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It was hard to get Kirti Azad talking about cricket. For, the mortal remains of Bishan Bedi turning to ashes on Tuesday left everyone feeling a deep void, the kind of vacuum which can never be filled.
For Kirti, Bish Paaji was a guru and a mentor, in the Delhi cricket context. Reluctantly, Kirti spoke of the forthcoming India-England contest, the next assignment for Rohit Sharma and his men in the ICC World Cup. It will be held at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh.
Any mention of India and the World Cup inevitably leads us back to the 1983 triumph, where Kapil’s Devils roared at Lord’s. Kirti may have contributed just 15 runs and a wicket in three outings, but there was one key intervention in what he calls a team effort.
“What can I say which I have not said before pertaining to that contest against England in 1983?” he asked. “You have asked me this before as well, haven’t you?” If you know Kirti, such words will not hurt or offend you. He speaks the way he played cricket, hard-hitting and fearless.
Yet, against England in the semi-finals, 40 years ago, it was truly a win against all odds. The English sense of superiority had extended to David Frith, editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly, offering to eat his words, literally, if India won. “They had taken it for granted that they were going to play the West Indies in the final,” said Kirti. “Their media was also going gaga over it.”
The picture of Kapil holding the Prudential Cup on the Lord’s balcony has been published over and over again. Yet, the win against England was a big deal. The hosts were cocky, perhaps certain that India would be easy meat.
As had been the trend throughout that World Cup, India had bits-and-pieces cricketers who turned into all-rounders when needed. Those players performed key roles when assigned them. Kirti too did his part in the contest against England.
He bowled off-spin or off-cutters with a fast action. And with the bat, he could swing like crazy, with great hand-speed and hand-eye coordination. “What can I recall, once Jimmy (Mohinder Amarnath) and I came on to bowl, the wicket was much slower and lower,” he said.
It needed some more prodding to get Kirti to talk about how he got the prized wicket of Ian “Beefy” Botham. “I started bowling slower, much slower,” he said. “It worked. I think the bounce was so low, the ball could perhaps have gone into the London Underground.”
This was a real Kirti quip, a reminder that he has an MA in English from St. Stephen’s in Delhi University’s north campus. “I think we bowled well, knew what the conditions were, and England had no clue,” he added. “I suppose I have talked on this so many times before, but to beat the hosts was nice. We (Mohinder and Kirti) shared 24 overs when we were supposed to bowl just six overs each. We stuck to the basics, as England did not look happy at 96 for 2 at the end of 25 overs. We denied them runs, and that worked well for us.”
For a man who has kept his distance from Indian cricket, especially the game in Delhi, Kirti is happy that winning the trophy in 1983 ensured India got the hosting rights for the next edition in 1987. A politician today, and a shrewd one at that, Kirti travels a lot in India. He may not be one of those wielding the mike or commenting much on social media, but he will definitely keep an eye on the India-England contest on October 29.
That victory four decades ago changed Indian cricket forever, even though it was 60 overs an innings and not 50 like now. “We have the potential to repeat the 1983 and 2011 efforts,” said Kirti, signing off. Mark those words.