Pataudi (Jr) ensured that I did not gain entry into Indian team, says VV Kumar

Former India and Tamil Nadu leg-spinner VV Kumar will be driving down from Chennai to Bengaluru on Wednesday for the BCCI annual awards night. His services to Indian cricket has been recognised at his ripe age of 81 by the BCCI Committee of Administrators. He will be honoured with the Special Award along with former India pacer, late Ramakant Desai.

Kumar, who was actively involved in cricket until about four years ago through coaching at the National Cricket Academy and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's academy, is now-a-days encouraging his 11-year-old grandson into football.

But he has not disassociated himself from the game in which he took 599 first-class wickets in 129 first matches from 1955-56 to 1976-77. These include 418 in Ranji Trophy and seven in two Tests he played in 1961, each nine months apart. He is also abreast with the game today.

Kumar is often spoken in the same breath as Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel – both the left-arm spinners receive the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award – as the unfortunate ones not to play more for India, their careers coinciding with the famous spin quartet of BS Chandrasekhar, Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan. Though Kumar played in two Tests, Shivalkar and Goel did not.

Ask Kumar if he had regrets in his playing days and he said he was happy with whatever he got. Addressing himself as a third person throughout this chat, Kumar said that former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (Jr) "ensured that VV Kumar did not gain entry into the Indian team".

Kumar said from Chennai in a chat with DNA: "Taking into consideration the performances of Padmakar Shivalkar, Rajinder Goel and VV Kumar, we had a tremendous captains those days like Nari Contractor, Polly Umrigar and Tiger Pataudi. Chandra, Prasanna and Bishan were at their peak, as also were Goel, VV Kumar and Shivalkar.

"Pataudi had a mindset going into Test matches with the spin quartet. In those days, ML Jaisimha would take the new ball and after two or three deliveries, he'd rub it on the ground and throw it to Chandrasekhar. This mindset continued for four-five years as long as Tiger was the captain. So, the BCCI, captain or selection committee trying to play Shivalkar, Goel or VV Kumar did not arise.

"The mindset was such that Pataudi wanted only Prasanna, Chandra, Bedi and Venkat. And, he wanted to win matches by superlative efforts. Four or five years were lost for Shivalkar, Goel and VV Kumar by this and we went into oblivion.

"Chandra was a bowler who was capable of giving 25 runs in an over but in the next over, would take three wickets. Pataudi wanted match-winning bowler who would finish the match in a short span. For that he had a weapon in Chandrasekhar. Although I did extremely well in domestic matches, I fell short of the expectations of Pataudi."

Kumar added Pataudi would do it through his actions and not tell Kumar that he was not playing. "After a point of time, ML Jaisimha would come and tell me, 'sorry VV, you are not playing'."

Played 2nd Test with wrist injury

Kumar, who took a five-wicket haul in his first Test against Pakistan in Delhi, said he was forced to play his second Test against England though he was not fully fit.

"When I played my Pakistan Test match, Vijay Hazare was the chairman of selectors and said, 'We have a spinner for another 10 years'. But the next Test against Ted Dexter's England at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, I I had a wrist injury and sought Ayurveda treatment. I was forced to play that match so that India could win over England. Though the intentions were good, I was only 80 per cent. After that I did not play a Test. This was the stand the selectors took.

"As long as Pataudi was there, he ensured that I did not gain an entry into the team because he already had match-winners. Perhaps Chandra would take 10 overs to take four wickets and VV Kumar may take 25 overs for 3 wickets. BS has been beating batsmen all over the world. So, why change the combination. That decision caught us unawares."

So, what kept him going?

"Some people keep saying I was insulted or not treated badly and suggested I say good bye to the game. I said, 'By saying no to selectors who still had faith in you, the game is being insulted. And, you are insulting the game'. I kept on playing as long as the fire was still burning in me."

KUMARSPEAK

On Ashwin-Jadeja…

"Ravichandran Ashwin has crossed quite a few milestones in a short span, which is highly appreciable. But, the success achieved by Ashwin has to be perceived in two ways – the exposure to foreign soil and the exposure to Indian and sub-continental conditions. I want Ashwin to concentrate on areas so that he succeeded in sub-continent and outside equally. Getting a Test wicket is difficult all over the world. In sub-continent conditions, getting a Test wicket is like eating a peanut.

"Jadeja is a flat bowler. His forte is accuracy and control. He waits for batsmen to make mistakes rather than making the batsmen commit mistakes."

On Amit Mishra...

"Amit Mishra is the best leg-spinner India have today but he does not have certain qualities. The crux of leg spin lies in so many things that's missing in Mishra. I don't see Mishra put so much of revolutions to the ball. He seeks assistance from the pitch to take wicket. Subash Gupte or Shane Warne tried to beat you through the air and off the pitch. They also played with the batsman's mind. They made you play certain shots that you won't otherwise play, and get out. They used the field and bowled to it. Mishra does not have these."