The Shaping Hand

What Vinoo Mankad has meant to Indian cricket's advancement is not known to many - andone can not blame them. The game's popularity skyrocketed after India so unexpectedly wonthe World Cup on that historic day at Lord's in 1983. True, the exploits of cricketers ofthe past were written about. Rarely, though, has the documentation explained what theoutstanding performances of these players meant to the development of cricket in thecountry. I would like to explain why Vinoo bhai, as I used to know him really should beIndia's Cricketer of the Century.

When a cricketer, and an allrounder at that, plays first-class cricket from 1935-36till 1964-65 a span of 29 years we are at once talking about someone extraordinary. Aright-hand opening batsman and a left-arm spin bowler, he was also a wonderful fieldsmanand catcher, to his own bowling in particular.

How many know that Mankad virtually scripted the first five Indian Test victories? InIndia's historic first-ever Test win against England at Chepauk in Chennai he captured 12wickets, and the margin of victory against Nigel Howard's team was an innings and eightruns. India's next two wins were against Pakistan in 1952-53. Mankad took 13 wickets asIndia got home by an innings and 70 runs in New Delhi. India lost the second Test atLucknow (Mankad did not play because of an injury) and the teams came to Mumbai with therubber level. Once again, Mankad got into the act. He made scores of 41 and 35 not out asan opener and bowled 90 overs to take 8 for 124 as India won by 10 is local bank wickets.

If the Tests against Pakistan showed his mastery with the ball, it was with the batthat he dominated Henry Cave's New Zealanders in 1955-56. As an opening batsman in thesecond Test in Mumbai, he scored 223 out of India's 421 for 8 declared and took fourwickets to ensure that India won by an innings and 109 runs. In the final Test in Chennai,he and Pankaj Roy shared a first-wicket partnership of 413, which remains a record tilltoday. Mankad made 231 while Roy scared 173. As if that wasn't enough, Mankad took fourwickets in the second New Zealand innings and India won once again.

No Indian has dominated an overseas Test in the manner Mankad did at Lord's in 1952. Atthe very venue where he had made his debut eight seasons before,   Mankad, whowas released from the Lancashire league so he could play for his country, came up with anepic allround display. Against an attack comprising the tear away Fred Trueman, AlecBedser (the greatest fast medium bowler ever according to Bradman) and Jim Laker, Mankadopened and scored 72 in the first innings.

Then, as England piled on the runs, it was Mankad who held their batsmen on a leash,bowling a marathon 73 overs to take 5 for 196. Defeat stared India in the face. But Mankadrelished the challenge. He made an audacious 184 as India averted an innings defeat. Andthen, in order to show the English batsmen that even getting the few runs could bedifficult, he bowled 24 overs for 35 runs as the home team lost two wickets in knockingoff the 79 runs required. To a man, Lord's stood up and applauded.

Then there were his feats in Australiain 1947-48 against Bradman's"Invincibles". Mankad became the first Indian batsman to score a century againstAustralia. Then he made a second. Both were at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, both madewhile opening the batting. And all through the rubber, he bowled probingly andtantalisingly. He remembered how Ray Lindwall had advised him to shorten - his back-lift"Vinoo, you can't bring it down from Sydney Harbour Bridge. Of course I'll gothrough!" Mankad got the message and the centuries followed.

Mankad was, without doubt, the most respected international cricketer from India. Theclosest to him as an allrounder would be Kapil Dev, who was for a while the highestwicket-taker in Test history. Similarly, Mankad was for a short time the record- holderfor the fastest Test double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets he achieved the feat in only 23Tests. Australia's Keith Miller, widely regarded as the best allrounder of that time,needed 33 Tests.

Above everything, Mankad played a hand in Test victories in a manner no Indian beforeor after him has. For that alone, he is my Cricketer of the Century.

Rajan Bala is a senior cricket writer and a consulting editor with The Asian Age