Anshita Mishra
BANGALORE: A cricketing gem remains etched in memory from January 11, 1975, when Gundappa Viswanath crafted an extraordinary unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in what was then called Madras.
Despite scoring over 6,000 runs and 14 centuries in his career, including a massive 222 against England, this particular innings stands out as his most celebrated achievement.
The significance of this performance resonates so deeply that Viswanath himself notes in his memoir that Chennai crowds seem to remember nothing else – as if his entire career condensed into those 97 runs.
Recently, on the 50th anniversary of India’s memorable 100-run triumph over Clive Lloyd’s formidable West Indies team, cricket legends gathered to commemorate this historic innings.
The celebration, hosted by Viswanath’s family, brought together his former teammates including Chandrasekhar, Prasanna, and other cricket luminaries like Kumble and Laxman.
The match itself was a testament to resilience. India found themselves in dire straits at 76/6 against Andy Roberts’ fierce bowling.
Viswanath, realizing the gravity of the situation when he saw Ghavri at the crease, decided to counter-attack. His natural strokeplay flourished that day, and everything seemed to connect perfectly.
The drama peaked when he reached 96, with last man Chandrasekhar at the other end. A beautifully timed cut shot appeared destined for the boundary, only to be intercepted by Keith Boyce.
The innings ended at 97 when Chandrasekhar, unnerved by Roberts’ intimidating glare, fell to a leg-cutter caught by Lloyd.
Though India only managed 190 in their first innings, they eventually secured a famous victory, thanks to Viswanath’s additional contribution of 46 in the second innings and exceptional bowling performances from Prasanna (9 wickets) and Bedi (6 wickets).
He made his debut in 1969 against Australia in Kanpur’s Green Park. Looking back five decades later, Viswanath humbly reflected that this innings encompassed his entire batting repertoire – every stroke he knew came together in this one magnificent performance.
Players of Gundappa Viswanath’s calibre emerge perhaps once in centuries. The privileged spectators who witnessed this magnificent batsman in action often draw parallels between his and Sunil Gavaskar’s batting artistry and the sublime experience of listening to classical music.
Though Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium remained Viswanath’s cherished venue, it was here that he crafted his destiny.
After suffering the humiliation of a duck in his debut innings against Australia, he orchestrated a masterful 137 in the second innings, heralding the dawn of a new era in Indian cricket.
Thereafter, Green Park became his fortress of excellence. Each appearance at this ground saw his bat weave magic with effortless ease.
However, it was his masterclass of an unbeaten 97 against the formidable West Indies in the Madras (now Chennai) Test in 1975 that etched his name in cricketing folklore.
Viswanath earned the distinctive monicker of being the harbinger of fortunate centuries. In an era when the Indian team frequently encountered setbacks, his centuries invariably translated into either victory or a hard-fought draw for the nation.
The commemorative gathering was graced by an illustrious assembly of his contemporaries: the legendary spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, the masterful Erapalli Prasanna, the accomplished batsman Brajesh Patel, the Benson & Hedges Cup-winning wicketkeeper Sadanand Viswanath, and the batting virtuoso VVS Laxman.
After having retired from international cricket, he served as an ICC Match Referee from 1999 to 2004. He was also awarded the Col. C K Naidu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 by BCCI, one of the most prestigious awards in Indian cricket.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a batsman who could deceive the point fielder. He was such a brilliant player off the toe, there are very few people I’ve seen playing that stroke.
In that match (in 1975), there was a lot of uneven bounce, and the batsmen were struggling. But not Vishy. He was playing like it was tennis ball cricket.” – EAS PRASANNA
“He was such a brilliant stroke-maker. We played without helmets. Also, the wickets were not covered. He was a fearless and gifted batsman.” – BRIJESH PATEL
“People in Chennai still talk about the 97 n.o by GRV in 1975. I think it is one of the most talked about subjects in cricket. It was a joy to watch him, and a dream come true to play alongside him.” – ROGER BINNY
“Whenever Vishy bhai scored runs they were match-defining innings and India won those games. I grew up listening to my uncle speaking about the repertoire of Vishy bhai’s strokes.” – VVS LAXMAN
The above four quotes are by courtesy of The Times of India
