Three cheers for those four-for, off the wrong foot

 

This story is twenty seven years old but is still fresh in my memory. The CMS college was taking on the formidable St Albert’s college in the  the M G University cricket finals for the P M Raghavan trophy on the 10^th of December, 1995. CMS batted first and ended their innings for 153. The rival captain might have contemptuously smiled at this paltry total, the way the mighty Lloyd would have at that 183 that was to script history on the 25^th June, 1983. He had every right to smile as he was captaining a side comprising four Renji players.

The big home crowd that had assembled on the “eastern bank” of the ground were dejected as they were sure of the outcome and the disgrace awaiting their team on their home turf. I along with some cricket loving teachers were there on the “eastern bank”. When the St Albert’s opener took stance, we too were depressed and silent, poignantly awaiting what seemed to be just the completion of a formality. But as the game progressed, it was not as bad for CMS as was expected. But a stage was reached with St Albert’s needing just 24 runs in 4 overs with 4 wickets remaining, to lift the trophy. In normal case a match at such a stage is rightly qualified as a cliff hanger. But with a strong batting line up that extended up to the tail-end that was an easily attainable target for St Albert’s.

The CMS captain Jiby gave the ball to Biji G Nair. A hapless, diffident looking Biji turned back and looked at the teachers. If I remember correctly, Prof P M Jacob of the Mathematics department shouted “poyi kutti parikkada”. I was dangerously tensed and I could feel my blood pressure soaring. I decided that I shall leave the place as it was too much for me to bear. I went away and sat on the veranda of the Great Hall. I sat there with an unbearable sense of loss. I felt insulated from the rest of the world and fell into a state of meditation. Some twenty minutes might have elapsed. I was awakened to reality by a wild roar of a crowd in frenzy and a thunderous applause that reverberated in the beautiful, otherwise sedate campus. The Casuarina trees were dancing in the wind and singing. Something unbelievable happened? I ran to the place I had fled a little while ago. I could see Prof P M Jacob (quite some years senior to me) dancing like a young boy and on seeing me shouted “Raja we have won, we have won, maaan we have won.”

Yes, CMS beat St Albert’s. I had to believe it as I could see the CMS crowd dancing and embracing each other on the little turf on the “eastern bank”. But why Biji is lifted by his team mates and dancing? I wondered. I could not ask anyone as everyone there was on cloud 9. Once the frenzied celebrations settled down I approached Prof P M Jacob and he gave me a vivid detail of the stranger than fiction happenings there.

With four overs remaining, Biji was given the ball and that was when I fled.  He gave away some runs in the first three balls and with the next three balls three St Alembertians were packed off to the pavilion ! After the next over Biji came back and with his first ball felled the last of the St Alembertians. The ease with which he picked the last wicket looked as if he did what was his wont. Yes, Biji did it for CMS.

But for Bij’s magical performance, Unni’s wonderful knock of 64  or Anil’s 2/20,all would have gone in vain.

 

Now a word about Biji’s bowling action. A medium pacer, he had a not so good looking, deceptive bowling action. When he delivered the ball with his right hand, instead of his left leg going back it was his right leg that did so. And all this time his left hand remained motionless. So, no wonder. They might have played Renji matches, but might not have seen one like Biji, bowling on the wrong foot.

 

I remember many students who played for CMS like Unni, Madhu, Balaji, Sooraj, Dileep, Antony and many more.  Let me close this note with two names I always remember. Motti the dashing right handed batsman who  was a good left arm spinner too. Then Koruth, the lanky leg spinner who reminded one of Ravi Sasthri of his heydays.