Dilip Vengsarkar-an all-time great?

[Harsh Thakor]

Very often in the great game of cricket we recollect it's batting legends irrespective of the order of merit.The names of Don Bradman,Jack Hobbs,Sunil Gavaskar,Viv Richards,Sachin Tendulkar,Greg Chappel,Brian Lara ,Len Hutton ,Alan Border or Javed Miandad churn up in our minds who without any doubt have carved out a permanent niche amongst the pantheon of all-time great batsman. However there are some batsman we forget who who have not climbed the barrier of truly great batsman,statistically..Mohammad Azharudin,Zaheer Abbas,David Gower,Mark Waugh are vivid examples of batsman categorized in this bracket.The batsman who comes most to my mind is Dilip Vengsarkar. This young prodigy revealed his prowess first in the West Indies in 1975-76 when almost every Indian batsman was all at sea against the fiery war launched by the West Indian pace attack.It was a sight to see Vengsarkar so calm in a situation reminiscent of a torrent.He went on to make some fine fifties on tours of Australia and Pakistan in 1978 but it was finally in Calcutta in 1978-79 against West Indies did he prove his true prowess when scoring 157 not out in an unbeaten 344 run partnership with Gavaskar.Now India had atlast found a stable one down batsman. In 1979 on the tour of England Vengsarkar played possibly the most memorable inings of his career at Lords in the 2nd test.On the final day India were still over 200 runs behind with 2 wickets already down.England had scored 419 runs,323 ahead of India.Vengsarkar joined Vishwanath and saved India in a record 3rd wicket partnership for India in England.He scored 103 with some majestic drives on a seaming top.Above all he svaed the game for India like ressurecting an army that looked virtually defeated.At leeds he scored 65 on awet surface with the ball moving around while at the Oval his 52 played a major role in India's run chase of 448 at the Oval when they fell 9 runs short.Infact had hes tayed on I would have backed India to make the highest 4th innings winning total. In 1979-80 versus Pakistan India almost repeated the effort at Oval in 1979 when chasing 391 run sin the 4th innings and falling 26 runs short.Vengsarkar's 146 not out played a major role.His drives against Imran Khan and Sikander Bhaky were truly majestic. Sadly he hardly shone on the 1980-81 tours of Australia and New Zealand apart from a 75 at Dunedin. In 1981-82 he revealed his talent ion one day Internationals against England but was not succesful in the test matches.In 1982 in England he scored an epic 157 at Lords after India followed on 282 runs behind.His driving ,cutting and hooking was truly regal played with the authority of a king adressing an army.India lost by 7 wickets but averted an innings defeat because of Vengsarkar. In 1982-83 although he was inconsistent he gave glimpses of his talent when scoring 79 at Karachi in the 2nd test when the remainder of the Indian batting succumbed to Imran Khan.Imran had torn through the heart of the Indian batting removing Gavaskar,Amarnath,Vishwanath,Sandeeo Patil and Kapil Dev.This proved Dilip's prowess against fiery prowess.In the final test he scored an invaluable 89 at Karachi.On the 1983 tour of WEst Indies he scored an invaluable 94 at Antigua after an unsuccesful series ,otherwise. In 1983-1984 versus West Indies Vengsarkar arguably proved he was a truly great player rather than a mere good one.He topped the Indian batting averages scoring 427 runs in 8 innings.He scored a marvelous 159 at Delhi and 102 at Mumbai apart from fifties at Kanpur and Delhi.I can never forget his blistering drives and pull shots against the likes of Holding Marshall and Daniel.He overshadowed every other Indian batsman,including Sunil Gavaskar. Apart from scoring 137 at Kanpur Vengsarkar had an unsuccesful series against England at home.In 1985-86 in Australia he batted consistently but gave no great performance. Every batsman has a peak in his career which almost defines his greatness.From 1986 to 1988 Vengsarkar dominated the cricket world like few batsman have ever done.From the docile sub -continent pitches to the seaming English tracks Vengsarkar revealed the command of a great