BOOK DETAILS
Author: Gundappa Vishwanath and R. Kaushik
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Length: 280 Pages
SYNOPSIS
Wrist Assured traces the cricketing journey of wristy genius G.R. Vishwanath from the dusty by-lanes of erstwhile Bengaluru to the most iconic venues in the world. It gives deep insights into the mind of a champion, and of the trials and tribulations of an international career that saw both despair and delight in his very first Test.
Vishwanath followed up a first-innings duck with 137 in the second against Australia in Kanpur in 1969. The same crowd that had hurled matkas on his way back in the first innings rose as one to celebrate his century, providing him his first important lesson - nothing succeeds like success.
His solid middle-class upbringing instilled in Vishwanath a clear sense of right and wrong which he harnessed throughout his 91-Test career. Wrist Assured provides a ringside view of what made Vishwanath tick and why he is one of the most adored and respected cricketers to have graced the cricketing stage.
MY REVIEW
There is a moment early in Wrist Assured that sets the tone for everything that follows. Gundappa Vishwanath, one of Indian cricket’s most elegant batters, declares that his favourite cricketing memory is not a Test century or a series triumph. Instead, it is his first-class debut, a 230 for Mysore against Andhra in the Ranji Trophy. That tells you everything about the man and the book.
The autobiography moves along a clean chronological arc, covering the full sweep of Vishwanath’s career. Chapters devoted to India’s historic Test victories in England and the West Indies in 1971 capture the pioneering spirit of that era, and there are delightful personal anecdotes scattered throughout. Among them, is the charming story of being cradled like a baby by the towering Tony Greig.
Perhaps the most illuminating chapter is the one dedicated entirely to the famous Vishwanath square cut. He traces the shot’s origins not to natural gift but to practical necessity. The cut required no great physical power, allowing him instead to feed off the bowler’s own pace. The numbers validate the instinct: an astonishing 4,000 of his 6,080 Test runs came through that single stroke.
Then there is the 97 not out at Madras against the West Indies - an innings the book rightly titles "When 97 Trumped a 100." Vishwanath grows visibly emotional recounting it, dwelling on two back-foot punches off Keith Boyce that raced to the straight boundary with such ferocity that the entire slip cordon broke into appreciation.
It is an innings that lives rent-free in the memory of everyone who witnessed it. And yet, with characteristic modesty, Vishwanath rates his 124 against the West Indies at the same ground in 1979 as the superior knock. That generosity toward his own performances, never self-aggrandizing, always reflective, runs through the entire book.
What distinguishes Wrist Assured from many cricket autobiographies is its generosity of spirit. Vishwanath never diminishes one cricketer to elevate another. His comparisons across generations are respectful and measured. He devotes a full chapter to the contemporaries who shaped him, and another to ten Indian stalwarts of Test cricket. It is a thoughtful addition that broadens the book’s scope beyond individual memoir.
His reverence for the Ranji Trophy throughout is also notable. He regards it as India’s most prestigious domestic tournament. He says:
“Prasanna lifting the Ranji Trophy is one of the greatest moments of my cricketing career”.
The book has genuine character, too. Vishwanath doesn’t retreat into diplomatic vagueness. “It angers me when I see batsmen hurl their bat after being dismissed. What’s the bat’s fault now?” You may agree or disagree, but the voice is unmistakably his own. So is the quiet philosophy: “What’s the point of playing anything if you’re not better today than you were yesterday.” His concern about dwindling Test match crowds adds a note of contemporary relevance that many readers will recognise.
If there is a reservation, it lies in the prose. The writing is clean and accessible, but the storytelling occasionally feels one-dimensional, lacking the texture and depth that might have elevated certain passages. A richer narrative voice could have done fuller justice to a life so richly lived.
That aside, Wrist Assured is a genuinely rewarding read. It is honest, warm, and suffused with a love of cricket in its purest form. Vishwanath has laid his heart out on these pages, and it shows.
MY RATING
3.5/5
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