The test at Bangalore between India and Afghanistan starting on June, 14, 2018 will mark my 100th International match as a Scorer-cum-Statistician.
On this occasion, I am making an effort to go “Down Memory Lane” detailing out how I have made a mark in the field of cricket.
I was born at Chennaraya Patna, Hassan District, Karnataka State, India on 12th August 1946 to my parents Hirisave Ramaswamy and Lakhsmidevi.
My father Ramaswamy, affectionately called Annaiah, in the family circles was an Engineer in PWD. He was transferred frequently within the State of Karnataka.
My schooling was at Thirthahally when my father was serving there as an Assistant Engineer. I was admitted to a Government School which was a few yards of walking distance from the residential quarters. Later on I learnt that “Kuvempu” also had his schooling in the same school.
I was a sickly child suffering from chronic cough (Naayi Kemmu in Kannada). I still remember my ever caring mother telling her uncle Sreenivasa Rao (Seeni) while sending me to Shivamogga with him thus – “I have kept Peps tablets in his pocket. If he starts coughing, give him a tablet, he would get relief. (“Magu Jebinalli Peps ittideeni. Adu Kemmakke shuru maadidare, Jebininda ondu tablet kodu. Adakke samadhana aagutte”)”, just a few minutes prior to the departure of the bus at the bus stand where she would be there to see us off.
“Seeni” (Shrinivasa Rao) and his wife Lalithamma were well-wisher and guide throughout her life. He loved her, cared for her and had concern for her. The same was extended to her sons – that is to both of us – myself and my brother Chandri – after her death.
Seeni’s sons – Prabhu. Venkatesh and Suresh – are also affectionate towards us. Prabhu’s hospitality at Delhi – when I visited Delhi for a few commentary assignments – were immaculate and worth remembering for a long time. After, who is Prabhu, he is the chip of the old block.
There was an occasion in which she was stressed very much with regard to her health and she yearned for Seeni couples presence and confided with her varagitti Dodda Jayamma. This information was revealed to me by Dodda Jayamma many years after her demise
Prabhu was there to receive me at the New Delhi Railway station on my first assignment of statistician with All India Radio and he had arranged the accommodation at Delhi Karnataka Sangha using his good offices. Prabhu and his wife Sujatha helped me in some shopping I made during some of my Delhi Visits and also introduced to some of the shop keepers. I am very grateful for this affectionate couple for their time and courtesy extended to me. The couple’s warmth and affection was always there for their “Gopi”. He has made me comfortable in Delhi to an extent that I can do shopping in Delhi alone.
Tragedy struck the family in the form of demise of my mother Lakshmi Devi on January 01, 1953 at Meggan District Hospital, Shivamogga. She died of acute anemia. I was six and half year old and my brother Chandri was four year old.
I still remember the conversation; I had with my mother, just a day prior to her demise. My grandmother, Doddamma, who had come from Bangalore to Shivamogga to see my mother, had taken me to the hospital. I told her that I have no mind to go to school till she returns home. She took me in her lap and consoled me by saying that I should not tell like that. Doddamma will be there to care of me in her absence. (Doddamma is my grandmother, father’s mother). She told me that she would like me to become an Engineer, like Annaiah {my father}.
After her demise, both of us, myself and my brother Chandri were under the care of my grandparents – Shri Krishnappa {Bhava} and Smt Gowramma {Doddamma} at Bangalore. My father could not get a transfer to Bangalore immediately after the demise of my mother. He was transferred to Bangalore in the year 1958 after five years of my mother’s demise. He used to visit Bangalore almost every month to see us and also his aged parents.
My mother’s both wishes were fulfilled. We grew up under the care and protection of Doddamma and I became an Engineer.
At Bangalore, Bhava and Doddamma lived in the outhouse at No. 102, Ratnavilasa Road with their two sons, Kitti and Seeki. Kitti was married and his wife was Dodda Jayamma. Seeki was unmarried. There was also Chikka Jayamma who was not married. Chikka Jayamma’s love and affection was unparalleled towards us. She used to bathe us, prepare us for the school, was attending to our home works of the school, tie shoe laces, and wash our faces after return from school. In short, she took the role of my mother. She taught me Mathematics in Primary third year which made me to secure the highest marks in the class. Bhava’s reaction to this was, “For Gopala’s success, the entire credit goes to Chikka Jayamma”. Everybody at home agreed with my grandfather. These marks helped me to secure admission to fifth standard at Acharya Pata Shala Middle School, N.R.Colony, Bengaluru with a double promotion from third to fifth standard.
A small narration here as to how I was named as Gopala and Krishna according to Doddamma. A baby boy and a baby girl were born prior to my birth and both died in their early infancy within one and a half years. “Namakarana” (naming ceremony) vidhi was not performed to both these children as my father could not get leave from his official duty to perform the Namakarana. Doddamma was keen that the Namakarana Vidhi should be performed in my case and hence she named me as Gopala Krishna.
The interest in the game of cricket was instilled in me by my grandfather “Bhava”. He was interested in cricket. As we did not have the Radio at home, he used to send me to the neighbour’s house to know the scores. He was very keen to know the full details of the scores – batsmen’s individual scores, who were at the crease, the scores of the batsmen who were dismissed, etc. In fact, these details fascinated me and made me to embrace cricket statistics.
I would like to remember another person who perhaps influenced me and take up cricket statistics rather unknowingly. It was Niranjan Ram -“Ranji”, who was my neighbour across the road.
We lived in Ratnavilasa Road, Basavanagudi, close to Netkallappa Circle. Dr. K.S. Srinivasa Murthy, lived in the corner house which had a very big compound. Doctor’s brothers and sisters lived in the same compound. There were scores of youngsters by name, Shanthi, Ranji, Jaggi, Rami, Shivi, Pachhu and Sharadu. The neighbours on the road were Saranga, Dodda Ramamurthy, Chikka Ramamurthy, Ananda, Nagi, Ramachandra, etcetra had formed a tennis ball team which was known popularly as Doctor’s Team. Dr. Srinivasa Murthy was himself a connoisseur of the game of cricket. He was a member of the Managing Committee of Mysore State Cricket Association. I used to spend most of time on Saturdays and Sundays with these youngsters. Sharadu later became my college mate in RV College of Engineering and we played cricket for the college team
Shivi used to buy Sports and Pastime of the Hindu Publications every week and I used to read it. Ranji had a long book in which he used to write the score cards of test matches copying it from Sports and Pastime. I also wrote the score cards regularly in the long book maintained by Ranji.
Thus the interest towards the cricket game was sown in a right perspective from my childhood through Bhava, Ranji and Doctor’s team members.
My schooling was at Acharya Pata Shala. I joined the Middle School, Fifth Standard in 1954 and passed the SSLC examination in First Class in 1961.
While in Middle School, I used to play cricket in the evening with my classmate V. Nagaraja. He used to live in Subbarama Chetty Road, which had a very big compound. V. Nagaraja’s mother was very affectionate towards me. Whenever we got drenched in rain while playing, she used to shout asking us to come home fast, After reaching home, she used to give me a towel to dry the wet hair and sometimes she did dry wet hair herself to both of us – his son Nagaraja and to me. She also fed us with Dosa, Upma etc., in the evening.
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