Gursharan Singh (L) and Sachin Tendulkar (R)
Former India cricketer Gursharan Singh played with a broken finger in the Irani Trophy clash in 1989 to see the then 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar score a century. This knock helped the Little Master to get a place in the Indian team for the tour. Pakistan.
India was set to tour Pakistan in 1989 in the month of November. chatter to engage the then 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar The push was getting louder but the selectors were happy to play the waiting game and did not want to rush the talented right-hander into the senior team. A week before the opening Test against Pakistan in Karachi, an Irani Trophy match was scheduled between 1988–89 Ranji Trophy champions Delhi and the star-studded Rest of India at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. While Delhi was led by all-rounder Madan Lal, Lalchand Rajput was commanding the Rest of India unit and had Gursharan Singh as his deputy.
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All five selectors – the late Raj Singh Dungarpur, Akash Lal, the late Ramesh Saxena, Gundappa Vishwanath and the late Naren Tamhane – were in attendance and wanted to see how Tendulkar fared against Delhi after a wonderful Ranji Trophy season – 583 in 7 matches Run for Bombay again. The Irani Trophy fixture was the perfect opportunity for the youngster to cement his place in the team and dispel all doubts. Former India cricketer Gursharan, who was ROI’s vice-captain for that fixture, remembers the match like it happened yesterday.
“Delhi was playing Rest of India for the Irani Trophy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. I was vice-captain for the rest of India and Lord of Cricket (Sachin) was playing his first Irani Trophy match. Sachin got out for 30 (39) in the first innings and all five selectors were watching that match. There was buzz around that if he scores a century, his chances of getting included in the squad for the Pakistan tour will go up considerably,” recalls Gursharan.
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Gursharan, who has scored a lot of runs for Delhi and Punjab in the domestic circuit, did not fare well in that match as he fractured his finger while batting in the first innings. The classy right-hander was in his 30s when a Sanjeev Sharma delivery broke the middle finger of his right hand.
“I clearly remember I got out for 35 (31) in the first innings. I was batting on 25 when a ball from Sanjeev Sharma hit me on the middle finger of my right hand and it broke. I came out, got some treatment and went back in to bat again. I played a back-foot flick off Atul Wassan, the ball hit the bat but the umpire gave me LBW. Even Sunny bhai (Sunil Gavaskar) wrote in his column that the whole stadium heard the sound but the umpire (laughs). Sunny bhai gave me a pair of gloves after that innings, which had double protection to protect my fingers. How much thought did Sunny brother have,” says Gursharan,
‘Why don’t you pad up?’
For former India cricketer Gursharan, the match was well and truly over but he had no choice but to put on the pads when the chairman of the selection committee, late Dungarpur, helped him get past Sachin’s century in the second innings. Asked to do. Rest of India suffered a collapse but Sachin was batting really well and was inching closer to his maiden century in the Irani Trophy.
“When the second innings started, we lost wickets and eight wickets had fallen and I was sitting on the bench with my hand in a plaster. Suddenly late Raj Singh came to Dungarpur sahib. I think Sachin was batting at 84 or 85 then. Dungarpur sir said ‘Why don’t you wear pads?’. He said Sachin is close to a century and asked me to bat with one hand and help Sachin score a century. I put on the pads and when the ninth wicket fell, I went out to bat,” recalls Gursharan.
‘Sachin, tera 100 karake jaage’
When the ninth wicket fell and Venkatapathy Raju was walking back, Sachin also started walking towards the hut as he was aware of Gursharan’s injury. However, the Little Master was “surprised” to see the right-handed batsman walk out to bat.
“Sachin was surprised to see me walk out. He thought that I would not come to bat and was going back to the pavilion. He quickly asked me if I was fine and I assured him that I was fine and said ‘Sachin tera 100 karake jaage, He returned a shy smile and started batting. I played around 30-40 balls with him. He was in his 90s and took a while to get to a hundred. Look how big his thinking was even at that time when he asked for strike and said that he would go after Maninder Singh, who was a champion bowler and was in his prime. ,Mai isko maar duga,’ he quipped and showed so much confidence. He completed Mani’s over and hit two fours before the close of the innings and he remained unbeaten on 103. Sachin was then selected in the team to tour Pakistan and I was very happy,” says Gursharan.
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Sachin not only made it into the Indian team to tour Pakistan later that month but also made his debut in the opening Test and began an incredible journey of 24 years.
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