There are moments in cricket that transcend the dynamics of rivalry and competitiveness. Where skill trumps scorecard. One such incident unfolded at the Brabourne Stadium in February 1973, during England's tour of India. Today's story is about that incident with Gundappa Vishwanath at it's centre.
In India's first innings of the fifth Test, Vishwanath walked in at 221 for 4. He had already played a gritty knock of 75 in the last Test in Kanpur, a marathon innings that lasted for 4 hours. Having found his rhythm and confidence, Vishwanath continued to bat with authority and eye-pleasing shots that went on to became the hallmark of his batting.
As he entered the nervous 90's, Tony Grieg walked up to Vishwanath and in a moment of candidness told him that "he would be up to something" when Vishwanath reaches the three figure mark.
Vishwanath may have been anxious but Grieg was absolutely certain. As the summit was scaled, Grieg lifted Vishwanath and cradled him like a baby.
The contrast was irresistible - Greig, at six-feet-six, hoisting the compact Vishwanath off his feet and rocking him gently, as the crowd roared its approval. Later when Grieg scored a century in the same match, Gavaskar conspired with Vishy to lift Grieg and return the compliment. The duo attempted only to realize that the big boy was a no-match for them.
It was cricket at its most joyous, rivalry giving way to pure, unrehearsed camaraderie. The century also carried statistical significance. It was Vishwanath's second Test hundred, and in scoring it, he became the first Indian player to score a century after having scored one on Test debut.
Though it would be unfair to assess Vishy’s genius through centuries or landmarks, the Brabourne century thus stood as further confirmation of what India had already begun to sense: that in Vishwanath, they had a batsman of rare and enduring class.
On this February afternoon in Bombay, he gave the crowd everything - runs, beauty, and a moment of pure theatre, courtesy of a giant Englishman who knew genius when he saw it.
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