Playing It My Way: My Autobiography (21 page)

Sharjah, in April, was hot, very hot. The heat was oppressive and it was a real test of stamina. I could feel the heat through my shoes and it often caused a burning sensation, which was extremely discomforting. It was physically draining to bat for long hours and, with little recovery time between games, it was a stern test of a player’s skill, both physical and mental.

The two matches everyone remembers were both against Australia, on 22 and 24 April 1998. The first one was our last round-robin game, which we needed to win, or score a certain number of runs in, to qualify for the final. Australia had already made it to the final by winning all three of their pool games.

In the first of the two games, Australia batted first and scored a very healthy 284, with 81 from Mark Waugh and a century from Bevan. We needed a good start to get our chase on track. Unfortunately, however, we had lost four wickets for just 138 runs in twenty-nine overs when the match was interrupted. I had never seen a sandstorm in my life. Waves of sand were blowing from one end of the ground to the other and the wind was so strong that I feared my five-foot-five-inch frame would get blown away. The wind was also causing a strange sound and we could only see a few metres ahead of us. Players and umpires were understandably worried about getting sand in their eyes and instinctively dropped to the ground. I quickly went and lay down behind Adam Gilchrist, who I reckoned was strong enough to withstand the force of the wind. My plan was simple – if the wind ever got too strong, I would hold on to Gilchrist for support. While it appears funny in hindsight to have used an Australian wicketkeeper as a shield, the whole experience was rather strange to start with.

Because the match was interrupted for more than forty-five minutes, it was reduced to forty-six overs a side but the target was cut by only eight runs. To win the match, we now needed 138 off seventeen overs, which may appear eminently gettable in this age of Twenty20 cricket but was a really steep target in 1998. A deduction of eight runs for the loss of four overs didn’t make sense to us, and we knew we were up against it. Effectively the target to win had become stiffer. On the other hand, to qualify, we only needed 100 runs.

Anshuman Gaekwad, a former India opening batsman and then our coach, was in charge of the calculations and I asked him the exact target before I went out to resume the innings. Several of my team-mates thought we should just concentrate on getting the 100 runs we needed for qualification and not risk our place in the final by going for the win. However, I was determined to win the match and go to the finals, because I was timing the ball well and felt good about my batting. And beating Australia would give us an edge over them in the final.

It was important not to let the Australian bowlers settle. I hit Tom Moody for a six as soon as the game resumed, making my intentions clear. I followed it up with another six off Warne and attacked the Australians in every over I faced. They were doing their best to keep me off strike, while my partner VVS Laxman was doing his best to make sure I faced the bulk of the bowling. Looking back, I feel I owe him an apology as at one point I lost my temper with him when he refused a second run, thinking I was in danger of getting run out. I just wanted to play every ball I could.

When we passed 200 I started to feel that the Australian score was within reach. I was determined to bat on and finish the game. I have to say that if I had not got out to a dubious decision by the umpire with three overs still left in the game, I think we would probably have chased down the Australian score. I was given out to Damien Fleming, caught by Gilchrist for 143, when the ball seemed to me to be above shoulder height and should have been declared a no-ball. But such things happen in cricket and in the end we lost the game but qualified for the final and still had a chance for revenge.

Thinking of this match reminds me of a story about Anshuman Gaekwad. I have very fond memories of Anshu bhai as our coach and he undoubtedly had a very positive influence and helped me in a number of ways, but I can also never forget his amazing capacity to eat the hottest of hot food. On one occasion in New Zealand in 1999 he asked the hotel chef to make a paste of green chillies for him. The chef took on the challenge and returned later with a fresh bowl of chilli paste, warning him that he should be careful only to have a little because it was extremely hot. To the chef’s amazement, Anshu bhai gratefully took the bowl from him and polished off the lot without breaking sweat – and even asked for some more! Frankly, no one else could have eaten even half a spoonful.

