The final time India performed a Take a look at match towards New Zealand on the Wankhede Stadium was in November 1988. Beneath the captaincy of Dilip Vengsarkar, a star-studded Indian group misplaced to John Wright’s touring group by 136 runs.
Whereas it was a forgettable outing for India, the match marked the debut of a younger quick bowler – Rashid Ghulam Mohammed Patel. After faring effectively within the home circuit for Baroda, the 24-year-old Patel was drafted into the group for the Mumbai Take a look at, and he nonetheless remembers each second from that ‘particular match’. It’s a totally different story that Patel couldn’t characteristic past a Take a look at and a lone ODI for India. He did play 42 first-class matches and scalped 113 wickets.
As Mumbai gears as much as host New Zealand for one more Take a look at match – after 33 years – it opens a floodgate of reminiscences for Patel, who now lives in Bolton.
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“It was an incredible expertise to play for India, and in these days, there was large competitors. Additionally, again in these days, you didn’t have infrastructures like at present – there have been restricted home matches, and then you definately needed to play Take a look at cricket. It was an incredible pleasure to play Take a look at cricket at the moment,” Patel instructed Sportstar on Thursday.
“I used to be not that profitable on the worldwide stage as I had much less expertise. We didn’t have so many matches – be it home cricket or the IPL. Now, you possibly can play a good quantity of first-class cricket earlier than making it to the Take a look at aspect. However issues had been totally different in these days,” he stated.
Patel who as soon as bowled alongside the likes of Kapil Dev, is now working the Bramshaw Cricket Membership. – Particular Association
Spearheading the tempo assault, together with Kapil Dev, Patel bowled 14 overs and went wicketless, conceding 51 runs. “With Kapil Dev, Vengsarkar, Kiran Extra, Mohammad Azharuddin – it was a prime Indian group at the moment. So, it was an honour to be a part of the group. I had nice assist from Mohinder Amarnath, he was a gentleman, and he, together with Kapil paaji would encourage us to work arduous. So, for a younger cricketer like us, it was an incredible factor to be appreciated by the star cricketers.”
“The seniors backed us and suggested us on how one can deal with powerful conditions. It was an incredible studying expertise. Each cricketer needs to carry out effectively for India, and the competitors was so intense that in case you failed in a single sport, you by no means acquired one other probability…” he reminisced.
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Whereas he performed his solely Take a look at in Mumbai, he loved each second of the outing. “I’ve all the time bowled effectively on the Wankhede Stadium, even taking part in for Baroda. Again in these days, Mumbai was an incredible aspect with some prime batters – (Lalchand) Rajput, (Sunil) Gavaskar, (Chandrakant) Pandit, (Shishir) Hattangadi, (Ravi) Shastri. So, each time we confronted them, the goal was to get them out early, and I loved bowling. So, it was actually particular to make Take a look at debut at that venue,” Patel stated.
His worldwide profession didn’t final for lengthy, and later, he acquired into an issue for chasing Raman Lamba with a stump throughout the Duleep Trophy closing in 1990-91 – which led to his suspension. However each time there’s a Take a look at match in Mumbai, it makes Patel nostalgic. In any case, that is the place he lived his dream!