New book celebrates Indian cricket's iconic moments and Sharjah classics

We are bang in the middle of the Cricket World Cup, but many of us can’t seem to get enough of the sport that carries so much passion and intrigue.

So, when I was presented with a copy of the recently released paperback book – Indian Cricket: Then And Now — I couldn’t resist diving into it straight away.

Well, I guess if you are a big fan of the game you are absolutely going to love this collection of stories, many old favourites but also a surfeit of delightful new narratives that you may have never come across before.

The book is a long read and can be overwhelming. It contains 50 articles penned by ex-cricketers and distinguished sports writers, all of whom joyfully trace the rapid rise of cricket in India from the colonial past to the vibrant present.

It is categorised into six sections – The Early Years, Legends of the Past, Winds of Change, The Modern Age, Domestic Stalwarts and Beyond the Pavilion – and each of them chronicles the game’s extraordinary journey starting with the iconic first-ever Test match that India played at Lord’s in 1932, against hosts England.

Then and Now also salutes legendary cricketers like CK Nayudu, Vijay Hazare, Vijay Merchant, Nari Contractor, Tiger Pataudi, Ajit Wadekar, Salim Durrani and the Spin Quartet of the 1960s and 1970s, to Sunil Gavaskar, G. R. Vishwanath, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarkar, Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

What strikes you about the articles, which are filled with information, backstories and twisted tales, is the common fascination that the contributors share which is laid bare in splendid form.

Interestingly, each story tells a different tale that will bring smiles or tears and leave you in awe and more in love with the game.

Rituraj Borkakoty, Sports Editor of the Khaleej Times, UAE’s oldest English language newspaper, brings to life the mesmerising stories of classic battles at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The writer vividly chronicles the emergence and phenomenal growth of the game in the UAE. Titled ‘Desert Classics’ Borkakoty’s passionate essay, complete with a parallel timeline, recalls how Emirati businessman Abdul Rahman Bukhatir brought the game to the UAE and through his Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) provided support to retired cricketers from India and Pakistan.

Very good too, is the writer’s interpretation of some of the classic matches played at Sharjah in the 80s and 90s including Pakistan legend Javed Miandad’s last-ball six in 1986 and Tendulkar's 'Desert Storm' in 1998.

I have always considered Suresh Menon to be one of the finest modern-day sports writers and his back story of the scenes that transpired in the Indian dressing room in 1999 after spin legend Anil Kumble claimed all ten wickets in a match against Pakistan is a masterly story — simple and cleverly told, with Menon’s characteristic dry humour which became his signature style and was inspired by one of the foremost American humorists of the 20th century, Frank Thurber.

Then and Now is an absolute treasure. There is a remarkable article by the veteran cricket writer H. Natarajan which tells the tale of how former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who had lost his one eye six months before he made his India debut, overcame the disability and became a true legend of the game.

Other gems included a first-person piece by the great Vijay Hazare who in 1948 had even made Australia applaud as he struck two hundreds in a Test against Bradman's feted team at Adelaide.

The book also features a delightful piece by Shashi Tharoor, the diplomat, bureaucrat, politician, and intellectual, on his memories of watching his first Test match at the Brabourne Stadium in 1963.