When we returned to the hotel after the last pool game, I was very tired and yet I just couldn’t get to sleep. I eventually dropped off well after 2 a.m. With just a day before the final, this didn’t bode well. In the extreme heat I had lost a lot of fluid and I needed time to get myself rehydrated and allow my body and mind to recover.

When I got up in the morning my body was stiff. My back was tight and I was even finding it difficult to walk to the bathroom. The stiffness was partly a result of the dehydration and the first thing I did was drink a lot of water. There have been a few occasions in my career when I have had difficulties standing up straight in the mornings. Sometimes I have really had to push myself to get off the bed and in extreme situations the physio and the masseur have had to give me a helping hand. Of course, I didn’t mind the stiffness so much if I had scored a hundred or played a match-winning knock the day before. In that case, it was a happy feeling and a reminder of the effort I had put in! However, if the stiffness was caused by fielding for two long days, I would resent it immensely. So at Sharjah I had no reason to complain about the pain – it was a very small price to pay.

At lunchtime, I met Mark Mascarenhas for a meal at his hotel. Ravi Shastri, Shane Warne and Richie Benaud, former Australian captain and one of the greatest cricketers to have played the game, were also present and I had a brief non-cricketing chat with them all before returning to the hotel. I wasn’t particularly concerned about the physical aspect of the recovery, as I was confident of digging into my reserves. I was more concerned with the mental recovery after such a high-intensity encounter.

In the evening, I had an interesting conversation with Mark. It was the Coca-Cola Cup and I was informed that, as sponsors, Coca-Cola wanted to announce a reward for me for the innings I had played the night before. They wanted to give me £25,000, which was a substantial sum of money. When Mark asked me what I’d do with it, I said that I would share it with my team-mates. It was our practice to share rewards among all players and I’d do no different. After that the issue wasn’t raised again and I had put it out of my mind by the time I went to bed.

In the final, Australia batted first and put 272 runs on the board. It was a very good score, considering it was the final. We couldn’t afford to lose an early wicket and I knew I had to stay in to set up the game. People were expecting me to blast the Australian attack from ball one, but that was an impossible proposition. Perhaps in people’s minds I could just pick up from where I had left off two nights before. The reality, of course, was different. It was a new match and I was starting a new innings. I had to play myself in all over again and it wasn’t going to be easy.

To make matters more difficult, the Australians bowled a good line and I had to work very hard not to get out. In the first over I faced against Damien Fleming, I played five dot-balls and was trying to leave the sixth ball, which hit my inside edge and went for a streaky boundary, missing the stumps by two inches. It was a lucky escape and I told myself that I was obviously still fatigued and wasn’t moving my feet properly. I would have to spend time in the middle for my body to get used to the conditions and for my timing to come back.

We managed to score just 12 in the first five overs and the Australians continued to apply pressure by bowling a very tight line around the off stump. There were no loose balls on offer and I wasn’t happy. The pressure was mounting and it was time to try something different. I was forced to take a risk to push the run rate up and so I came down the wicket to Michael Kasprowicz in the sixth over of our innings. I managed to connect well and the ball soared over the boundary. The crowd was in raptures and the bowler was taken by surprise. I now anticipated that he’d bowl me a bouncer the very next ball. It is a fast bowler’s natural response and I was more than prepared for it. I stayed back in the crease and easily hit the short ball for another six. It definitely rattled Kasprowicz and the Australians. The risks I had taken had paid off and the touch had come back. There was no need for any further risk-taking and the run chase was back on track.

With Nayan Mongia, who had been promoted up the order, and Azhar giving me good support, I was able to pace my innings without allowing the Australian bowlers to dominate and gradually the match was turning our way. Shane Warne tried coming round the wicket and yet again I countered him by hitting him over midwicket and square leg. With Warne ineffective – he conceded more than six runs an over in his spell – the Australians were forced to turn to Tom Moody. We attacked him throughout his spell and also put pressure on Australia’s irregular bowlers, Mark and Steve Waugh.

