Cricket and Cinema beat Chemistry & Computers

Respected Brother
Sadar Charan Sparsh

Somewhere along the line Cricket and Cinema took over from Chemistry and Computers in my life. If it was Kapil Dev who impressed me more than organic chemistry it was Amitabh Bachchan who proved far more important to me than Oracle.

It would only be half of the story if I do not say that my beginning with cricket as a game and fascination for Cinema started at the same time when we were in Port Blair.


I was aware of Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath’s cricketing abilities especially the 774 runs by Sunil Gavaskar iin his debut series against the then top cricketing team of the World in West Indies. I might be not wrong that my interest in Cinema also took its root with Anand starring Rajesh Khanna yet I admit here that it was Amitabh Bachchan who impressed me more than the super star. I had not known that it was a beginning of events that I would be associated with cricket like no other game and with Mr. Bachchan like no other idol in my life.

I wrote a great deal about cricket. I really relish that when Kapil’s devils won the world cup beating West Indies in 1983 Prudential world cup of cricket in 1983 I was as happy as having watched Amitabh Bachchan performing in say Deewaar or Sholay.

It would be an incomplete story if I do not say that I had a great moment in life when I had an unexpected entry into the pavilion of Delhi’s Firozesahah Kotla in the year 1980 where the Indian team had assembled before their Australia tour. I had not only got the autographs of Kapil Dev I had also interacted with Gundappa Viswanath among others in the dressing room. It is bit ironic that I had made some predictions and one amongst them was while looking at the palm of the greatest Indian batsman (if records are kept aside for a while) Sir Gundappa Rangappa Viswanath. I saw he had a dark deep heart line. I know I must have bemused him when I asked him to not to take too much of alcohol as he had tendency for a weak heart. I know he would remember this for sure as Yashpal and others looked staringly at me making those predictions. I had asked my friend Tilak Raj who was that tall lanky fellow bowling on the wicket and I was told that it was Ravi Shastri. I don’t know if I had told him that he would go really far in cricket yet I remember that I did predict for Tilak raj that he would feature in record books someday. It is well known fact now that Ravi Shastri had belted Tilak Raj for six sixes in an over while he represented Baroda. Kapil Dev had plainly refused for the second autograph saying he had already given him one.. when I said it is for my friend Malini he said let her come and ask for it.. She was a great fan of Imran Khan and Kapil Dev.

The story would be far from over if I do not say here that it was during the eight years in Delhi that my interest in cricket and Cinema took a firm grounding. I had come to like Amitabh Bachchan like no other actor of Hindi Cinema. There would only be English movies besides Amitabh starrers that I saw for nearly five years of my college life. A fact to show and express my attachment to Amitabh Bachchan. I probably might have missed some of the great movies during that period but I had satisfaction of seeing the best. Amitabh Bachchan acted like the best in he world during those seven eight years of his career. I would not fail to watch or hear any cricket game, read about it in the newspapers and deftly discuss with friends in the college the next day or even during the match. The advent of Kapil Dev as the real all-rounder had raised my interest in the game to greater heights.. India was not winning much yet we knew that Kapil could spring a surprise for the best batsman in the world. I for some reasons liked him more for his batting display especially the hook shot which he played almost in a Nataraj mudra and played it to the perfection. Oops there were few things a pace bowler could do than merely applause his efforts. I wish Kapil had concentrated on his batting in his last few years of cricket we could have had more fun and he some more runs against his name. yet how many bowlers in the world would have 7 test hundreds against their name. I rate Kapil ahead of Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee as he was much superior fielder compared to the rest. Thus he was the most complete all-rounder the world ever witnessed.

Amitabh Bachchan was dear to me for another reason- being the son of Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan – the Hindi poet of extraordinary caliber who composed Madhushala before he was even thirty. I think if I have not been able to meet you brother is not such important to me anymore – I could never meet Dr. Bachchan for your celebrity status not even at the time of his death on that fateful 18th January. It is all right. Few things in life are destined and if I could not meet Sunil Gavaskar the other day when I had an opportunity to meet him in Delhi my respect for him did not reduce one bit only he had come a close second to Kapil Dev on my list of important cricketers.

Sachin Tendulkar is much younger t me.. I am proud of the fact that he would always be considered the greatest batsman in the world.. I may not have much following of his cricket yet I would not mince any words that some of his knocks were a real treat to watch. He could bat as well against the Mcgrath as against Shane Warne. I think I have lot of respect for him despite the fact that I did write a couple of times that he has overplayed for India. It is all right. I now wish that he continues to play cricket for India as long as he himself wants to. And Yes he could be an important player in T20 too. People have come to say that T20 requires ruthless shot playing.. it may be true to an extent alone.. we all know it does require one to know the batting well and perfect shot selection alongside pacing of one’s innings. I am sure no one is better than Sachin when he is in full flow.

Only a day before I had written an article where I had requested what changes India needs in its cricket to get better results.. one of the facts described there is giving the mantle of captaincy to Sachin Tendulakr.. even if he himself does not like it.. he has to be thrusted with that honour once again.. leading one’s country is the biggest pride.. and I feel that Sachin can work wonders with the present available talent with his deep knowledge and experience of the game of cricket.. Don’t turn down the request Sachin that is my only request…

Love Affection and Pyaar
Abhaya Sharma

November 13 2009 10:oo AM IST

Post Script: This article was written after the 60 years function of the two little masters of the game Sir Sunil Manohar Gavasakr and Sir Gundappa Rangappa Viswanath.. May I add here that the two may be attributed with Padma Vibhushan if they have not already been awarded with that award..

List of my all time top 10 favourite cricketers and top 10 Amitabh movies (together to save space and time and to see which cricketer gets which movie tagged against his name) –
1. Kapil Dev Nikhanj 1. Deewar
2. Sachin Ramesh Tendulakr 2. Sholay
3. Gundappa Rangapaa Vishwanath 3. Anand
4. Sunil Manohar Gavasakr 4. Abhimaan
5. Sourav Ganguly 5. Black
6. Virender Sehwag 6. Kala Patthar
7. Bhagawat S. Chandrasekhar 7. Trishul
8. Mohinder Amarnath 8. Kabhi-Kabhie
9. Ravi Jayadrith Shastri 9. Mohabbatein
10. Farookh Engineer 10. Amar Akbar Anthony

With this listing my post comes to an end. I know I have not een able to contribute to brothers blog recently it does not mean that My love and respect for him has diminished even a fraction of an inch. The list might have missed some of the great cricketers and also some of the great movies by brother. These were impulsive and I know I have been best when in an impulsive mode..

Some changes were forced in the cricketers list as I had missed out Sunil Manohar Gavaskar inadvertnetly in the intial list .. after a rethinking Shastri was brought down in place of Ganguly as Dada did a great deal to promote the game in the country..