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Madhav Mantri
- recalled
by
Najum Latif
Madhav Mantri - Indian record at Lahore Gymkhana
Madhav Mantri , a former Indian Test
Cricketer and one of the most important
officials of Indian Cricket, is now 83 years old. He and I became
friends when he visited Pakistan in 1955 with the Indian team. I was a mere
schoolboy then. For fifty years we have remained friends and continue to
correspond with each other. Mantriji is the maternal uncle of the famous
Sunil
Gavaskar. In fact Mantriji was a major influence in Gavaskar's life that
catapulated him to become a great cricketer. There was an All India
Record created by Mantriji on Lahore Gymkhana Cricket Ground. The article
goes as related to me by Mantriji
Portrait of Madhav Mantri - 1955
I give below some details of the
record-making performance at my debut in
Ranji Trophy Tournament in 1941-42: This was the semi-final of Ranji Trophy
between Bombay and Northern India Cricket Association(NICA). It was played
at Lawrence Gardens, Lahore (now Bagh-e-Jinnah) on 13,14,15,16 February
1942. The two Captains were Vijay Merchant (Bombay) and Dr. Jehangir Khan (NICA).
Three Indian
wicket-keepers...Hindlekar, Meheromji, and Maneck Engineer were not
available
for Bombay and that is why a young collegian got a place in the Bombay team.
Bombay had K.C.Ibrahim, Uday Merchant, K.M.Rangnekar and S.M.Kadri as
stalwart batsmen. .NICA had the redoubtable Ram Prakash as their outstanding
batsman. Nazar Mohammad, then in the University team, was also playing in
this
match. Apart from Dr.Jehangir Khan, they had another fine bowler in
Habibullah.
The wicket and turf were
sporting as they gave enough help to the bowlers and the batsmen had a
chance to display their strokes. It was a low-scoring game by present
standards---match which got over within four days. Bombay had Jehangir Khol,
Madan Raiji, Keki Tarapur and a newcomer Bhalerao as their main bowlers. All
of them performed well and Bhalerao, a slow leg break and googly bowler
(right arm), made an excellent debut.
Sir Len Hutton Caught Mantri, bowled Hazare 150.(Lord's)
Vinoo Mankad is in the slips.
As for me, although it was a
debut for me, I was not at all nervous. I knew I was there for only one
match as the seniors were not available and I had played a lot of cricket
with my senior team mates. The match did not start well with me. It was
bitterly cold for a Bombay man and who was not well equipped to face the
cold. In addition the gloves provided by the BCA were extra large and
completely worn out and therefore it took time to settle down and before
lunch interval on the first day I had missed two chances
behind the wickets. Naturally I was a little sad and did not eat lunch.
Madan Raiji who sat next to me realised and to relieve the tension asked to
see my palm. When I showed him he said "Madhav, the stars will change after
lunch interval. Please have your food". And lo and behold this is what
exactly happened. In the first over after lunch I was standing up to the
medium pacer Khot. I stumped the batsman who lurched forward, was beaten and
raised his toe and in a flash I had removed the bails to stump him. I never
looked back and in the match I had 5 catches and 4 stumpings to create an
Indian Record which was not broken for the next 40 years when another Bombay
wicketkeeper Zulfiquar Parkar beat it. I was sent in one wicket down by my
Captain and scored thirty-forty runs. I was the third highest scorer in my
team. But one thing I remember to this day although it is over 60 years
since it happened. During lunch and tea intervals the crowd used to gather
in front of the pavilion to have a closer glimpse of the players. On the
last day of the match when we were returning to the field after an interval,
a spectator came to me and said "You Public Enemy No.1". Obviously he
referred to my performance behind the wickets. There could not have been a
better and a
higher compliment which I remember to this day. Vijay Merchant mentioned
this at a speech he made at the felicitation function arranged for Ranji
Trophy Champion Team. I never looked back and played regularly for Bombay
for the next fifteen years or so.
Fact file of Madhav Krishnaji Mantri
*****
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