Page 9 - Seniors Toady March 2020

the decision, I committed myself to cover the 1983
The 1983 team pulled off arguably the most stunning victory
in the history of the game
sideburns were in fashion for men, the Cold War
had not yet been resolved, the USSR was still
intact, there were two Germanys.
And yes, India were the dull dogs of international
cricket. In the two previous editions of the
World Cup, 1975 and 1979, India’s had been
undistinguished. Okay, let me say it without
compunction: India’s performances had been
forgettable, dismaying, dismal.
Sunil Gavaskar’s infamous ‘crawl’ of making 36
not out in 60 overs against England in the first
tournament in 1975 was universally castigated as
going against the spirit of limited overs cricket.
India failed to win any match in that edition.
In 1979, there was a solitary win, but it came
against lowly East Africa, so hardly to be
savoured. All other matches all lost, including
against Sri Lanka, not full members of the ICC till
then. That was the backdrop against which India’s
1983 campaign began.
You might then ask why any sensible Indian
would be excited about the 1983 tournament,
given that the prospects of Kapil Dev and his team
looked hopeless. But that is ignoring the passion
for cricket in the Indian psyche – fan, aficionado,
journalist.
At that point in time, approaching mid-1983, I
was on the horns of a dilemma. Should I pursue
law as a profession, or journalism, which I had
literally strayed into because of my love for sport,
especially cricket?
Making this choice was agonising. But whatever
9 SENIORS TODAY | Issue #9 | March 15, 2020
World Cup in deference to what cricket had meant
to me in life.
Frugal resources
With frugal resources – since news organisations
those days hardly spent money on sports events
– I flew to England on the eve of the tournament
with a couple of journalists from Bombay. In fact
there were to be only six journalists from India
covering the tournament.
This is important to get a perspective on how
cricket coverage in the country has grown since.
For instance, for the 2019 World Cup (again in
England), there were around 50-55 reporters/
writers present. This swelled to almost double the
number for the marquee match against Pakistan!
Money was limited. The World Cup was a long-
drawn tournament so every penny was crucial.
But this was my also first visit to England, and
there was so much to see and experience which
had otherwise only been read of or imagined.
From London’s superb underground rail system,
machines which dispensed chocolates on railway
platforms, various county grounds which bespoke
deeds of the some of the greatest names in the
game, the sights and sounds of Soho and Southall
et al, the picture postcard countryside as one
travelled by British Rail, all made for a memorable
experience.
But the primary reason for being in England
was the World Cup. When I was on the flight,
I spent the 9-9.5 hours mulling about India’s
prospects, discussing with the two journalists
travelling together whether there would be any
improvement over the previous two tournaments.
I didn’t think so, which is why I chose not to see
India’s first match at Old Trafford against West
Indies and opted for England versus New Zealand
at the Oval instead. There were three reasons that
influenced my decision, two of them related.
Essentially, what hope does India have against
the reigning champions, I asked myself? None
at all, was the answer. So why incur the expense
of travelling to Manchester and why not watch a