Bombay got the first innings lead in the semi final against Tamil Nadu in the 1984-85 season. The moment Bombay went past the TN total, a hobbling figure went off the field. As he walked past me, he said, “this is the first and the last time I am leaving the field”. The grimace on his face was obviously due to the pain emanating from the fractured ankle. But his voice indicated that he was smarting more due to his professional and personal pride taking a hit.
Mumbai getting the lead despite TN scoring 400 plus runs hurt his professional pride. The personal pride was hurt because he was forced to leave the field. He stopped a few yards away from me and beckoned me to have a word. He said, “I made that statement to you, get it?” My reply was a simple, “Yes Sir.” I have addressed only S. Venkataraghavan as Sir in the cricket fraternity. It started when I met him in my mid -teens and continues till today.
Going back to that incident, Venkat made sure that I got what he meant. With that the general and the cricketer walked off the field, bringing an illustrious career to an end. The thing with Venkat was that he was not prone to being verbose. You had to detect what he left unsaid which would be the gist of what he wants conveyed. If you did it well, you were fine, but God forbid if you got it wrong. The case in point was his statement as he left the field. He did not want me to reveal about his last game, obviously it was his bid and rightly so.
I was picked to play for India U-22 against the West Indies two seasons earlier. So, I thought I will pick Venkat’s brains prior to my departure. I asked him, “How do you think I should approach this game?” Venkat was reading a Jonathan Black novel titled The World Rapers, and he momentarily turned towards me. He said, “Decide whether you want to stay a teenager or become a man”. I was 18 years old when this conversation took place. But my perception was that I needed to step up when I am up against the best in the business.
Over the last four decades Venkat and I have had several conversations on varied topics. Venkat can be one of the most fascinating conversationalists you can come across. Apart from the sharp points that he makes, he expects the others to keep the quality of the chat intact. Any drop in the standard of inputs from the others would incur his disapproval, if not his wrath. This made a lot of people petrified of him to the extent that they preferred to stay away from him. I found this strange because Venkat will take it on the chin, when he gets ticked off.
I will narrate an incident just to illustrate my point. India was playing a test match against England at the Eden Gardens. Neil Fairbrother gloved a ball to Kiran More off Rajesh Chauhan but Venkat ruled it not out. At silly point, I saw the ball had brushed the glove on its way to the keeper. But the umpire could not have seen it because Fairbrother had tucked his bat behind his pad. During the next over, I was at square leg and Venkat asked me what all the fuss was about! I told him what I thought of his decision and his response was that he went by what he saw. I ended the conversation by saying that he was right in going by what he saw. But I gently told him that he should refrain from describing our appeal as theatrics. He agreed and that was that.
Even though Venkat utilized his pride and ego to achieve a lot in his career, those attributes did not blind him. He set high standards for himself and whenever he fell short of it, he would be his fiercest critic. I remember both of us having a chat about the assessment process that ICC follows for the umpires. This was around the time when some views were floating about Venkat’s inconsistency. At the end of that chat, Venkat declared that he was not happy about his umpiring in the preceding season and that he was contemplating retirement. Such was his fetish for perfection, something that even extended to a drink that the bartender fixed for him. Venkat’s propensity for routine and precision always reminds me of General Tanz, a role played by Peter O’Toole in the movie, The Night of the Generals.
Venkat was a general in his own ways alright, but beneath that tough facade there was lot of humanity and humaneness. Venkat, my captain turns 80 today, and I am sure a lot of his fans and friends will reminisce his deeds and outbursts fondly and wish him whole heartedly. I met him a few days ago and wished him for his 80th birthday in advance. Not one to be upstaged easily, he wished me back in advance for my upcoming 60th birthday in a few weeks’ time. Carry on, Captain..
well scripted with a personal nostalgic touch …
👏👏👏
yes, Capt ..keep going n score a ton…..gr8 Cricketing acumen, leadership leading from front ..wanted to give his best in da field always…
integral part of spin quartet..
chipped with runs when it mattered most….
about decision without DRS…..what about Gr8 Sir. IVAR..
would have been
c Engr
B Venk 12 at Delhi …went on to 192 n no looking back from them on …Capt had to grin n bear
Wow! What a character. Great read!
Wonderful and a very warm tribute!
A great tribute to a personality who strode the cricketing arena like a colossus..be it a player, official or as a gentleman..our best wishes to him and salutations.
In 1975 he was the captaIn of our WC team in England. When 36NO/174 happened while ‘chasing’ England’s score, Venkat didn’t say a word then or even now. We have read half a dozen clarifications yet we
still don’t know the truth! Venkat means dignity. Period.
Excellent article about an extraordinary cricketer.
Not just IVAR, vs Aus, last day Hughes caught at shortleg, given N O by Swarup Kishen, he hung on got 45min, match drawn…ONLY time V flung the ball
All Precious memories.Experiences Wv! Wonderful recall of one ‘s boyhood hero poignantly captured given one followed both your careers ever so closely on and off the pitch .
