Email
Print
ShareGroundsman, who has seen Sunny, Sachin and Rohit play at Wankhede, looks back and ahead
MUMBAI: Love at first sight! That's how head groundsman of the Wankhede Stadium, VK Tambe, fell for the most loved sport of country -- cricket.
Started as a mechanic in a railway workshop, Tambe switched over to become a maali at the Wankhede 25 years back. Then he had zero knowledge of cricket, Sunil Gavaskar was a known name though.
"He was a hero of India during his era," says Tambe. "When I joined Wankhede Stadium in 1982 I knew very little about cricket except the heroes of Indian cricket like Gavaskar, Sandip Patil, Dilip Vengsarkar." He cannot recollect more names due to fading memory.
"My father was a mill worker. He started working at the Wankhede Stadium as maali after the mills were closed in Mumbai. He later told me to join him. He died as a maali but I went on to become a grounds man. I look after the maintenance of the wicket," he said.
The 52-year-old also recalled that the stadium used to be packed when Gavaskar would bat even in the Ranji Trophy matches.
"The stadium would be packed when he batted. I don't exactly remember his innings but his century against Australia was amazing. Not only him, but Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri scored a ton each in the Test match," said Tambe referring to 1986-87 match which ended in a draw. It was Gavaskar's 33rd century.
Tambe says two batsmen will always remain his favourites and both are legends. "The first one is Sunil Gavaskar. Bowlers used to be wary of him. And the second is Sachin Tendulkar.
We don't have the time to watch the match as we are busy with other commitments. However, I take out time to watch him live in stadium," says Tambe.
Talking about the Wankhede Stadium pitch, he says, it was good at that time with both bowlers and batsmen getting support from the wicket.
"It has improved a lot with new techniques coming in everyday to prepare the pitches. Otherwise nothing has changed in the stadium except for new boxes or stands coming up," said Tambe.
On the past (Sunil Gavaskar), present (Sachin Tendulkar) and future (Rohit Sharma) of Mumbai cricket, Tambe says he cannot compare them. However, he says the future is as bright as the past and present.
"When Sunil Gavaskar played there were more Test matches here. In the present Sachin's era, we have more ODIs. When Rohit Sharma takes centrestage of Indian cricket, we may have more ofTwenty20."
