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VOL. XXIII No. 11, September 16-30, 2013
A swashbuckling entertainer at the top of order
The eleventh in a series of profiles by V. Ramnarayan of cricketers who may have made an all-time Madras* squad.

Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

Few Tamil Nadu cricketers had captured the national – even international – imagination as Krishnamachari Srikkanth did in the 1980s, with his uninhibited aggression, unorthodox ways and literally over-the-top batsmanship. He came into the Indian XI as Gavaskar’s opening partner at a time when the Little Master was in the middle of a successful partnership with Chetan Chauhan but, after a scratchy debut, Srikkanth quickly established his unique style as an impressive, destructive, if idiosyncratic, foil to Gavaskar’s technical perfection.

I first came across Srikkanth’s unusual gifts when I heard Dilip Vengsarkar describe his fireworks in the Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup match which he won for his side with a frenetic hundred against all odds. Vengsarkar who had watched the innings – I don’t remember if he was at the receiving end or a spectator – with incredulity, predicted a bright future for the intrepid young opener.

It was Srikkanth’s 90 at Hyderabad against Pakistan in partnership with T.E. Srinivasan who scored a hundred that brought him into the limelight. While TE scored another century in the Irani Cup that season and booked his berth to Australia, Srikkanth had to wait till another season, before he made his debut against the touring Englishmen. Though he averaged only 19.83 in that series, his ability to score quickly and demoralise the bowlers with his irreverence and unorthodox, ways, must have helped him to stay in contention for the opener’s slot at the end of the season. His impressive 38 in the final, which played a crucial role in India’s unexpected 1983 World Cup triumph in England, earned him many fans and his way back into the Indian team on a more permanent basis.

In fact, the World Cup in particular and one-day internationals in general proved decisive in shaping Srikkanth’s career in international cricket. Though he was not a role model in terms of batting technique, his fairly simple batting principles included a preponderance of shots in the V, often clearing the infield, especially against the attacking fields of the early overs. He was a fierce hooker, unafraid against the best in the business and a strong cutter as well. Very quick between the wickets, he managed to win the confidence of his senior partner Sunil Gavaskar, once the master batsman unravelled Srikkanth’s methods.

His brilliant batting against Pakistan during that country’s visit to India in 1986-87 included his best Test innings of 123 at Chepauk, Chennai, where he pummelled Imran Khan & Co. to all parts of the ground, to the delight of his home crowd. His other hundred in Test cricket had come at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia in the 1985-86 season, perhaps his most consistent Test series. During that series, and the tour of England as a member of Kapil Dev’s victorious team, Srikkanth was batting at his best, though in England he did not convert good starts into big scores.

Australia was where Srikkanth had grown to folk heroic status during the same season, running Ravi Shastri close in a thrilling chase for the player of the series and Audi car award. Many felt Srikkanth deserved the prize as much as his opening partner, as he played an invaluable role with his electrifying batting, superb fielding and enthusiasm in India’s triumph in the World Championship of Cricket.

Srikkanth flourished throughout his career in limited overs cricket, not only as an attacking batsman and all-round fielder, but also as a very useful off-spinner, with two five wicket hauls in that form of the game placing him above many regular bowlers. In local cricket, he was also capable of rare bursts of medium-pace bowling, especially when he was fresh out of college.

Playing for Tamil Nadu, Srikkanth gave the team many explosive starts. His partnership with V Sivaramakrishnan was often compared to successful pairs of the past like Johnstone and Nailer and Rajagopal and Belliappa. Like Nailer and Rajagopal before him, Srikkanth was the quintessential aggressor who unnerved the bowlers with his daring assaults and restless ways at the crease. (The Pakistan captain and bowling spearhead Imran Khan was once driven to such despair by his audacious batting and eccentric walkabouts at the crease, that he muttered loudly, “I can’t even swear at this chap when he walks away towards the square leg umpire after every incorrigible shot” or words to that effect.)

Srikkanth was named India captain in 1989. Though unsuccessful with the bat, he managed to bring the team together as a cohesive and fighting unit, creating a record of sorts by drawing the series. It was quite an achievement, given India’s earlier record in Pakistan. It was on that tour that the boy wonder, Sachin Tendulkar, made his Test debut.

Dropped from the team on his return, he spent a couple of years in the wilderness, and his subsequent form after he made a comeback was average. He could not reproduce his earlier success of the Australian tour and the 1992 World Cup, and within a year he was omitted from the South Zone squad in the Duleep Trophy. He announced his retirement from international cricket, but continued his association with the game in several capacities, the highest of which was as chairman of the national selection committee. During his tenure, the Indian team came up with several creditable performances in India and abroad, peaking with the World Cup triumph in 2011, though he and his colleagues received more than their fair share of brickbats when India was trounced in England and Australia in recent series.

Srikkanth has also worn other hats in cricket, as an expert whose views TV channels frequently seek, for instance. In this and in his role as mentor to the Chennai Super Kings, he has often come through as an amusing and colourful personality with an original mind.

Srikkanth’s career statistics read 2,062 runs in Tests, with two hundreds, and an average of 29.88, and 4,091 runs in ODIs with 4 hundreds and an average of 29.01. Strangely, his strike rate of 71.74 in ODIs was only marginally better than Rahul Dravid’s 71.24. He will, however, always be remembered for the joy he brought to millions of spectators by his carefree batting and unbridled enthusiasm on the field.

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A swashbuckling entertainer at the top of order

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