Back in those halcyon days of Madras , one was glad one could cut one ‘s teeth in the cut and dried TNCA Senior division leagues as an aspiring colt in mid to late 80’s , even as one encountered a wily ” old Venkat”,just past his intl.pomp ,yet commanded and demanded respect out of seasoned players and rookies in equal measure with his sharp tools and sheer presence almost.
One could almost reckon that one came off age in Chennai’s Sr.Division league whence one got a ton or a solid backs to the wall inning versus Venkat, for he was a no holds barred trier and his reputation preceded him. Never one to waste his energy, one almost felt that an Hornets Nest was stirred when one one appeared to play a long innings versus him for his proclivity to dish out pungent verbal volleys roused the team up like none else.
If venkat was riled up one could almost pat himself on his own back for it was a sign of getting under his skin and a mark of respect in an ironic sense.
Venkat and his hard as nails methods on the field was a subject matter of many a cricketing nugget in the leagues then and not many were spared ,for some it was an icy cold glare and for others it was an unmentionable expletive that one could barely understand for his language like his bowling was sharp.
Venkat, and his lonely self always used to send shiver down the spines of fellow cricketers given he didn’t mix much ,perhaps reckoned that he couldn’t suffer fools gladly !
One used to be petrified at his very sight ,erect ,ram rod straight back and with a handshake that could crush one’s bones in the hand ! Notwithstanding his martinet like approach one always sought his “difficult to come approval” and whence it came ,one could feel one ‘s confidence soar and begun to feel one belonged to the circuit.
There in lay the challenge for one had to shut him off and yet play the ball on its merit and score. One “earned” one ‘s runs versus him and on the same breath one “yearned ” for a terse well played in the end should the dig fructify.Was it worth the while or what !
Although one was aware of his anger,irate temper,it was difficult to seperate him and his bowling and that in itself was a challenge within a challenge.One heard the ball fizz out of his right palm as a non striker and when an errant fielder failed to return the orb in full to venkat waiting hand at the top of his run, one shuddered to think of the the loneliness of the fielder and its part of the Chennai cricketing folklore that many grown up men may well have thought of burying themselves in a hole as big as the ground to conceal their embarrassment!
His fitness regimen was such that it was severe on his body and there in lay his secret to a long career bowling a zillion plus overs with a big ticker,season in, season out for almost 40 decades in Chennai in its heat and grime.Yet he soldiered on brave ,pouring in his all into the time tested process .
In some sense one felt he was a fast bowler trapped in a spinners body like a later day Anil Kumble with that kind of temperament.
One could almost carve
Venkat ‘s no non nonsense approach ,his feisty nature to his bare bones ,for there was not much Grey about him aside his sagely grey matter !
He also possessed a dry ,sardonic ,cryptic wit and once when an India pistons team mate was hit hard at shortleg of a rasping pull by a batter ,Venkat nonchalantly claimed that the fielder ought to have caught the richochet let alone the fielder rubbing his painful bony part!
One another occasion he had to bowl a deadly undercutter to a tailender and when no nick was found given the tailender didn’t possess the technique to come in line ,much to his chagrin ,Venkat muttered under his hot breath that such a gem was wasted on that hapless batter ,that evoked mirth to lighten the proceedings !
One could well imagine his workload in his pomp back then with primitive facilities but he beavered away despite heady competition from his fabled peers.
Kudos then , to a tenacious terrier ,an indefatigable warrior ,who took no prisoners and brooked no nonsense,& gave a lot of verbal stick aside playing his trenchant offies till almost 50 given he was wheeling away his quota in the rough and tumble of senior division circuit in TNCA league till the very last before he packed it in to become an intl. umpire in late 1993-early 1994. Once met never ever forgotten kind he sure was a peerless pearl.❤️🔥🏏
Great article. Venkat will always be remembered for his professionalism. His umpiring stint was as great as his playing days if not more, shows his love for the game. Turns 80, may he have more revs! Pray to God!
Wonderful article Raama – a great tribute to one who richly deserved it – this bowling action made many a budding cricketer bowl offspin with a spring in the legs and toss of the head and brush of the hair – fighter to the core, excellent fielder, decent batsman- shd have played more than he did- captained India during difficult times and was a colossus in the domestic front – hit a ton Skip
Excellent tribute to a legend of cricket. His fielding in gully, bowling action a treat to watch. I would appreciate you write another one on Venkat as few exist played with him to write about Venkat. Congratulations in advance for entering 60 WVR. Thanks for the wonderful write up with beyond words caption on Venkat.
A good tribute for your captain whom you admire a lot. A true fighter and a man who hated to lose.. Happy 80th Sir…
Thanks for the article
Yes Mr venkat not recd the required recognition for his skills