Singer, commentator and a masterful cricketer

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar turns 43 on Saturday. Gautam Sheth tries to find a few words for this technically perfect batsman-commentator.

If one writes down the list of India's technically gifted batsmen, former India batsman Sanjay Vijay Manjrekar would definitely make it to the list. The Mangalore born batter had got cricket in his genes. His father, Vijay Manjrekar was another gem of a batsman that our country has produced.

For the record, his father scored more centuries than his son. Sanjay in his 37 Test matches career scored 4 centuries where as his father hit 7 centuries while representing India in 55 Test matches. Commentators and pundits who saw both the senior and junior Manjrekar playing could easily say that Sanjay inherited the technical aptitude from his father.

However, Sanjay also played 74 One day internationals in which he scored 1994 runs at a better than modest average of 33.23. But the numbers could not justify the talent of this batsman. When K Srikkanth led India toured Pakistan way back in 1988-89 season, Manjrekar was in a purple patch. In the 4 Tests played against the arch-rivals, Manjrekar plundered 569 runs with three half-centuries, one century and his sole double hundred.

He particularly was a splendid player of fast bowling. His appetite for relishing the quickies could be made out easily when he scored his maiden century against West Indies in Bridgetown. Coming in at 68-4 against the pace quartet of Marshall, Bishop, Ambrose and Walsh, Manjrekar scored a patient 108. Even when he amassed a heap of runs against Pakistan, he had faced the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aaquib Javed at the peak of their bowling careers.

Later in his career, he somehow lost that self-possessed technique and balance after unsuccessful stints on the bouncy tracks of Australia in 1991-92 tour and then in 1992-93 tour to South Africa. After this low he hardly scored runs and withered away from the international scene. He tried to re-invent himself by introducing himself as an opener but was unsuccessful at it. Sanjay was also known for his singing abilities and at times has been his team-mates delight too.

Nevertheless, post-retirement, he took up cricket commentating and has been a successful and astute observer. The flair and flow in his vocalization got him accolades from various quarters. From Manjrekar's pandora's box of cricket analysis, his sharp annotations for Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar in a daily newspaper drew criticism for him from all the possible parts of the country.

For the first time ever, somebody gathered strength to question Sachin's never known watchful method then. Manjrekar's comments gave the controversy hungry media a chance to raise a finger at someone. He received flak but didn't back out on his comments. As a matter of fact, Manjrekar played with Sachin for India and Mumbai too. Many cricket experts condemned and questioned Manjrekar's credentials. Some also said that he was trying to gain cheap publicity by drawing Sachin's name.

But as time moved on, things fell in place and the controversy died down too. Manjrekar now is busy with his commentating and writing commitments. For the trivia, when Manjrekar scored his second century against Pakistan, it was also the debut of the great Sachin Tendulkar. Finally, for sharing all his cricket wisdom and entertaining and educating all his viewers, here are my best wishes to Sanjay Manjrekar on completion of 43 years of his life.

s_gautam@dnaindia.net