It’s been half a century since G.R. Viswanath crafted his immortal innings at Chepauk and those fortunate enough to witness it, like me, can still recall so much of it. The passage of time has in no way diminished its stature and memories of his ethereal strokeplay are still razor sharp. For the next generation it has become so much a part of cricketingfolklore that even they are aware of the greatness of his 97 not out sculpted on January 11, 1975, the first day of the fourth Test against West Indies and that it occupies a very special place in the honour list of Indian cricket’s finest knocks.
Viewed from any angle Viswanath’s 97 not out – his falling just short of a hundred somehow magnifies the enormity of his achievement – takes its place among the numerous bigger knocks scripted by Indian batsmen over the years. Numerically it is well short of 319, 309, 281 and 236 not out – some of the easily familiar scores in Indian cricket – but as far as dazzling strokeplay, the quality of the bowling, the fighting qualities akin to the boy who stood alone on the burning deck syndrome it is on a pedestal as far as sub non three-figure knocks are concerned. The fact that no one else got more than 19 is a statistical detail that underscores the value of the innings to the side as also the result which saw India win by 100 runs.
West Indies had won the first two Tests but India won the third at Calcutta so the series was very much open as the teams assembled at Chepauk. MAK Pataudi playing in what turned out to be his last Test series won the toss and elected to bat. But India lost both openers Farokh Engineer and Eknath Solkar with just 24 runs on the board. Viswanath entered at this stage. He had top scored in both innings at Calcutta with scores of 52 and 139 and confidence personified quickly gave indications of playing another substantial knock. But at the other end the innings continued to flounder against the four-pronged pace attack of Andy Roberts, Bernard Julien, Keith Boyce and Vanburn Holder supplemented by the off spin of Lance Gibbs. On a surface that helped the fast bowlers the role of Gibbs was going to be minimal but Roberts in keeping with his reputation was proving to be a menace. He was menacingly fast as he also made the ball bounce disconcertingly.
Twenty four for two became 41 for four before Ashok Mankad helped Viswanath to increase the score by 33 runs when he was out for 19. Roberts who dismissed Mankad was now unstoppable and he quickly sliced through the late order. He bowled Madanlal and Karsan Ghavri and had Erapalli Prasanna caught behind by Murray. The pace spearhead had now taken six wickets and India were 117 for eight.
But as long as Viswanath was at the crease there remained hope for the Indian team and the Chepauk crowd for whom he was always a favourite. He was in the forties when Bishen Bedi joined him for the ninth wicket. So far Viswanath had been elegance personified bringing off text book strokes as only he could the trademark square cut being dominant. Now left with only Bedi and B.S. Chandrasekhar both the very definition of tailenders he had to take on full responsibility. He did so by farming the strike bringing all his skill and experience into play. To his credit Bedi provided able support fully aware of his role – no flourishing strokes just putting bat to ball and staying put at the crease. But the crowd had eyes only for Viswanath who now blazed forth with daring shots on both sides of the wicket. He drove, pulled, hooked and cut the ball repeatedly to the fence and skipper Clive Lloyd just threw in the towel as far as trying to get Viswanath out and concentrated on getting the wicket of Bedi. Finally after the ninth wicket had added 52 precious runs Bedi was bowled by Gibbs for 14.
Joined by last man Chandra, Viswanath now pressed for further glory, racing through the 80s into the 90s. He also did his utmost to keep Chandra from the menacing fury of Roberts. Off the fast bowler’s fourth delivery of his 22nd over he took a single which meant that Chandra had two deliveries to negotiate. Roberts ran in bowled a ball trifle shot of a length outside the off stump it took the edge of Chandra’s helpless bat and went to Lloyd at gully.
Chandra who made just one left the crease but not before an apologetic gesture to Viswanath who was on 97. As the players left the field with the Indian innings terminating at 190 the capacity crowd at Chepauk rose and cheered Viswanath all the way. The applause was loud and long till it reached a crescendo as the little figure entered the pavilion and vanished from view. A share of the applause was also reserved for Roberts who finished with seven for 64. He established a mastery over every batsman save one who in fact mastered him. Viswanath had delighted the delirious Chepauk crowd for 228 minutes hitting 14 fours. And when Raj Singh Dungarpur one of the selectors said “all things considered I don’t think I have seen a better innings’’ he echoed the views of every one present on the ground that day.
The immense value of Viswanath’s innings must also be seen against the backdrop of what happened thereafter. West Indies got a slender lead of two runs on the first innings. The Indian batting was seen in better light the second time around. They compiled 256 with Viswanath finishing as the second top scorer (46) behind Anshuman Gaekwad’s 80. Requiring 255 for victory West Indies were bowled out for 154 Prasanna finished with a match haul of nine wickets but there was little doubt as to who had done the most to shape the significant triumph that saw India square the series.