Brabourne Stadium takes centrestage: Memories in black & white

[Chandan]

Memories in black & white Posted: Sunday , Nov 29, 2009 at 0349 hrs As the Brabourne Stadium prepares to host its first Test in 36 years, and perhaps its last, Sandeep Dwivedi sifts through the archives and finds tales of banana-skin pranks and a peck on the cheek They have their backs to the rich green outfield where the groundstaff are toiling away in the harsh afternoon sun, but it’s obvious that the two college girls, sipping milkshakes from disposable cups, are aware of the Brabourne Stadium’s long-awaited reunion with Test cricket this week. The debate, as they watch Indian players celebrate their Kanpur triumph on the television set in the club house, revolves around whether Yuvraj Singh is cute or cocky. Two elderly women at the next table, being served their post-lunch coffee by a white-liveried waiter, seem mildly amused by the conversation. “Some things never change,” one says. “Wasn’t it Abbas Ali Baig who got a kiss on the cheek here?” Many hundred miles away in New Delhi, Baig, now 70, distinctly remembers that day in January 1960, when he got a peck on the cheek from a young female fan for his second 50 in the Test, one that helped India draw the game and the series against Richie Benaud’s star-studded Aussies. “I was returning to the pavilion at tea when this girl jumped the fence and kissed me,” he says of the event that triggered a collective drop of the national jaw. Almost five decades after Indian cricket’s most famous on-field cricketer-fan encounter, and more than three-and-a-half decades since a Test match was last played here, Baig lovingly recalls the venue. “The ambience was homely and there was a picnic atmosphere all around. With accommodation provided on the floor above, we used to quickly go to our rooms after getting out and watch the game from there at times,” he says. At the perpetually sleepy Cricket Club of India, taking a quick walk up those wooden steps today is impossible for anyone with even a fleeting interest in cricket, as sepia-tinted images of the game’s greats, magic moments and laminated pages from scorebooks of famous matches adorning the walls force most first-time visitors to stand and stare. But with Test cricket returning after 36 years, nostalgia has reached epic, epidemic proportions, and the man in charge of cricket affairs, Sanjay Jaywant, is busy on the phone explaining to members why ticket distribution is not so simple. But along with the excitement, there is a realisation among the Brabourne regulars that the India-Sri Lanka Test could be the final flicker of the cricketing flame at this historic venue. The home-coming after a long hiatus is being welcomed but most are aware that this could actually be a farewell of sorts for Test cricket here. Former India captain Nari Contractor, who made his debut — and also scored the only century of his career — here, has mixed feelings. “We cannot say Tests are returning to CCI unless they are held more regularly, which is very unlikely. The only reason the match is even being held here is that the Wankhede is under renovation,” he says. The venue has hosted a few one-dayers and even a Twenty20 game in recent years, but the emergence of the ultra-modern DY Patil Stadium is seen as a development that could see one of the oldest cricket venues in the country confined to the history books. Rs 6 per square yard That eventuality would mean international obscurity for a ground that was once meant to be the Lord’s of Indian cricket, after administrators got hold of reclaimed sea-land from the governor, Lord Brabourne, in late 1930s at Rs 6 per square yard. The ground hosted its first Test match in 1948, against West Indies, and 16 more over the next 25 years. Eventually, a tussle over ticket distribution with the Bombay Cricket Association resulted in a clash of egos, and the Wankhede Stadium was built across the railway line. And while it was a clash of egos that led to the building of the new stadium, there was a subliminal clash of classes as well. Wankhede was, and perhaps is, seen as more of the common man’s stadium in comparison to the Brabourne. Some point to the geographic location — Wankhede right next to the railway tracks, the lifeline of Mumbai’s working class, and the CCI, always described as “just off Marine Drive”. For those sitting in the pavilion, Tests at Brabourne meant rubbing shoulders with the greats, both during the game and after, when players would mingle with them on the cane chairs laid out on the outfield. On the other hand, the men from the maidan — those in the cheapest East stand, mostly stuffed past capacity — recall the riot and arson in their enclosure when S Venkataraghavan was the victim of a dodgy decision against Australia in 1969. And they laugh their heads off recounting how they threw a banana skin on the outfield so that Everton Weekes, an electric fielder, might slip while sprinting to save a boundary. Reasons to remember The earliest ‘big cricket’ the Brabourne hosted was the Bombay Pentangular — an event that was moved there from the Bombay Gymkhana nearby. While Contractor, GS Ramchand, Polly Umrigar, Dilip Sardesai, Vinoo Mankad and Bapu Nadkarni were already heroes here by the time the first Test was