By the time I finally got out for 134, the result was a mere formality. We needed just 24 from six overs. As I was walking back to the pavilion I could see Mark Mascarenhas waiting for me next to the sightscreen. I was soaked in sweat and, seeing Mark was about to give me a hug, I remember warning him that he would spoil his smart clothes. Mark wasn’t bothered and he lifted me up into the air with a smile.

The post-match presentation turned out to be really special. Steve Waugh said that they had lost to
me
, which was quite something coming from the Australian captain on a day which also happened to be my twenty-fifth birthday. There could have been no better birthday present.

During the presentation an announcement was made by Coca-Cola that they had decided to give me a Mercedes SL600. I have always been interested in cars and remembered my first introduction to a variety of fancy cars such as BMWs on my first trip to England with the Star Cricket Club in 1988.

On our return to Mumbai we were greeted by a sea of humanity and it was touching to see fans showering such warmth on the players. In the ultimate analysis, we play for our fans and to be able to make them happy has always been extremely important.

Sometimes things can get a little out of hand, however. After coming back from Sharjah I was invited to a double-wicket tournament at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Mumbai. Pravin Amre called me and said the organizers were keen for me to go along to encourage the players. Shivaji Park has always been special to me and I decided to take Anjali with me. When we arrived we found that a huge crowd had assembled to see me. My visit had caused a law-and-order situation and in the end it was difficult to get away from the chaos. We somehow managed to leave Shivaji Park Gymkhana for home and I felt humbled at the affection I had received. Fans asking for autographs always made me feel special and I make it a point to oblige them whenever I can. The people who wait for hours are the ones who make the game what it is in India and we are lucky that we have such a passionate fanbase for the sport in the country.

Looking back at the four months between January and April 1998, I feel a sense of deep satisfaction. I had led the charge against the Australians and had enjoyed the personal contest against Shane Warne. But it didn’t stop there. I went on to bat at close to my best throughout 1998 and in November played my part in winning us the Champions Trophy tri-series at Sharjah against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.

What I remember about that competition is that the Zimbabwe fast bowler Henry Olonga had taken me by surprise in the last match of the group stage with a short ball and the manner of my dismissal had kept me restless right up to the final. So much so that I decided I had to settle the scores. It was like in boxing – either you go down or I go down. In the final I managed to score 124 off ninety-two balls, but I must confess that some of my shots were not what you might call orthodox cricketing shots, as all I was doing was smashing the ball. That’s what happens when you are batting well – even slogs go for boundaries – whereas during a lean patch, you get out to bad balls.

A few months before that Champions Trophy, in July and August 1998, two things happened that I will never forget. The first was that I was invited to play in the Princess Diana Memorial Match at Lord’s on 18 July. The opposition bowling line-up included Glenn McGrath, Javagal Srinath, Allan Donald and Anil Kumble, and I managed to score 125 against them while opening the batting. Though I didn’t manage to make a hundred at Lord’s in Test cricket, this was a ton I have fond memories of, especially because it came against a top-quality bowling attack.

The second memorable thing happened in August when Shane Warne and I had the great honour of being invited to visit Sir Don Bradman at his house in Adelaide on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday. We were both very nervous about meeting the great man and I remember debating with Shane in the taxi on the way about who should talk to him first. I said that it should be Shane, because he’s a fellow Australian; he said that it should be me, because I’m a fellow batsman. In the end, Sir Don, who fondly referred to me as ‘Bonzer’, took control of proceedings as soon as we arrived and quickly made us feel at ease.

One of the things I remember asking him was how he thought he would have coped in the contemporary game. He said that he didn’t think he would have scored quite so many runs because of the more defensive field settings that are used nowadays; when he was playing, the fields weren’t changed much, even if a batsman was scoring a lot of runs, and fielding positions like deep point weren’t in vogue back in the 1930s. He also said that the standard of fielding was much better in the contemporary game.