emperor annexing territory after territory.He was officially rated the best batsman in the world.In my book in that period Dilip was batsman in the Viv Richards class.His domination in this period is more than any Indian batting great ever notching up 1751 runs at an average of 92.27 with 8 hundreds.This surpassed Gavaskar's golden era of 1721 runs in 13 test at an average of 86.05 with 7 hundreds. In the 1986 English summer his century at Lords won India it's 1st test match at Lords.His 9th wicket partnership with Kiran More made an epic contribution when Dilip revealed his prowess in batting with the tail.Above all he scored his 3rd consecutive century at Lords cricket ground-the mecca of cricket.In the 2nd test at Headingley Dilip's 102 not out was one of test cricket's best knocks ever. On a green top with the ball seaming around he displayed his true mastery with a flurry of drives and cut shots.India won the game by over 280 runs.In that series Vengsarkar averaged 90 runs. I have rarely seen an Indian batsman display such regal command and mastery as Dilip did that season.His composure reminded me of the great Greg Chappell.Above all his batting won India the series.Dilip,surpassed the past efforts of Hazare,Mankad or Gavaskar.,giving arguably the best display by any Indian batsman in a series in England. He averaged over 100 runs in 4 test matches at home against Sri Lanka and Australia in 1986 ,including knocks of 164 n.o and 166.He averaged over 65 against Pakistan in 1986-1987,including 109 at Ahmedabad. At Banglore versus Pakistan he superbly negotiated a bad track scoring 50 out of a total of 144. In 1987-88 Vengsarkar magnificiently resisted the great West Indian bowling attack with centuries in Delhi and Calcutta.It was a sight to behold witnessing his great skill in counter-attacking the pace of Walsh and Paterson,like a military commander resisting the enemy.His 51 an 40 not out saved the 2nd test at Mumbai .In the 1st test at Delhi his hundred was scored on a treachorous surface where his drives were truly regal.To me it was one of the best exhibitions by an Indian batsman against West Indies.Dilip averaged a remarkable 101.66 batting average in this series. Sadly after 1988 his batting career declined which led to his retirement after the 1992 tour of Australia.Although revealing glimpses of his talent he was not his old self. Amongst the pantheon of Indian batting greats Vengsarkar has cared a permanent niche.Infact I would place only Tendulkar,Gavaskar,Dravid ,Sehwag and Vishwanath ahead.It is a remarkable fact that Vengsarkar has the best record against the great West Indian bowling ,even ahead of Gavaskar. Remember most of Gavaskar's hundreds against West Indies was not against their best attack.Vengsarkar is almost Vishwanath's equal.I place him ahead of Azharrudin as he has a better record against genuine pace.In his peak period Vengsarkar if not overshadowed joined the likes of Viv Richards or Javed Miandad. Personally,I would class Vengsarkar as a truly great batsman who posessed a genius of his own with his leg side drive.On his day he could launch an amazing flurry of drives,cut,pull and hook shots.His drives revealed mastery particularly on the leg side.What may go against Dilip was that he was not prolific in West Indies or Australia and he had a much better record at home than away.Some critiques claim he batted for himself but I do not subscribe to that opinion.Remember his invaluable contributions against England and West Indies.Vengsarkar would have relished the slow pitches of the modern game and was a strong candidate to join the club of batsman averaging above fifty runs..I am certain he would have joined the all time one -day greats with his improvisation.Overall I would categorise Vengsarakar with greats like Graham Goch,David Gower or Zaheer Abbas. I feel Indian cricket needs to remember the contribution of Dilip Vengsarkar,whose name is often forgotten.If he posessed the grit of Javed Miandad he may well have been rated amongst the all -time great batsman.His 3 succesive hundreds at Lords forever live in my memorywhere he lliterally re-kindled the flame of Indian cricket.All 3 were epics in their own right.

