Mohammad Azharuddin Recalls The Proud Moment When Rajiv Gandhi Called Him To Congratulate
Sep 8, 2017 at 4:34 PM
Mohammad Azharuddin’s entry in Test cricket is one for the ages. The fairy tale began 45 minutes before Team India was getting ready for the Test match against England at the iconic Eden Gardens. A 21-year old Azharuddin was told that he was going to make his debut against the formidable visitors and the stylish Hyderabadi did not look back since then.
He scored a patient 110 on debut and followed that up with scores of 48 and 105 at Chennai and 122 and 54 not out at Kanpur. Till now, he is the only batsman to score hundreds in his first three Tests. And his memorable foray in international cricket became even more significant when he received a congratulatory call from none other than the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
“I was not even sure I would play my debut match (in Kolkata). Kapil paaji and Sandip Patil were dropped. That’s when I thought I could play the game. I got to know I would play 45 minutes before the toss – had an idea of what Eden Gardens would be like. But I was nervous. I was not sure how I would step over from first class cricket to Test cricket,” Azhar was quoted as saying by India Today.
“I was on 7 or 6 and an easy stumping chance was missed (by England wicketkeeper Paul Downton). I took over 300 balls to score a hundred. If you see my innings, maybe it would be boring for you. I never went ahead with the thought I would get a chance to play for India. To play with such luminaries was special. They encouraged me,” he recalled.
Azharuddin further said that even he was surprised with his outstanding performances before narrating the incident when Rajiv Gandhi called him to congratulate him.
“The first three Tests and hundreds, I cannot forget. I got out for 48. I got too greedy and played a loose shot. In the second innings, we had to save the Test. I had a good partnership with Jimmy bhai (Mohinder Amarnath) but then got out. I got two hundreds and did not know how I was playing so well,” he said.
“For the third Test hundred, Dilip Vengsarkar. Mohinder Amarnath also got out early. I was on 98 at the end of the day and had no idea I was on the verge of a record. But I was confident. I was in good form but anything could have happened. When I went back after being dismissed, everyone congratulated me. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi called during the lunch break. There were no mobile phones back then and there were no telephones in the dressing-room. I was taken all the way to the press box and I had spoken to the Prime Minister there. He congratulated me and it was a proud moment for me,” he added.
Azharuddin’s illustrious career, meanwhile, came to an abrupt end when he was banned for life after being found guilty of fixing matches in an investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation. However, in 2012, a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled the BCCI ban illegal and freed him of all the charges.
He represented India in 99 Tests, and 334 ODIs, scoring 6215 and 9378 runs in both the formats respectively.