hosted, players such as Walcott, Weekes, Kanhai, Miller, Hall, Dexter, Jardine, Compton, Cowdrey, Sutcliffe, Hanif, Mushtaq, Kardar, Ramadhin, Lindwall, Harvey, Barrington and Sobers became household names in India after outings at the Brabourne (In fact, the well-stocked CCI library documents the fact that while Donald Bradman didn’t make it here when the Aussies anchored on their way to England, his wife did). Farokh Engineer, India’s flamboyant wicketkeeper, was part of the team that played the last Test at the Brabourne in 1973, and has reasons to remember the game — having scored a century, he returned to the pavilion and walked into a beaming JRD Tata. “He came down to the ground and hugged me. He was wearing a white safari-suit which was drenched with my sweat. After that he followed me to the dressing room and started helping me take off my pads! I was too embarrassed,” he says. While Engineer calls Brabourne the finest stadium in the world, he is rather unflattering when talk moves to the Wankhede. “The Wankhede was built in quite a rush, maybe that is why there is a need for it to be renovated.” Incidentally, Engineer played only one Test at the Wankhede, where he bagged a pair. The Brabourne has more recent memories as well — right from Jonty Rhodes taking a world-record five catches against the West Indies in the Hero Cup in 1993 to Australia lifting the Champions Trophy in 2006 — but it is invariably remembered for decades long gone when Test cricket was played at a leisurely pace with a rest day thrown in. That’s probably the reason those stately society ladies on the porch overlooking the greens are smirking at the teen talk. Jumping the fence and delivering a peck on a player’s cheek will be a hard act to follow in these times of metal detectors and intimidating rifle-toting commandos on the boundary line. Tests at Brabourne Highest individual score 223 Vinoo Mankad vs New Zealand Dec 1955 Highest team score West Indies 629/6d vs India Dec 1948 Best bowling (innings) 7/157 BS Chandrashekar vs WI Dec 1966 Best bowling (match) 11/235 BS Chandrashekar vs WI Dec 1966 Brabourne promises good wicket November 30, 2009 1:07:55 PM Mumbai: The third Test between India and Sri Lanka will see the Brabourne stadium host its first Test match in 36 years. To make the special occasion memorable, the administrators of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) have ensured to prepare a good wicket for the match starting from December 2. "It will be a good Test wicket, a typical CCI wicket. The track will be hard and is expected to provide some bounce. It is expected to help the bowlers in the first session with some moisture underneath," former Mumbai captain and CCI cricket secretary Milind Rege said. Rege denied the possibility of the pitch turning out to be similar to the flat-track dished out at Ahmedabad. He also informed that BCCI’s Pitches and Grounds Committee head Daljit Singh would visit the ground to guide the groundsmen in their preparations. The organisers are leaving no stone unturned in sprucing up the venue. chief curator Prakash Adhav and his men have been busy giving final touches to the outfield over the last couple of days. With four days still to go, the CCI cricket secretary Milind Rege is reluctant to predict the nature of the track, but the former India cricketer is confident it will stick to its reputation. “At the moment I can only say that the pitch will be a true Test wicket. There will be bounce and pace at the start and as the game progresses, the spinners will get some help. Batsmen will also enjoy batting here as it is a true wicket,” says Rege. “The outfield here is very fast, and once a ball goes past a fielder, it will race towards the boundary,” he said. While India, sitting pretty on a 1-0 lead, wouldn’t mind this match being drawn, the odds are against it. Rege said that this would definitely be a result-oriented pitch, and the numbers back that up. With the Wankhede Stadium under renovation, Mumbai played three of their home Ranji Trophy games at the CCI last season, winning all of them comfortably. Paceman Dhawal Kulkarni and off-spinner Ramesh Powar played crucial roles, while Rohit Sharma slammed two consecutive centuries. The first Ranji game scheduled to be hosted here this season — between Mumbai and Orissa recently — was washed out. Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer insists that the CCI will definitely produce a result. “I think the CCI is the only venue apart from the Wankhede which has a sporting wicket. It always produces an even contest between bat and ball. But with both teams possessing great spinners, the toss will play a huge role. Despite the early help for fast bowlers here, it is always a good decision to bat first,” the Mumbai opener said. The notice-board near the reception at CCI holds a number of notifications for the members regarding the restriction in their access to the ground during the Test match. And while they may not be too pleased about that, chances are they will be served up a treat out in the centre. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't think any of us have seen any matches being played here. But can someone provide some information of an interesting encounter here, having read the history?