[carnish]

NO

[vvvslaxman]

He was world no.1 batsman in the world for a brief period. Couple of years i believe. Ahead of Richards, Sunny everybody else. Such a reliable player he was during that time.

[FischerTal]

helped win a series in England.... :hatsoff:

[carnish]

He was world no.1 batsman in the world for a brief period. Couple of years i believe. Ahead of Richards' date=' Sunny everybody else. Such a reliable player he was during that time.[/quote'] Still, the Question remains ... Is he an ATG?? I think NO.

[JaFanatic]

Yes, one of the greatest test cricketers :hatsoff:

[G_B_]

one of the finest......:hatsoff:

[Sooda]

The only centuries he scored overseas were the three at Lords, would not get into an AT India team

[saneindian]

An Indian great but not an ATG. Did not do full justice to his talent. With his grit and sound technique, should have scored many more 100s. My dad still abuses him for sitting out of the '87 WC semifinal and calls it (and Gavaskar getting bowled through the gate) a conspiracy by the Mumbai lobby against Kapil paaji!

[The Outsider]

An Indian great but not an ATG. Did not do full justice to his talent. With his grit and sound technique, should have scored many more 100s. My dad still abuses him for sitting out of the '87 WC semifinal and calls it (and Gavaskar getting bowled through the gate) a conspiracy by the Mumbai lobby against Kapil paaji!

There were very strong rumors about it. You forgot to mention another Bombay lobby guy jumping down the track and repeatedly defending balls back to Hemmings.

[rkt.india]

There were very strong rumors about it. You forgot to mention another Bombay lobby guy jumping down the track and repeatedly defending balls back to Hemmings.

Shashtri. :giggle: Though I was still in nappies at that time but still if I imagine the scene now, I :cantstop:

[Raghav_12]

There were very strong rumors about it. You forgot to mention another Bombay lobby guy jumping down the track and repeatedly defending balls back to Hemmings.

That Bombay lobby guy did not need to conspire to do that. His own incompetency was enough to make him play like that. Irony is, now he wants everybody to hit like a tracer bullet.

[JaFanatic]

That Bombay lobby guy did not need to conspire to do that. His own incompetency was enough to make him play like that. Irony is' date=' now he wants everybody to hit like a tracer bullet.[/quote'] :hysterical::hysterical:

[rkt.india]

That Bombay lobby guy did not need to conspire to do that. His own incompetency was enough to make him play like that. Irony is' date=' now he wants everybody to hit like a tracer bullet.[/quote'] but same guy hit 6 sixes too.

[Temujin Khaghan]

not all time great. but indian great like amarnath, gundappa and the spin quartet. just like boon was oz great but not atg... like that

[adi B]

but same guy hit 6 sixes too.

khoon khaul utha :giggle:

[Sean Bradley]

He is the Yuvraj Singh of the past, great talent, but somewhat an underachiever with the talent that he possessed.

[vvvslaxman]

Still' date=' the Question remains ... Is he an ATG?? I think NO.[/quote'] I was a big fan of him :) He played some crucial knocks for India. He and Gavaskar were the most inform player India could find in the 1980s by a country mile. Mohinder was way too inconsistent. Azharuddin was getting his feet wet. Sandipt patil started fading away in the early 80s. Yashpal, Malhotra nothing much to talk about. His 166 at Cuttack against SL His 102 at Leeds against England His 102 at Kolkata against West Indies are some of the top class innings in his career.

[StatsRock]

I was a big fan of him :) He played some crucial knocks for India. He and Gavaskar were the most inform player India could find in the 1980s by a country mile. Mohinder was way too inconsistent. Azharuddin was getting his feet wet. Sandipt patil started fading away in the early 80s. Yashpal, Malhotra nothing much to talk about. His 166 at Cuttack against SL His 102 at Leeds against England His 102 at Kolkata against West Indies are some of the top class innings in his career.

The 102 at Kolkata was on a road. The 102 at Delhi in the first Test and his Ahmedabad 100 vs Pakistan were better knocks.

[StatsRock]

My old post on Vengsarkar http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showpost.php?p=1902565&postcount=15