Umpire VK advises English team to watch Gavaskar’s videos
'The 1987 Bangalore wicket was worse than Motera where the ball turned and bounced,’ says VK Ramaswamy
Hyderabad: The Motera Test ended in two days in favour of India. The 22-yard strip was in the eye of the storm. It was the shortest Test match since the Second World War (1940s) but it invited criticism from the England team. It was a different matter that England squandered the advantage of winning the toss and former legendary opener Geoffery Boycott said it nicely: “There is nothing in the rules that says what type of pitch should be prepared. We had first choice of the surface and they were better than us. Simple.”
Virinchirpuram Krishnamoorthi Ramaswamy, popularly known as VK, officiated in the series-deciding 1987 Test between India and Pakistan in Bangalore where the ball turned and bounced on a wearing track. “It was worse than this Motera Test. Sunil Gavaskar, as a commentator, remembered that Test match. On a wearing wicket the match went to five days in 1987. Blame it on technique or patience, the batsmen of both the teams lacked the application, barring Rohit Sharma, to play on this wicket,” he said.
The 75-year-old Hyderabad umpire, who was the first neutral umpire along with Piloo Reporter in 1986, said England faltered by dropping a genuine off-spinner in Dom Bess and paid the penalty. “Honestly, the ball was turning but dust was not coming out while the surface was loose in Bangalore then. There were plenty of appeals. Umpiring an India-Pakistan match was an ultimate challenge. It was full of tension.
“We didn’t have DRS or a third umpire then. The decisions went by instinct. However, with all these facilities available now, the players and the teams are questioning the DRS, the technology and third umpire. I saw the third umpire’s decisions. It was a tough one and it could have gone either way. Nobody can give a conclusive verdict. The English team is alleging that the third umpire was in a hurry and the different angles were not shown while giving the decision. There is no question of hurry and even from all angles the third umpire will take a final call. The technology is also inconclusive.”
In 1987, the Bangalore wicket was rolled for ten days without water, according to Ramaswamy. “It would not bind. The dust came off in the Chennai second Test too. It was not so in Motera. Why are people not giving credit to Axar Patel? He bowled an excellent line. The English batsmen could not read Axar and most of them were bowled, playing the wrong line. In fact, the second Test went longer than the third Test because of Rohit Sharma. He too, like Gavaskar, showed the right technique. Rohit made the difference and in fact, if he had not got 161, the match could have been over in two days in second Test.”
According to Ramaswamy, Rohit is an impulsive batsman. “Gavaskar belongs to the old school of traditional cricket. The then Pakistan skipper Imran Khan suggested if any batsman wants to learn about tight technique and batting on spinning tracks to watch Gavaskar’s videos. I would suggest the English batsmen to see the videos of Gavaskar’s batting. Gavaskar is talking as an expert because he showed that in one of the outstanding innings in his last Test. On a wearing track, where the ball at times whizzed past the batsman’s head, Gavaskar would see the ball till the last minute before executing a shot or leaving the ball.”
Ramaswamy defended the Indian umpires. “They did a reasonably good job. We did have some howlers in Australia but the Indian team never complained to the match referee or made it an issue as the English team is doing now. The mindset should change that home umpires are biased. In the present circumstances, no umpire will risk his career.”
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