The Laxman of Mumbai cricket

The city’s cricketing fraternity lost one of its finest maidan batting talents, who apart from attracting spectators in the form of waiters from a Churchgate restaurant, predicted success for Ravi Shastri

Meet our future India player.” Vishala B Laxmana still remembers the words of her husband B Laxman, who was introducing Ravi Shastri to her during their April 29, 1979 wedding reception at KC College, Churchgate. A brain stroke caused 75-year-old Laxman’s death a day before their 42nd wedding anniversary.

Laxman was a courageous batsman, who paraded his skills for State Bank of India on the inter-office circuit and Karnatak Sporting Association in club cricket, as well as Elphinstone and New Evergreen clubs. He came to Mumbai from Mangalore and the late cricket writer Pradeep Vijayakar wrote in The Evening News of India on July 23, 1980 that Laxman was called up for Mysore (now Karnataka) but chose to pursue his studies. This was mentioned in a report which hailed Laxman for outscoring his State Bank of India colleagues Ajit Wadekar and Hanumant Singh while batting with them for his brilliant 155 against Bank of India in the 1979-80 Times Shield season. And a newspaper report of the 1969-70 Inter-Bank final against Union Bank at PJ Hindu Gymkhana, said that two of his sixes during his 141 in 110 minutes, “landed in the middle of Marine Drive. The ball was lost off the third [six] and a similar old ball had to be chosen to continue the innings”.

It was at Karnatak SA that 16-year-old Shastri came into contact with Laxman. “He was the Viv Richards of our team, playing shots that I’ve yet to see. Laxman was totally out of the coaching manual,” Shastri told me on Tuesday. He couldn’t help recalling how the waiters at the nearby Sanman hotel used to climb on a high spot of the backyard to watch Laxman weave his magic. “I promise you, if he ever went in [to the hotel], they would have never charged him,” remarked Shastri.

Nadim Memon, the Mumbai Cricket Association Apex Council member, who played football and cricket at Karnatak SA, said Laxman was treated like a film star whenever he set foot at the now-shut restaurant.

Austin Coutinho, the excellent caricaturist, is also a Karnatak SA alumnus. He recalled Laxman stepping out to the swift Raju Kulkarni in a Kanga League match in the early 1980s and getting his lips ripped open. But those rare instances did not stop him from hooking and pulling. Laxman played his role in Karnatak SA winning successive Comrade Shield titles in 1982 and 1983. His first innings 163 contributed majorly to the second one, earned after beating neighbours MB Union. Then came the 1983 Kanga League for which there was no winner because a minimum of five matches were not held. But Karnatak SA were proud to end up as the team with most success in that rain-ruined edition. The Cross Maidan team bagged their first Purshottam Shield title the following year.

Another proud moment for Laxman could have been Karnatak SA’s innings victory over Parsee Cyclists in the 1988 Kanga League. Cyclists were dismissed for 10 and 14 with Deepak Rai (claimed all 10 wickets in the first innings) and Sharad Rao doing the damage at Cross Maidan. Karnatak SA were short of players that day and made an SOS call to Laxman. He arrived and scored an invaluable 30 not out at No. 9.

Laxman had good reason to boast about playing with some of the greatest names in Indian cricket at State Bank of India, which included Wadekar, Hanumant, S Abid Ali, Gundappa Viswanath and Syed Kirmani. But Mumbai’s 1991-92 Ranji Trophy captain Shishir Hattangadi, who started his senior division club cricket career with Karnatak SA, described Laxman as “an understated simple, gentle soul who was modest about everything he did”.  

He added: “Laxman always encouraged us young players to strive for more success. He was a huge fan of Ravi’s batting and always said he would be a top batsman.” World Cupper Balvinder Singh Sandhu too played for Karnatak SA alongside Laxman while Sanjay Manjrekar figured in an inter-Karnatak Shield-winning team with him. 

After opting for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) at State Bank of India, Laxman was roped in by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on the recommendation of his bank colleague Sharad  ‘Jimmy’ Diwadkar, who was their Executive  Secretary in the late 1990s.

Prof Ratnakar Shetty, who served the BCCI in honorary and professional posts, found Laxman a great asset. “He looked after the past cricketers’ pension and medical bills. His efficient ways made my job easier,” said Shetty, who ended his BCCI stint as General Manager (Game Development).

Like Shetty, Laxman couldn’t carry on working at Cricket Centre because the retirement age for BCCI employees was fixed at 60.

Shastri, who had to visit Cricket Centre often, never missed an opportunity to catch up with his old Karnatak SA mate. “Whenever I went to the BCCI office for an IPL Governing Council meeting or to meet 
Prof Shetty, I would always stop at his desk and have a chat with him,” said Shastri.

Vishala remembered seeing an extra cheerful Laxman on his return from work one evening. “Ravi came to the office today and he gave me a tight hug,” he told her. The reverence for Shastri, albeit 17 years his junior, showed up whenever Shastri came on air as a commentator. “No one could speak when Ravi was on television,” Vishala reminisced.

Laxman was a mean striker of the cricket ball. He judged length just like he did when it came to talent. How else can one explain his 1979 prediction of Shastri becoming an India player when the teenager was 11 months away from making his Ranji Trophy debut?

mid-day’s group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello
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