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Re: Reflections of Time in the Middle
Sunil $%&*##$ Gavaskar
I umpired all three Tests Australia v India in the 1981 series. Australia won the first Test by an innings. The second Test was a draw with India hanging on 8 wickets down and a ton of runs behind. In between the two Tests I had umpired a one-dayer between India and New Zealand at the MCG and had incurred the wrath of the Indians by demanding that their innings, interrupted by rain, would continue. They wanted the match abandoned because they were heading for a defeat but the umpires’ decision prevailed and they were subsequently beaten. They had to blame somebody so I was a good candidate.
After the second Test, Gavaskar went to the Press declaring that my decisions had almost cost them a loss. The Press swallowed it up and a number of headlines followed.
So off we went to Melbourne for the final Test in the series. The game was going along fine with Viswanath getting a ton in India’s first innings and Border replicating that feat in Australia’s first innings. Australia led by about 180 runs after the completion of the first two innings of the game.
In India’s second innings Gavaskar got runs for the first time in the series having been dismissed cheaply in each of his first five innings. He was on 70, when Lillie bowling from my end bowled an in-dipper which struck Gavaskar on the pad about half way between the ankle and the knee roll. Given it was going to miss off and also miss leg but in my view make a mess of middle I raised the finger.
Much to my amazement Gavaskar thrust his bat in the air. Lillie charged down the wicket at Gavaskar who turned a similar colour to Eddie Betts when he notices Dale Morris walking towards him. Lillie pointed to the precise spot on the pad where the ball had made contact and offered some verbal encouragement for Gavaskar to take his leave, which he did. On doing so he had to walk past me as I was standing at the Members end and as he approached me he said, “I het thet bull with me bet” to which I replied, “Well you’ve got me stuffed pal, because I’ve just given you out LBW.” With that he motioned to his aptly named partner Chetan Chauhan and said, “We go”
Now this is not a happy situation. Here I am, umpiring my first Test match in my home town, my wife and kids, mother and mother-in –law in the stand and one team is looking to be on the first flight back to Bombay because of me. I followed after them explaining the Law relating to “Refusal to Play” should they decide to leave the field.
Just then I hear my mate, Mel Johnson (great bloke and bloody good umpire) call out. I turned around and there was he and Greg Chappell ,standing together at square leg, laughing their heads off. I wandered over to them and Greg says, “This is easy – as soon as they go through the gate, I will appeal and you blokes award the game to us and we’re out of here.”
I replied, “Mate, this is a Test match and there’s no way the game’s going down like that.” It must have hit a nerve because he wrote in his book how that taught him something about the sanctity of Test matches. As we all know, as Gavaskar got to the boundary, the Indian Manager, one Wing Commander Durani, ushered Vengsarker on to the ground and the game continued. That wicket of Lillie’s actually equaled Richie Benaud’s Australian wicket-taking record so it was not without moment.
At the next break for tea we went off the ground and just inside the gate I was met by my mother-in-law who suggested I might need to be careful as the crowd of Indians in the seats around where we walked up to the rooms was baying for blood. So, as I walked the steps they gave me heaps (not that I could understand a word) and when I reached the top of the steps I turned to them. There was immediate quiet, not unlike the followers when Forrest Gump, stops in the middle of the road to tell them he’s had enough, I raised my hat and said, “And good afternoon to you, Gentlemen.” I turned back and headed inside just as the throng let loose louder than before. Very funny.
During those days Channel 9 would run a half hour of the day’s highlights late at night. Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry were presenting the highlights and it wasn’t hard for them to decide what should be the main highlight. After replaying the delivery a couple of times, Richie said, “We are going to slow this down frame by frame so that should tell us something.” It was inconclusive. He then explained that they would amplify the sound a number of times so, “If we hear two noises, this will tell us that he hit the ball”
So here we go, in the final moments the viewer could actually hear the ball coming through the air until with one dull thud it hit the pad. Phew says I. Richie says, “Well there’s one umpire who can sleep well tonight” Bill says, “I don’t care what that says, I still believe Gavaskar. Good on you Bill, you %^$&#*$%%&. From my point of view, I had absolutely no doubt about the correctness of the decision at the time, nor since. I stuffed up heaps in my time but that wasn’t one of them.
The game went on and Australia was bowled out for 83 in the last innings on probably the worst wicket ever served up for a Test match. It had cracks allowing you to put your foot on a block of turf and move it up and down. For memory six or seven Aussie bats were bowled by balls going straight along the ground. The MCG pitch in those days was a disgrace.
So here was a game won by India. Had the skipper had his way, it would have been forfeited
He finished with a bit of a history Gavaskar. In 81, it was me, in 85 it was Ray Isherwood and in 91 as a commentator, it was Len King and Peter McConnell who successfully sued him and the newspaper he wrote for, and continue to live life more comfortably because of it.
That is the final chapter. I hope you have enjoyed reading each edition. I know it has been fun writing about my experiences albeit that it was so long ago. I prefer to look back on my time recalling the humourous and the quirky because at the end of the day, it’s just a game. But in my view, the greatest game of all.
