Flaming Innings: K. Srikanth destroyed the Australian bowling attack on his way to his first century in Test cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January 1986. Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
A famous son of Chennai recently bid farewell to international cricket under Australian skies. R. Ashwin made a quick announcement at the Gabba in Brisbane on 18 December. It shocked the cricketing world and with the legend back home, it’s time for another famous son of Chennai to remember his part in the Sun Down Under.
It was during the 1985-86 cricket season when Kapil Dev’s men were on their tour of Australia. Indian openers like Sunil Gavaskar and K. Srikanth was The latter, an aggressive batsman and proud of his Tamil roots, formed a great bond with his legendary friend. Slashing the fast bowler, hoisting the spinners and twisting the nose were Srikanth’s specialties.
A mixture of fire and ice
Having made his national debut in 1981 and then becoming the top scorer in the 1983 World Cup final at Lord’s, the Chennai raiders had cemented their place in the Indian ranks. In ODIs, he opened with Ravi Shastri, while the most famous Mumbaikar Gavaskar was his partner in Tests. They had a classic mix of fire and ice.
As the Indian team went to Sydney (January, 1986) after draws in the previous Tests in Adelaide and Melbourne, confidence within the ranks was high. There was also a lurking suspicion that the host umpires were a bit dodgy and that neutral umpiring was not in vogue at the time.
India batted first and got off to a dream start with Gavaskar and Srikanth scoring runs. Both scored centuries and it was very special for the latter as it was his maiden century in Tests. Madras players scored 116 runs off 117 balls. It was limited-overs batting performed in cricket’s longest format, but so was Srikkanth, the forerunner of the Virender Sehwags and Rohit Sharmas of the modern era.
Dragging his career
Although the opener stumbled in an Australian attack led by vulnerable speedster Bruce Reid, his leg injury meant he was considering a return to the dressing room. “I told Cheka to stay at the crease, take the runner and we had Laxman Sivaramakrishnan stepping on,” Gavaskar recalled. Although there was occasional unexpected comedy, the rest was history as Srikanth forgot that he was a runner.
For a player who hated the ‘lottu’ (defensive shot) and favored the ‘thuki adi’ (loft and play) method, Srikanth’s efforts cemented his status in Tests and he extended his career to the 1991-92 tour of Australia. Perhaps, it is a coincidence that Srikanth and Ashwin’s last Test was in Australia.
published – December 22, 2024 at 10:47 am IST