[cowboysfan]

a pitch with good bounce will be trouble for the lankan ftb's.

[saneindian]

The 1997-98 practice match between Mumbai and Australia was played here. Was a 3 day game and Mumbai beat Aussies by 10 wickets with Sachin scoring his first first class double hundred. http://static.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1997-98/AUS_IN_IND/AUS_BOM_24-26FEB1998.html Sachin 204*(192), Warne 16-0-111-0

[Sachinism]

^^ Hope so, looking at our record, there's a lot of draws. Hope there is a result

[Guest Gunner]

^^ Hope so' date=' looking at our record, there's a lot of draws. Hope there is a result[/quote'] Matches at that stadium were played in an era when draws were the norm. But we don't really know how the character of this pitch has changed over the years, it should be very interesting to see what happens. Sach, thanks for sharing the article mate. Beautiful picture of the ground, it looks awesome. I wonder why they don't play test matches here anymore?

[The Outsider]

The 1997-98 practice match between Mumbai and Australia was played here. Was a 3 day game and Mumbai beat Aussies by 10 wickets with Sachin scoring his first first class double hundred. http://static.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1997-98/AUS_IN_IND/AUS_BOM_24-26FEB1998.html Sachin 204*(192), Warne 16-0-111-0

Australia played their '01 warm up match also at Brabourne and almost lost again : http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/71/71695.html The '06 CT was also played here. Here is a list of FC matches played at Brabourne. From what I recall, it's been a result pitch with ample turn for the spinners and swing for the faster bowlers. Unless there is unseasonal rain, there is definitely going to be a result here : http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/14/1140_f.html

[Feed]

It's a 50-50 wicket, feels Rege Former Mumbai cricketer Milind Rege feels the pitch prepared at Brabourne Stadium appears to be a balanced one. More... Monday 30th November 2009 It's a 50-50 wicket, feels Rege Former Mumbai cricketer Milind Rege feels the pitch prepared at Brabourne Stadium appears to be a balanced one. "It is a 50-50 wicket. It will help the batsmen and the bowlers," said Rege, cricket secretary of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) who has been involved in preparing the track at the Brabourne Stadium which will host its first Test since February, 1973, between India and Sri Lanka from Wednesday. Rege cautioned the two teams' batsmen that the moisture underneath, which had been retained to prevent the wicket from cracking, will be of some help to the bowlers initially. "There will be good bounce as there will be good moisture. If it is a dry wicket, it will crumble immediately. "It will bind the soil. It's a December sun and it is not hard," he said. Rege, who had played most of his top flight cricket during Mumbai's home games at this venue, explained that the stiff breeze would allow for movement in the air more than the Wankhede Stadium situated at a stone's throw away. "The ball should move, similar to Wankhede Stadium. In fact, there will be more (movement) as there is more open space at this venue. There will be more breeze here. It is always a good toss to win but you have to be careful in the two to three hours of the game," he indicated. Rege said the ground authorities had been preparing the wicket for the deciding game over the last month and some matches had also been played on the square though not on this 22-yard strip. "We have prepared it in one month. We have played some matches on it. The Mumbai-Orissa Ranji Trophy match (rain-affected) was played on the adjacent wicket," said the former cricketer. As indicated two days ago, Rege said the grass on the wicket would be trimmed further before the ground is handed over to the umpires. "There would be some trimming of the grass on the wicket before the start of the match," he said. He was also thrilled that big time cricket was returning to a venue steeped in traditions after so many years and said it would be a great occasion for top batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman to play a Test here. "It is history. It is a big thing. Big cricket is returning after 35 years. Brabourne Stadium has rich history. It's an honour for many of the players, including Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, to play at this venue," he said.

