As the first little master GR Vishwanath or our great Vishy completes 50 years of first class cricket , I am tempted to revisit my choice of top 5 number 4 batsmen , however with huge respect keeping old stalwarts out of the list and keeping the choice bit contemporary.
(The guys below played at other batting slots as well , but major contribution was at number 4 , hence enlisted).
5) Martin Crowe : A New Zealand great , tremendous cricketing brain , innovative captain and a great human being. The saddest day for any cricket fan was the day it was known , he was terminally ill due to cancer, ultimately cutting his life short. Happy for him that he could travel all the way to Melbourne for the only cricket World Cup finals New Zealand ever featured in . I assume the world lost a potential great coach because of untimely death of the great Martin .
He brought a sea change in NZ batting lineup and made the world change its outlook towards NZ. Few of the classics I remember from him was his 299 against the Lankans. He got out when none in the game believed he could get out. His partnership with Andrew Jones (186) in this match of 467 was a world record.
Martin’s exquisite timing , cool approach and ready to play in any condition brought a huge stability to the team. He singlehandedly brought Kiwis to World Cup semis in 92 World Cup . RIP Martin , we miss you !!
4) Javed Miandad : For all those controversies off the field and on the field , Mum-n-Dad was one of the finest number 4 batsman.
So composed and fiery on the pitch.Dominated the bowlers all over the world and giving a feel of not getting out ever. His 280* against India in Pakistan was a gem of innings to watch though bit controversial as in those days he was never given LBW at home. 99 against India in 83-84 series making crowd erupt and His last ball Chetan Sharma Six took away Australiasia cup from India.
His controversies like almost hitting Lillee
or jumping on the pitch to mimic Kiran More ,surely not matched his real worth as he was great anytime , nonetheless his mark on the game remains forever.
3) Brian Lara : One and only Brian Charles LARA. The name itself brings cheer to the game . Only batsman to score 501* in a first class game . Only player in the history to get back the coveted record of most number of runs in test innings and scoring 400* against England.
Superlative footwork, play shots at will and all of them qualifying for classics was the epitome of his innings.
Windies was always great but LARA made it to top when the decline of the great nation was obvious . He single handedly kept the name of the team atop.
Leaving the battle of supremacy with Sachin when he was on top of his game marks Lara’s attitude and approach towards the game.
He did it in his own way and walked away as a king.
2) Sachin Tendulkar : The only GOD made out of human beings in the modern era is Sachin. A superhuman and super batsman.
All records galore and at the pick all through his career. His 241* against Australia when completely out of form remains the most memorable innings for me.He restrained himself from playing any out of the offstump ball all through that inning.
Guess the name is enough here 🙂
1) GR Vishwanath: For me he is one of the best , India ever produced.
He is the one who made people like me understand the meaning of century on debut. I recollect sticking to my radio with my father in the hope he would surpass Vinod Mankad’s 231 in an epic innings ultimately failing at 222 in Chennai against England.
His sqaurecuts are still unmatched . His ethics of the game are still remembered. A brilliant slips fielder and a complete team man he made a great combination with his brother in law Sunil Gavaskar on and off the field. Dip in the form and pressure from media , ended his career after mediocre Pakistan series in 1983. His Midas Touch is still missed in the game.
I was tempted to name Greg Chappel , Graeme Pollock and Virat Kohli in the above list but choice became tough and chose to restrict the count to 5 .
However being biased Gavaskar fan , remember his score of 236* against WI at Chennai batting at number 4 again proving the best batsman of any team normally bats at 4 🙂
Each player added immense contribution to the game but Vishy being Vishy would always remain special. He taught Indians how not to budge under pressure, play the game honestly , made a generation to follow the game of the cricket , took a back seat when the tide was against and created the most memorable square cut (almost patented) of his own and gifted this role model shot to the world of cricket .
Vishy’s contribution to the game of cricket would remain and recalled forever !!
- Jayawant
http://jay1t.blogspot.in/2017/11/as-first-little-master-gr-vishwanath-or.html
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