Balvinder Singh Sandhu recollects GR Viswanath on face book

Tom Alter’s 3rd Colomn written Long time back on my Idol, GR Vishwanath.

It’s been 31 years since he made a century on Test debut against Australia.  It’s been 20 years since he captained India and called back an opposing batsman after the batsman had been given out.  It’s been 17 years since he played for his country for the last time.

And it’s been 24 years since the bullet-like crack of his square-cut came to us over the radio in the middle of the night from the West Indies, setting a tone of eloquent defiance which led India to the most improbable of victories.

I won’t look up his career statistics (which are not bad at all!), because they can never, ever tell anything near the true story of how he played cricket.  That square-cut conjured up with wrists of steel and style, that flick off the pads like a crisp swat at an irritating fly, those first few quick steps down the pitch when taking off for a single, that fidgeting with both pads when settling into his stance, those innocent and laughing eyes which looked out on the world as if sharing a silent joke with life itself, that slight pot-belly which told its own story of a love for the good and relaxing things of life – G.R. Vishwanath was a sportsman and a cricketer, and I miss him today more than ever before.

I met him in Bangalore around ’77, when his career was at its peak, and mine was just beginning.  I can’t explain how excited I was.  And then he tells me how happy he was to meet me!  That was Vishy.

Another very fond memory was of a Test in Bombay against the Windies, which some of my very good friends from Mussoorie had come down to watch – it was just after lunch, and Vishy strolled (or almost rolled!) out onto the ground, having obviously enjoyed the repast in the pavilion.  He did his customary run up and down the length of the pitch – at no great speed! – and then settled down comfortably in the slips.  Very soon afterwards Bedi found the edge of a Windies’ bat, and the ball curled high and easy in the direction of Vishy.

My friend immediately said, “Vishy is going to drop it!”  Which Vishy did, hands cupped over stomach.

I asked my friend how he knew.  He said, “Vishy enjoys his lunch too much!”

Of course, Vishy took many, many catches – over 50 in Tests, if I am not mistaken – but the gentility with which he put down that one in Bombay left even Bedi chuckling

Vishy saved his best for the fast bowlers, especially the West Indian variety, and his battles with Andy Roberts in India are legendary.  I would love to have seen him take on McGrath.  He would have eventually got out in the slips or at point, but before that would have laced the boundary with a flurry of fours.

One last memory, from the MCC tour of ’72 – ’73.  The Delhi Test, and Barry Wood at point, put there especially for Vishy’s square-cut.  Geoff Arnold is bowling, or possibly Bob Cottam.  Vishy cuts, and the ball goes straight to the acrobat Wood.  The next ball is also cut, two yards to Wood’s left.  He dives and stops it.  But the next cut is two further yards left, and racing away to the boundary, leaving Wood sprawling on the turf.  Vishy doesn’t even look up, but moves down the pitch to pat an errant spot with his bat.

We need Vishy today in our team.  Not only to score runs, but to remind us all once again that cricket, and life, are to be both won and enjoyed.