Carn the Dogs
Sunil $%&*##$ Gavaskar
I umpired all three Tests Australia v India in the 1981 series. Australia won the first Test by an innings. The second Test was a draw with India hanging on 8 wickets down and a ton of runs behind. In between the two Tests I had umpired a one-dayer between India and New Zealand at the MCG and had incurred the wrath of the Indians by demanding that their innings, interrupted by rain, would continue. They wanted the match abandoned because they were heading for a defeat but the umpires’ decision prevailed and they were subsequently beaten. They had to blame somebody so I was a good candidate.
After the second Test, Gavaskar went to the Press declaring that my decisions had almost cost them a loss. The Press swallowed it up and a number of headlines followed.
So off we went to Melbourne for the final Test in the series. The game was going along fine with Viswanath getting a ton in India’s first innings and Border replicating that feat in Australia’s first innings. Australia led by about 180 runs after the completion of the first two innings of the game.
In India’s second innings Gavaskar got runs for the first time in the series having been dismissed cheaply in each of his first five innings. He was on 70, when Lillie bowling from my end bowled an in-dipper which struck Gavaskar on the pad about half way between the ankle and the knee roll. Given it was going to miss off and also miss leg but in my view make a mess of middle I raised the finger.
Much to my amazement Gavaskar thrust his bat in the air. Lillie charged down the wicket at Gavaskar who turned a similar colour to Eddie Betts when he notices Dale Morris walking towards him. Lillie pointed to the precise spot on the pad where the ball had made contact and offered some verbal encouragement for Gavaskar to take his leave, which he did. On doing so he had to walk past me as I was standing at the Members end and as he approached me he said, “I het thet bull with me bet” to which I replied, “Well you’ve got me stuffed pal, because I’ve just given you out LBW.” With that he motioned to his aptly named partner Chetan Chauhan and said, “We go”
Now this is not a happy situation. Here I am, umpiring my first Test match in my home town, my wife and kids, mother and mother-in –law in the stand and one team is looking to be on the first flight back to Bombay because of me. I followed after them explaining the Law relating to “Refusal to Play” should they decide to leave the field.
Just then I hear my mate, Mel Johnson (great bloke and bloody good umpire) call out. I turned around and there was he and Greg Chappell ,standing together at square leg, laughing their heads off. I wandered over to them and Greg says, “This is easy – as soon as they go through the gate, I will appeal and you blokes award the game to us and we’re out of here.”
I replied, “Mate, this is a Test match and there’s no way the game’s going down like that.” It must have hit a nerve because he wrote in his book how that taught him something about the sanctity of Test matches. As we all know, as Gavaskar got to the boundary, the Indian Manager, one Wing Commander Durani, ushered Vengsarker on to the ground and the game continued. That wicket of Lillie’s actually equaled Richie Benaud’s Australian wicket-taking record so it was not without moment.
At the next break for tea we went off the ground and just inside the gate I was met by my mother-in-law who suggested I might need to be careful as the crowd of Indians in the seats around where we walked up to the rooms was baying for blood. So, as I walked the steps they gave me heaps (not that I could understand a word) and when I reached the top of the steps I turned to them. There was immediate quiet, not unlike the followers when Forrest Gump, stops in the middle of the road to tell them he’s had enough, I raised my hat and said, “And good afternoon to you, Gentlemen.” I turned back and headed inside just as the throng let loose louder than before. Very funny.
During those days Channel 9 would run a half hour of the day’s highlights late at night. Richie Benaud and Bill Lawry were presenting the highlights and it wasn’t hard for them to decide what should be the main highlight. After replaying the delivery a couple of times, Richie said, “We are going to slow this down frame by frame so that should tell us something.” It was inconclusive. He then explained that they would amplify the sound a number of times so, “If we hear two noises, this will tell us that he hit the ball”
So here we go, in the final moments the viewer could actually hear the ball coming through the air until with one dull thud it hit the pad. Phew says I. Richie says, “Well there’s one umpire who can sleep well tonight” Bill says, “I don’t care what that says, I still believe Gavaskar. Good on you Bill, you %^$&#*$%%&. From my point of view, I had absolutely no doubt about the correctness of the decision at the time, nor since. I stuffed up heaps in my time but that wasn’t one of them.
The game went on and Australia was bowled out for 83 in the last innings on probably the worst wicket ever served up for a Test match. It had cracks allowing you to put your foot on a block of turf and move it up and down. For memory six or seven Aussie bats were bowled by balls going straight along the ground. The MCG pitch in those days was a disgrace.
So here was a game won by India. Had the skipper had his way, it would have been forfeited
He finished with a bit of a history Gavaskar. In 81, it was me, in 85 it was Ray Isherwood and in 91 as a commentator, it was Len King and Peter McConnell who successfully sued him and the newspaper he wrote for, and continue to live life more comfortably because of it.
That is the final chapter. I hope you have enjoyed reading each edition. I know it has been fun writing about my experiences albeit that it was so long ago. I prefer to look back on my time recalling the humourous and the quirky because at the end of the day, it’s just a game. But in my view, the greatest game of all.
Carn the Dogs
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