Dubai: Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli have brought glory to the No. 3 slot in Indian cricket, remarked Dileep Vengsarkar, former Indian captain who occupied the crucial batting spot for a decade and played some of his greatest knocks from 1979 to 1992.
Speaking to Gulf News during his visit here as the guest of honour for the final of the Indian Junior Premier League (IJPL) final, Vengsarkar said: “Rahul Dravid did a great job as No. 3 and so is Virat Kohli at that position. Kohli is an amazing player and the best batsman in world cricket at the moment. The one-drop is a very important position and I am glad I could hold that slot for a long time.”
When asked what was required to shine in that position, the man they called ‘The Colonel’ said: “At that slot, very often you may have to face the new ball. When you start the innings, you must avoid certain shots till you have settled down. Adaptation to the condition is vital and that comes with experience.”
Vengsarkar was known for his hook, pull and delectable drives. “In the 80s and 90s, there were some fantastic bowlers all over the world, so it wasn’t easy. One had to train hard and I knew that there was no shortcut to success. You master these shots with hard work and experience.”
Vengsarkar was among the few batsmen who played West Indies’ fearsome pacers Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts and Michael Holding with ease and scored six centuries. How did he tackle the fear of their pace?
“When you play cricket at that level, there is no fear. My only aim was to score runs, build an innings and create partnerships. These are important from a team’s point of view. You have to adapt to the swing and pace. Ultimately what matters is how many runs you scored at the end of the day and not how you scored it. Cricket is a mental game and if you are mentally strong, you can do it,” said Vengsarkar, who scored 6,868 runs with 17 centuries and 35 half-centuries in Test cricket and 3,508 runs in One-Day matches with one century and 23 half-centuries.
The former chairman of national selectors feels Indian Premier League (IPL) has helped in helping youngsters rake in good money. “When I first played for Mumbai, it was Rs25 (Dh1.40) a day and when I first played for India, I got Rs2,500 for the entire Test match. When I finished in 1992, we used to get Rs7,000 per Test match. Now in the six weeks of IPL, a cricketer gets paid Rs140-200 million. Even Ranji Trophy players are well-paid and it has helped many from giving up cricket for gainful employment. Parents too encourage their children to become cricketers as they can earn well through cricket.”
Vengsarkar was second only to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar in terms of runs at the time of his retirement. Asked how satisfied he was with his career, Vengsarkar said: “You can never be happy with your performance because you want to do better all the time. So, that was the case with me too. But once I retired I never looked back at what I had done and have only looked ahead.
“Today I am glad I am able to help hundreds of cricketers through my three academies in Mumbai’s Churchgate and Chembur, and in Pune. I provide free coaching to those coming from the poor strata of society. They have the hunger for success and I am happy I have been able to give them an opportunity for the last 22 years.”
