A morning with the legendary Chandu Borde and tales of Indian cricket’s glory
By K.R. Nayar
From Wankhede Stadium
Mumbai. It is not often that one gets to meet a legend and pose with him under a pavilion named after him. Chandu Borde, the former Indian all-rounder, played a significant role in popularising cricket in India. I was fortunate to get a picture with him, and that too with his arm around me. Despite his fame, he came across as a very humble and down-to-earth person. A morning with Borde at the Poona Club will always remain an indelible memory of this tour.
 | |
|
 |
| Chandu Borde - a man who wore many hats |
As a selector, he was part of the team that picked the 1983 World Cup squad, which changed the face of Indian cricket. He also managed the Indian team when the 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar made his debut in Sialkot and was hit on the face by a bouncer. Listening to his tales was like taking a nostalgic journey into Indian cricket history.
It was agreed that myself and my journalist colleagues
- G Viswanath, G Krishnan and Debasish Dutta would meet Borde at 11.30am, and
he arrived dot on time. When complimented over his punctuality he remarked:
“It’s a habit to be punctual. A toss has to be done exactly half an hour before
a match. Can one be late for that?”
 |
| Chandu Borde in front of a pavilion named after him at the Poona Club |
Borde, as the Team India manager, never lost a series. He talked about the Tendulkar incident in Sialkot, saying, “In the 1989 series against Pakistan, they prepared a wicket with no soil at all. The wicket was so green that David Shepherd, one of the umpires from England, came and asked, "Which is the wicket?" Tendulkar was hit by a Waqar Younis' bouncer on the face, and when I saw blood oozing out, I rushed onto the field and asked if he wanted to retire. Tendulkar refused, and in the next three balls, he hit boundaries.” His vivid storytelling made you feel like you were there too.
Borde then discussed being on the selection committee
that picked the 1983 World Cup team. “In 1983, Ghulam Ahmed, Pankaj Roy, Chandu
Sarwate, Bishan Bedi, and myself were the five selectors. We had all played in
the UK and knew the conditions in England well. We were familiar with the
grounds in England, and English weather was on our minds when selecting the
team. We decided to include more all-rounders in the team, and that was the
beginning of our journey. The team had about 7-8 all-rounders, including Kapil
Dev, Madan Lal, Binny, Amarnath, Kirti Azad, and Ravi Shastri.”
 |
| Chandu Borde narrates tales from the past |
Borde believed that the 1983 victory was the turning point of Indian cricket. 'The 1983 victory laid the foundation for Indian cricket's rapid growth. Cricket was already popular, but the interest among the general public doubled, and more and more people were attracted to the game.”
Borde also spoke about how shrewd and a brilliant
decision maker Sunil Gavaskar was, and how he gave up captaincy and retired
from the game while he was at his best. He also talked about India's
series win against England in 2007 under Rahul Dravid's captaincy, and the rise
of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. 'Dhoni batted in the dark to save the Lord's Test
match. As the team manager, I went to the match referee and expressed my
concerns, but he told me to put it in writing. I told him that by the time I
put it in writing, the match would be over. Dhoni remained cool, frustrated the
England bowlers, and saved the Test. That's when Dhoni, the captain, was born.”
Dhoni was picked to captain the Indian team and India went onto win the first
T20 World Cup in 2007.
For Borde, the India-Bangladesh match in Pune was
emotional. The day before our meeting, he was invited to the ground.
“Yesterday, when I went to the field, I felt very happy and emotional as well.
I was returning to the ground after a long time. The ground was prepared by my
late brother, Ramesh Borde. The wicket is beautiful. I wish I was young enough
to bat again.” Incidentally, Ramesh Borde had played in 42 first-class matches
and even represented the West Zone against the touring West Indies in Kolhapur
in 1983-84, dismissing Richie Richardson and Larry Gomes. He passed away at the
age of 69 while working as the MCA curator.
 |
| Chandu Borde with the visiting journalists |
Borde was also full of praise for Rohit Sharma's qualities as a captain. 'He is a good captain. One thing I notice is that he doesn't get upset over anything, and he doesn't show his emotions on his face, just like Dhoni. Though on rare occasions, he removes his cap in frustration. He has the experience and is using it well.'
Before leaving, he shook hands with each of us and
said, “Thank you for remembering me and coming to meet me.” I felt we should be
the ones thanking him, since he is a man that fans should always remember for
the various roles he played in making cricket so popular in India today.
Chandu Borde was my childhood hero. When we played gully cricket I always played as Borde! So many times he stood between the wickets to save India back in those days when only Tests were played and India was an underdog in world cricket. It is so invigorating to see my hero looking so trim and fit, betraying his age. Keep going Chandu Borde!
ReplyDelete