MUMBAI: The picturesque Adelaide Oval, the venue for the second Take a look at from Dec 6, holds loads of particular recollections for followers. When India first toured Australia in Jan 1948, Vijay Hazare scored a century in every innings (116 and 145) in opposition to ‘Bradman’s Invincibles.’
In Dec 2003, Rahul Dravid scored a double century (233) and 72 not out and Ajit Agarkar took 6/41 in India’s historic four-wicket win. Virtually 43 years in the past – Jan 1981 — Sandeep Patil delivered a knock for the ages on the ‘Metropolis of Church buildings.’
Recognized for its lengthy straight boundaries, brief sq. boundaries and repute as Australia’s greatest batting wicket, the Adelaide Oval offered the stage for Patil’s unforgettable innings.
Powered by Kim Hughes’ 213 and 125 from Graeme Wooden, Australia amassed a formidable 528 runs. In response, India was in bother at 130/four earlier than Patil led a spirited fightback. Patil delivered a counter-attacking 174 off 240 balls, laced with 22 fours and a six. Taking up a fearsome Australian tempo assault that includes Dennis Lillee, Len Pascoe, and Rodney Hogg, Patil’s knock grew to become the very best particular person rating by an Indian batsman at Adelaide — till Dravid’s 233 years later.
Patil added 108 for the fifth wicket with Chetan Chauhan, who scored 97 after which, 147 for the sixth wicket with Yashpal Sharma (47). India went on to make 419, and his knock helped India wrest a well-known draw. The brilliance of Patil’s innings lay inside a context. He was coming into Adelaide after sustaining a critical damage to his head within the first Take a look at at Sydney. Batting and not using a helmet, Patil reached 65 had on the primary day when, simply earlier than the tea break, he was struck on the throat by a Hogg supply.
Undeterred, he refused to name for a helmet, solely to be hit over the appropriate ear by a bouncer from Pascoe within the first over after tea. Patil collapsed unconscious on the crease and needed to retire damage. He was stretchered off the sector and brought straight to hospital. Although injured, he returned to bat in second innings on the insistence of his captain Sunil Gavaskar since India wanted to keep away from an innings defeat. Shaken after that incident, the bowler Pascoe performed solely three extra Assessments and retired on the age of 32.
“It was candy of him to return to the hospital, earlier than day’s play, to see me,” Patil recalled whereas speaking to TOI.
“Importantly, after that day, he by no means bowled a bouncer to anybody. I solely met him as soon as later at Malaysia Sixes the place we exchanged a short ‘Howdy’.”
The Patil hits had a long-reaching impression. He and his batting colleagues realised they wanted helmets — an virtually alien idea to the Indian batsmen until then. It should be remembered right here that there was no restrict on the variety of bouncers allowed in an over.
“After I obtained hit in Sydney, I launched the idea of the helmet to the staff. Besides Sunil (Gavaskar), the complete Indian staff wore helmets from that day onwards,” recalled Patil, “The late Anshuman (Gaekwad) too was additionally hit by (Michael) Holding at Sabina Park in 1975-76 within the West Indies, however helmets had not been designed until then.”
What made his Adelaide hundred much more particular for Patil was {that a} sure Donald Bradman was in attendance within the crowd, as was custom for the legend every time a Take a look at was performed on the Oval.
“Not solely did Sir Donald Bradman watch my 174-run knock on the stadium, he had additionally witnessed my earlier century in opposition to South Australia on the similar venue. In the course of the Take a look at, once I was at 150, Bradman got here to our dressing room to fulfill me. ‘Liked to observe you bat once more,’ he mentioned. It meant the world to me,” Patil reminisced fondly.
“In Sydney, it was the West Indian nice Sir Garfield Sobers who greeted me throughout tea once I was on 65 and praised my method earlier than I obtained hit on the primary ball on resumption. I had the pleasure of assembly — and being complimented by — the 2 ‘Sirs’ of cricket inside a span of two weeks,” remembered the previous dasher.
Patil had proven his mettle in opposition to Australia’s fearsome tempo problem when, within the early tour matches on the tour, he scored 116 in opposition to South Australia, which included Rodney Hogg, and 60 and 97 in opposition to Queensland which had Jeff Thomson, Geoff Dymock and Carl Rackemann. “That hundred in opposition to South Australia got here in opposition to Hogg and Co. and not using a helmet. Dilip (Vengsarkar) too scored a century (153),” remembered Patil.
