John Jameson, who played for England in the early 1970s, was seen on familiar ground yesterday.
John Jameson, who played for England in the early 1970s, was seen on familiar ground yesterday.
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By familiar we don't particularly mean the Brabourne Stadium because he did not make enough runs in county cricket to be picked for England in 1972-73 when the Cricket Club of India last hosted a Test, but the roads of southern and central Mumbai which he set foot on as a kid.
"I am familiar with several areas in Mumbai Byculla, Palton Road, Esplanade, Worli, Churchgate etc," Jameson (68) told MiD DAY yesterday. He last visited Mumbai when the England team toured here in 2006. Jameson Sr was a skilful hockey player and figured in 25 editions of the Aga Khan tournament.
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Test match bonus
Jameson, who left Mumbai to study in England, is in the city primarily to attend a friend's 100th birthday. Tomorrow's India vs Sri Lanka Test match is just a bonus. "My wife discovered on the internet that the Test was going to be held at the Brabourne Stadium and I couldn't miss it. I am so happy Test cricket has returned to the CCI and I am delighted for Raj Singh Dungarpur because the resumption of Test cricket was his dream," he said.
The Englishman stays in Solihull near Birmingham. He played two of his four Tests for England against Ajit Wadekar's Indians in 1971. "India had a fine side. They lacked quick bowlers but made up for it with their spinners. They had a strong batting line-up too," he recalled. Jameson opened the England batting in that series which Geoff Boycott missed through injury.
The defeat to India at the Oval (India's first Test win in England) didn't seem to rankle as much as his two run out dismissals in that famous Test which Bhagwat Chandrasekhar won for India. "I am the only England batsman to be run out three times in a row. At the Oval, I was run out in both innings and I scored 82 in the first innings," he said.
u00a0He was known for his attacking ways which didn't go down too well with the purists among the Press corps. "They were appalled when I hit Bishan Singh Bedi for two sixes before lunch at the Oval on the first morning. That did not go down too well u2013 you are not supposed to do that in England. They said you can't hit sixes before lunch but I said, how often do you see spinners on before lunch?
Changes
"Now you see openers having a blast. The whole concept of the game has changed. The introduction of one-day cricket has helped. They standard of ground fielding is very good.u00a0 However, sometimes they dive for no reason at all. I think it's a bit of show pony stuff, really. I suppose they think they are showing people that they are trying to stop theu00a0 ball when they have no chance and they could easily injure themselves which is silly."
Jameson is sad that attendances at Test matches are falling but he is not anti-T20. "A lot of people say, 'I don't go and watch T20' and I say to those people, 'look it's not Test cricket, it's not 50-over cricket, it's 20-over cricket and treat it as 20-over cricket. Don't try to compare that to any other game."
The Brabourne Test also gives Jameson an opportunity to catch up with some old adversaries. He couldn't meet Wadekar at the CCI yesterday since the former India skipper was busy airing his views on the Test to the media but the two will meet. It also gives him a chance to remind him of that run out at the Oval which deprived Jameson of his maiden Test hundred.
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