Should Mumbai cricket return to class?

The Jhunjunwala College cricket team celebrate a junior inter-collegiate triumph over Ruparel in 2013. Representation Pic

Dilip Vengsarkar's recent views in this newspaper on how the lack of emphasis on College/University cricket is hurting Mumbai cricket, attracted much attention amongst the cricketing fraternity.

On the day the piece appeared [Monday], several cricketers recalled their collegiate cricket days and underlined the significance University cricket had on the Indian ecosystem, as against the present scenario where several colleges don't encourage cricket too much and yet have a vote when it comes to the Mumbai Cricket Association elections.

A conflicting view should always be welcome and former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi, who was part of the College/University cricket thrust and has seen the contemporary side, said on Facebook: "Universities are now for academics, gone are the days where cricketers wanted to go to college and pursue cricket. If they do enrol, it's for academics."

College/University cricket has diminished in significance and age-group cricket has gained prominence to be one of the conveyor belts of talent in Mumbai cricket.

Whether this shift in emphasis is the real cause for Mumbai cricket experiencing a meltdown on India's domestic circuit, is something that is open for debate. Definitely there are other factors too. In my opinion, a competitive club cricket structure goes hand in hand with domestic progress.

Vengsarkar pointing to the benefits of collegiate cricket has merit and I can't help reminiscing the time when cricket at that level brought about awareness, excitement and even jobs for cricketers.

Prominent coaches became synonymous with the colleges they coached and vice versa. Vithal ‘Marshal' Patil was known as a Dadar Union Sporting Club stalwart, who claimed a record 759 wickets in the Kanga League. But his association with Podar College as their cricket coach was equally impactful. Marshal Patil's nets were intense. The several Podar cricketers I've spoken to on my Mumbai cricket podcast have all told me how beneficial the early morning college nets held under the watchful eyes of Patil were to their cricketing development. Patil contributed in no small measure by ushering in young Podar players to the Dadar Union fold. Same was the case with Hemu Dalvi, another departed swing bowling exponent, whose Jhunjunwala College wards were given the opportunity to represent big clubs. In later years, former Test stumper Naren Tamhane guided Rizvi College's cricket. Ajit Wadekar, old timers reckon, was a finished product, thanks to the coaching he received from his Ruia College coach PK ‘Joe' Kamat.

And how can one not mention that fascinating nugget about the great all-rounder Vinoo Mankad being ex-India opener Madhav Apte's coach at Elphinstone College and then both of them opening the innings for India at Brabourne Stadium against Pakistan in 1952. In fact, Apte, who was a leg-spin bowler, was asked if he would open the batting by Mankad at the Elphinstone College nets. Mankad coached Elphinstone for a few years from 1948 (yes, while playing for India) for R600 a season, according to Apte in his book, As Luck Would Have It. Who wouldn't want to be a fly on a cricket coffin as Mankad conducted those nets!

In my local cricket clippings file, there are various reports which reflect the important role college cricket played in a different era in Mumbai cricket.

Bombay University, who Vengsarkar feels is not contributing much to city cricket now, used to get a chance to field a team in local tournaments. Under the headline, ‘Lost Ball Fetches 7 Runs,' there's a report (late 1960s) which reads: "Kiran Ashar [then a future Mumbai Ranji Trophy wicketkeeper-batsman], who opened the innings for Bombay University with skipper Sudhir Naik [then a future Mumbai Ranji Trophy-winning captain and India opener] in their tie against Mahindras in the KC Mahindra Memorial Invitation Shield Cricket Tournament at the Azad Maidan on Saturday, shaped well to score in the first-wicket stand of 64, but included in his score was a seven and a six. And he did not use any undue force to hit those strokes. At the road-end of the Parsi Cyclists ground, the PWD contractor has left a big growth of the grass and both Kiran's strokes went in it. Twice in 15 minutes the ball was ‘lost' in it. On the first occasion the batsmen ran for a seven and the second time the fielder declared the ball lost and the umpire gave six runs to Kiran." In a play-to-finish game, the toss of the coin decided the winner. Mahindras finished with 162-7 in response to Bombay University's 235. Naik, who passed away last April at the age of 78, called right for the result to go in his team's favour.

The University team were not so lucky on November 5, 1967, when, as defending champions, they were tossed out in the Police Shield semi-final by Parsi Gymkhana at the neighbouring PJ Hindu Gymkhana. The University XI ended with 242-6 with Ramesh Nagdev, then a Ranji Trophy player for Gujarat, smashing 59, and Ashar getting 90. Earlier, Parsi Gymkhana with Test players Nari Contractor and Rusi Surti in their ranks, scored 250.

Apart from skill, toughness was also on display in full measure at the College/University level. In November 1967, Siddharth's Kiran Adhikari was hit by St Xavier's Kailash Gattani on the head at the Bombay Gymkhana during the inter-college semi-final. The cut required six stitches, after which Adhikari returned to the Bombay Gymkhana and padded up, in case he was needed to help Siddharth surpass St Xavier's 186. But Siddharth got home with seven wickets to spare, thanks to Ashar's 104 not out and skipper Ramesh Manjrekar's unbeaten 44. Adhikari told me on Wednesday that he got a hundred in Siddharth's title-winning game against Ruia College at the Brabourne Stadium, a few days after his injury.

Talking about injury, Mumbai cricket is wounded. And if the revival of College/University cricket will make a difference, then change must come in soon, irrespective of how doomsayers view the coming Ranji Trophy season, or how positive the optimists are.

mid-day's group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.