Revision as of 19:03, 29 January 2015

1981: Melbourne

The Times of India

Dec 28 2014

I regret my act of dissent in 1981: Gavaskar

Melbourne

Almost three decades after the infamous walkout incident in the Melbourne cricket Test which generated huge controversy, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar today regretted his act of dissent and said that it was a big mistake on his part. In the 1981 series that had been dogged by some inconsistent umpiring, a Dennis Lillee in-cutter caught Gavaskar plumb in front and umpire Rex Whitehead, standing in just his third Test, raised the finger.

But Gavaskar, who thought that the ball had got his bat on the way to the pad, protested by standing his ground long enough.

Gavaskar also slapped his pads with the bat, letting the umpire know about his anger. As Gavaskar reluc tantly started to leave, Lillee reportedly made one comment too many and the Indian snapped, returned to the crease and instructed fellow opener Chetan Chauhan to walk off the pitch with him.

A bemused Chauhan did as he was told, but at the boundary rope, the batsmen were met by team manager Shahid Durrani and Bapu Nadkarni, the assistant manager. Chauhan was persuaded to return to resume his innings, while Gavaskar walked into the pavilion.

“I regret the decision. It was a big mistake on my part. As Indian captain I was not supposed to act in that manner. In no way I can justify my act of defiance. Whether I was out or not, I should not have reacted that way ,“ Gavaskar said during a tea-time chat show with Sanjay Manjrekar and Kapil Dev. “If the incident would have occurred in present times then I would have been fined,“ he added.

Durrani's quick intervention saved the incident from becoming far more serious. Had Gavaskar succeeded in his walkoff then India would have been forced to forfeit the Test and faced suspension as a result.

A young Kapil Dev, who was on his second overseas tour, then spearheaded the Indian attack with aplomb to take a five for 28 and help skittle out the hosts for 83 as India were able to draw the three-match series 1-1. “I was too young at that time to react.But I can say one thing that we were all with the captain.”

The Times of India

“My stand vindicated”: says Durrani on Gavaskar walkout

Dec 29 2014

Santosh Suri

A day after Sunil Gavaskar on a TV channel regretted his infamous “walkout“ incident during the Melbourne Test in 1981, one man who feels vindicated is thethen team manager Wing Commander Shahid Ali Khan Durrani, who had averted an ugly situation. The Lucknow-based Durrani, who retired as Group Captain after a long stint with the Air Force and UP-governmentrun Uptron, told TOI that once back in the pavilion, the Indian skipper had regretted the incident. “But, to my knowledge, this is the first time he has done so in public.“ Durrani said he was worried when he saw the attempted walkout. “It was obvious to me from the dressing room that nonstriker Chetan Chauhan was reluctant to leave the field, but Gavaskar gave him a mild push. When I saw what was happening, I rushed to the outfield from the dressing room, taking next man Dilip Vengsarkar along with me,“ he said.

“By the time I reached the outfield, both Gavaskar and Chauhan were just about a few metres from the boundary . This is when I ordered Chauhan back to the crease and sent Vengsarkar in. Fortunately for India, a very ugly situation was averted which could have caused India and the BCCI a great deal of em barrassment.“ Durrani had termed Gavaskar's behaviour “deplorable“ in his manager's report then.

“In the dressing room, I talked to Gavaskar and prevailed upon him to forget the incident and to get on with the game. He realised his mistake and the game proceeded without any more untoward incidents,“ he said. “I had strongly recommended that the BCCI should ask Gavaskar for an explanation and take action against him.“