Come December 2 and the Cricket Club of India will come alive with Test cricket action which has eluded the hallowed Brabourne Stadium for 36 long years.
Come December 2 and the Cricket Club of India will come alive with Test cricket action which has eluded the hallowed Brabourne Stadium for 36 long years. DNA looks at
the glorious past of the fabled ground that is still considered as Lord’s of India.
Brabourne Stadium is next only to Lord’s
Ajit Wadekar
If there is anything next to Lord’s, then it has to be the CCI. I have this dubious distinction of being the last Indian captain to have played there.
I went for the toss with Tony Lewis, saw a lot of grass but realised that the wicket wasn’t watered properly. Lewis called it wrong and I decided to bat. They were shocked with my decision. But we ended the first day with a score of 370 plus, losing only three wickets. It was a relief as my decision was justified.
Also during that last Test, Tony Greig was bowling wide outside the off stump. I was so annoyed that I took the off stump and stuck it at the end of the crease. He got upset and came to me and said I will hit you on you head next time you do this. I gave him back saying, “Go back to your mark, you bowl slower than Prasanna.”
My first match as a spectator was in CCI. I went to see it from the East Stand which was actually a ladies stand. But I went with my sister and so I could manage to sneak in there. It was during that match when Neil Harvey came down the track and hit Subhash Gupte’s first ball for a six. It is still etched in my memory. He became my hero.
But the most vivid memory was when I met Gary Sobers on the eve of my Test debut. I was practising in nets with torn shoes. He came to me and asked if I was to play the game next day. I said yes. He asked if I was to play with those shoes. I was superstitious and said yes. Then he asked me for my size and the next day, he gave me a new pair. I was so pleasantly surprised but unfortunately I wasn’t home and he gave it to my mother and asked her to pass the message. But believe me I got out for a duck in the game and I looked at Gary and said “this was because of your shoes” and we had a good laugh over it.
(Ajit Wadekar was the captain when India played the last Test at CCI. He spoke to Gautam Sheth)
I want to know why was it sidelined for so long
Nari Contractor
The beauty of this ground is unmatchable. I rate it one of the best in the world. The hospitality for the players here is something you won’t find anywhere. The players can stay here and come down to the dressing room in no time — any player would die for such convenience. In our days, the wicket always played good, the outfield could not be matched by any other venue.
For me, Brabourne was everything. My cricket started at this illustrious ground. I remember scoring my first hundred while playing for my school here. As I graduated to the Mumbai Ranji side, this is where I made my debut. If that wasn’t enough, the first time I led India in a Test was here. I also scored my first Test hundred at this venue.
Not me but any cricketer who has played here would only have great memories share. It is unfortunate that — for various reasons — other stadiums have come up and the Brabourne has taken a backseat. But it is like, “If wishes were horses”. Get me someone to answer for which genuine cricketing reason a stadium like this, probably one of the best in the world, isn’t getting games.
It is disappointing to know that the World Cup 2011 will come to India and the Brabourne won’t host a match.
(Nari Contractor is a former India captain. He spoke to Gautam Sheth)
JRD hugged my sweaty body after I scored a ton
Farokh Engineer
For me, CCI is one of the leading clubs of the world. I have always considered myself proud for the honourary life membership given to me. It is my home in Mumbai. It’s a great stadium. It is the best club in the world. I book a room overlooking the ground. It brings back happy memories for me from the club. I have a lot of time and affection for the club.
The last century scored here in a Test match was by me against England. This was against Tony Lewis’s England. I remember when I was coming back to the pavilion, JRD Tata, who was watching the match, gave me a big hug.
He was in a white safari suit. He was hugging my sweaty body. I asked him ‘what are you doing?’ He came with me to the dressing room, brought me a glass of water, sat by me and started taking my pads off. I said, ‘please don’t embarrass me.’ So it has very great memories for me. The ground reminds me a lot of special moments.
The ground is absolutely beautiful. The club house and its background make for an ideal combination. The CCI and Brabourne Stadium are absolutely fantastic.
It’s great to have a Test match at CCI. I’m sure it will be very, very popular and very well received by the members and the public of Mumbai. You have the North Stand it brings back a lot of nostalgic memories. Much as I wish to be present for the Test I would not be there but I will be watching it with great interest. I will be in Hong Kong. I will miss the ambience surrounding the ground.
However, I still maintain that Lord’s is the Mecca of cricket. It is one of the most beautiful grounds in the world. It will always be one of the top most stadiums in the world. You can’t compare Lord’s with CCI but they’re both very similar places and both are very close to my heart.
(Farokh Engineer is a former India wicket-keeper batsman. He spoke to Vijay Tagore)
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