[The Outsider]

Description of pitches prior to the match starting can be made in one shot in India - It's a sporting wicket blah blah, it will be good for batting and strokeplayers blah blah, it will assist fast bowlers and spinners in equal measure blah blah, it will start to take turn from the fourth day blah blah. It's like listening to Bollywood stars, singers and directors talk about how their latest movie is different, entertaining, and everyone will enjoy it, "zara hatke hai ye movie/song/dance"

[kabira]

^more important, expect some bounce that will help both seamers and spinners

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Atmosphere at Brabourne stadium resembles Lord's: Wadekar 'This is one venue which is closest to Lord's in London,' said the former India captain, ahead of the third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka, which will be played at the venue. More...

[champ]

india should not be complacent .. toss did play a factor in last match .. they need to win this .. a draw is insufficient ..

[coffee_rules]

Description of pitches prior to the match starting can be made in one shot in India - It's a sporting wicket blah blah, it will be good for batting and strokeplayers blah blah, it will assist fast bowlers and spinners in equal measure blah blah, it will start to take turn from the fourth day blah blah. It's like listening to Bollywood stars, singers and directors talk about how their latest movie is different, entertaining, and everyone will enjoy it, "zara hatke hai ye movie/song/dance"

exactly what I was thinking too...:giggle:

[cowboysfan]

we will probably bat first again if we win the toss and it will a great test for Young Vijay in his 2nd match .

[nballa]

i'd much rather be sitting among a crowd which 'applauds' rather than a crowd which behaves like goons.

[Sachinism]

Lords has a crappy atmosphere

[Feed]

Sreesanth hurts finger but will play In-form Indian pacer S Sreesanth today hurt his finger in the nets but skipper MS Dhoni assured the injury was not serious. More... Tuesday 1st December 2009 Sreesanth hurts finger but will play In-form Indian pacer S Sreesanth today hurt his finger in the nets but skipper MS Dhoni assured the injury was not serious. Sreesanth hurt the little finger of his right hand while practising at the nets but Dhoni played down any injury scare ahead of the match. "He hurt his finger a bit but it's not too serious. He would play tomorrow," Dhoni said at a pre-match press conference. Sreesanth turned in a match-winning performance in the second Test in Kanpur, taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings. India won the match by an innings and 144 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Kerala pacer spent 19 months in wilderness before being picked in the playing XI for the Kanpur Test.

[Feed]

Teams sweat it out ahead of third Test Team India practiced for three hours at the Brabourne Stadium ahead of the third and the final Test against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Monday. More... Teams sweat it out ahead of third Test Sharda Wadhwa Mumbai Nov. 30: Team India practiced for three hours at the Brabourne Stadium ahead of the third and the final Test against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Monday. Starting off with some football to warm up with, members of the side soon shifted focus to the more serious stuff. Gautam Gambhir's absence saw Murali Vijay and Virender Sehwag take first knock at the nets. Sehwag looked in fine nick as Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan bowled for an hour to the Delhi opener. Sreesanth concentrated on pitching the ball at full length. Coach Gary Kirsten gave catching practice to Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman. Dravid rarely missed any catches and in a little byplay between the two seniors, came in for extravagant praise from Tendulkar every time he took a tough one. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka practiced for close to four hours with Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara having long knocks, probably spurred by the debacle in Kanpur. PTI adds: The pitch prepared for Test cricket's long-awaited return to the Brabourne Stadium when India take on Sri Lanka in the third match from Wednesday appears to be a balanced one, feels former Mumbai cricketer Milind Rege. "It is a 50-50 wicket. It will help the batsmen and the bowlers," said Rege, cricket secretary of the Cricket Club of India, who has been involved in preparing the track at the venue which will host its first Test since February, 1973. Rege cautioned batsmen that the moisture underneath which had been retained to prevent the pitch from cracking would assist the bowlers initially. "There will be good bounce as there will be some moisture. It will bind the soil. It's a December sun and it is not hard," he said. Rege, who had played most of his top flight cricket during Mumbai's home games at this venue, explained that the stiff breeze would allow for movement in the air more than the Wankhede Stadium situated at a stone's throw away.