school I enrolled myself for the school team. A preliminary cricket match was held where my class monitor and a much better player was the captain. I scored pretty well, around twenty two runs while batting and while bawling my first ball was indeed very fast and it swung too, making our captain nod in appreciation. However, the next ball I bowled was totally misdirected, leave alone the pitch it went in the mid-wicket region, almost fifteen feet away from the batsman ! And while fielding bad luck did not spare me that day; I dropped two catches and let three boundaries zoom past me. I quietly withdrew myself and never dared again to enter even boundaries of the ground !! I preferred to remain a good spectator instead !!!)
In later years I could see the batting of Dilip Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil and Kapil Dev. Still later I was fortunate to see Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose in action, that too at Lord’s, the paradise of cricket and during recent past the Indian eleven taking up England at the Oval ! I shall never forget the thrill and ecstasy experienced while enjoying batting of Sachan-Saurav, five consecutive sixes by Muscarhanus off Yuvraj and ultimate win by India.
Now, the Octogenarians !
Well, I do not consider an octogenarian as the one that ‘lives’ hundred years. No, years do not matter at all. It is a fulfilled lifestyle one pursues, which makes him or her a legend that may or may not be ‘acknowledged ‘ as such. In that different context yes, I have met or seen umpteen ‘Octogenarians’ ! (And as far as Cricket is concerned, all the above mentioned as well as many more are octogenarians for me !)
I would prefer to speak of people and places that influenced me most, at least leaving fond memories for me.
More of it later !
Well, we saw some interesting (?) stories in part I of this write-up. Now, let me be a little more serious while ruminating over my own past, perhaps ranging half a century and more !
Oh ! The word Century reminds me of two things . One is Cricket and another, the octogenarians I came across. (I am aware of these two being miles apart; however, we shall connect both anyway!!)
Wah Cricket ! It runs in the very blood of us Rahalkars !! My father was a great admirer of Cricket although he played much more of Tennis as well as Table-Tennis. We had our galli-team of Cricket formed of urchins like us who indulged more in shouting, howling and screaming ! It used to be rubber ball or at most a tennis ball. Later we switched on to cork balls and much later the leather ones.
However, we were just crazy to listen to the English commentary broadcast over All India Radio (Akashvani). There was neither Marathi or Hindi commentary then, what to speak of Television. The English commentary over the radio made our ears literally glued to the broadcast, since the commentators were indeed masters of their art (of narrating live stories on the battle field)! Barring a single person ‘Vizzy’ ( Maharaja of Vijayanagaram) all others were superb. Particularly interesting used to be Bobby Talliarkhan, Vijay Merchant, Saradendu Sanyal, V. M. Chakrapani, Devraj Puri and the likes. Those ball to ball commentaries would project entire milieu of the stadium, besides the huge uproar from the crowd when a six or boundary was hit or falling of a wicket.
Nevertheless, actual presence over the match venue was always thrilling and deeply enjoyable. We were fortunate to witness almost all international teams playing against the Holkar’s eleven. At least I have seen almost all those matches played on the grounds of Yeshwant Club at Indore. I have seen stalwarts of the day as well as by-gone days such as Col. C. K. Nayudu, Capt. Mushtaque Ali, ‘Khandu Rangnekar, Hiralal Gaekwad, Maj. Jagdale, Capt. C. T. Sarvate, Bhayaji and so on playing for Holkars.
I have seen Wesley Hall, Charlie Griffith, Basil Butcher, Conrad Hunte as well as the ‘big cat’ Clive Lloyd and Rohan Kanhai in action. I still remember a towering six at mid-on by Col. C. K. Nayudu off Sir Frank Worrel, (one of the three W’s- Weeks-Warrel-Walcott of the erstwhile mighty West Indians).
Besides, the famous Indian players Subhash Gupte, Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Manjrekar, Vijay Hazare, Tiger Nawab of Pataudi, Eknath Solkar, the strong shouldered Abid Ali, Farooque Engineer, Budhi Kunderan, Polly Umrigar and Hanumant Singh, who were my favourite cricketers.
(As said earlier, I used to play only galli-cricket. However, while in the high school I enrolled myself for the school team. A preliminary cricket match was held where my class monitor and a much better player was the captain. I scored pretty well, around twenty two runs while batting and while bawling my first ball was indeed very fast and it swung too, making our captain nod in appreciation. However, the next ball I bowled was totally misdirected, leave alone the pitch it went in the mid-wicket region, almost fifteen feet away from the batsman ! And while fielding bad luck did not spare me that day; I dropped two catches and let three boundaries zoom past me. I quietly withdrew myself and never dared again to enter even boundaries of the ground !! I preferred to remain a good spectator instead !!!)
In later years I could see the batting of Dilip Vengsarkar, Sandeep Patil and Kapil Dev. Still later I was fortunate to see Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose in action, that too at Lord’s, the paradise of cricket and during recent past the Indian eleven taking up England at the Oval ! I shall never forget the thrill and ecstasy experienced while enjoying batting of Sachan-Saurav, five consecutive sixes by Muscarhanus off Yuvraj and ultimate win by India.
Now, the Octogenarians !
Well, I do not consider an octogenarian as the one that ‘lives’ hundred years. No, years do not matter at all. It is a fulfilled lifestyle one pursues, which makes him or her a legend that may or may not be ‘acknowledged ‘ as such. In that different context yes, I have met or seen umpteen ‘Octogenarians’ ! (And as far as Cricket is concerned, all the above mentioned as well as many more are octogenarians for me !)
I would prefer to speak of people and places that influenced me most, at least leaving fond memories for me.
More of it later !
