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Hallowed learning ground
There is a lot to the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium besides Kapil Dev, Yograj Singh, Chetan Sharma and Ashok Malhotra. All these players sharpened their skills here and toiled to make the country proud. The Dhoni connection Dhoni, having a penchant for hitting sixes, left the opposition decimated. The Jharkhand batsman notched up 146 runs in an innings studded with 11 fours and six sixes. “I knew then that Dhoni would make it big,” reminisced
Harish. He proved right when “Mahi”, barely a couple of months later, was selected to the India squad. Kapil Dev was a colossal, whose cricketing feats are legendary. Before he got the big break, this all-rounder put in countless hours here along with others. A conversation with Harish Sharma, who has been coaching youngsters for nearly 18 years at one of the oldest cricket coaching centres in North India, revealed a lot. Besides these illustrious cricketers, ODI specialist Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia and V.R.V. Singh, there are a host of other talented cricketers who have made their mark with the coaching they received at the centre. Though these players never donned the national colours, they played for India in u-19 tournaments and for Punjab, Haryana and Himachal, recalls Harish. “At least, a hundred players, who were trained at the centre, have played in Ranji Trophy matches - for Punjab, Haryana or Himachal. And, at least half of them have been trained by me,” said Harish. The indefatigable Harish, who has been is engaged in shaping the careers of youngsters since 1989, reeled off a long list of top-notch cricketers who blossomed under his coaching at the stadium. “Yuvraj spent his formative years at this centre, honing his skills from 1990 to 1999,” he recalls. “Besides his father Yograj Singh, a former India fast bowler, his mother took keen interest in Yuvraj’s growth as cricketer. She used to come to drop her son, often observing her son take lessons on the fundamentals of the game. “When India won the u-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 1999, Yuvraj was a trainee at the centre. Yuvraj was adjudged the man of the series in that premier event,” Harish reveals. Talking about the lanky V.R.V, Harish says he joined the centre when he was barely seven. He played at the u-15 level as a trainee up to 1999. Later, he went to play for the country. V.R.V. made his Test debut in West Indies in mid-2006. “Dinesh Mongia came here when he was 13. After assessing the strengths and weaknesses, we worked on him for five years. Thereafter, he was selected to the Punjab Ranji squad.” Mongia has been the mainstay of Punjab squad ever since he made his Ranji squad in 1995-96 before jumping on to the ICL bandwagon this season. He has played 57 ODIs for India. “Before he broke into the India team in 1993, Bhupinder Singh Sr (former Punjab fast bowler), spent four years at the centre (from 1989-93),” says Harish. Bhupinder is the BCCI selector from the north zone. “Rajiv Nayyar, former Himachal captain, owes a lot to the centre, having spent at least 14 years to hone his skills,” he adds. Nayyar is one of the most successful cricketers to play for the hill state and has a record of longest stay at the wicket in first-class cricket to his credit. A prolific scorer in Ranji and Duleep Trophy matches, Nayyar was selected for Challenger Trophy squad. “As Chandigarh is not affiliated with the BCCI, talented cricketers from here have gone on to play for Punjab, Haryana or Himachal. Out of the recent 11-member Punjab Ranji team, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, V.R.V, Uday Kaul, Bipul Sharma and Gaurav Gupta were from this centre.” In the early 1990s, almost all players constituting the Ranji teams of Punjab or Haryana were from this centre, Harish recollects with fondness.
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Little Master was stumped by it
Impressed by the green cover which encompasses the valley that houses the stadium, the Little Master, had words of praise for the then curator of the pitch, Sita Ram, and the turf he had made for the match. “To be honest, the first thing that comes to my mind on coming to Punjab is hockey. And I am amazed at this beautiful complex you have in your planned city. I do not know how good are facilities for hockey in your city,” remarked Sunil Gavaskar in a brief interaction with me during a match break. “Since you have such a lovely green top wicket and lush green outfield, emergence of Chandigarh as the nursery of pace bowlers is understandable. Good wicket, clean and pollution-free environs and healthy diet are available in abundance here and I am sure Chandigarh will continue its supply of pacers to the Indian cricket,” remarked Sunil Gavaskar. He was all praise for the City Beautiful, its immaculate design, cleanliness and greenery But his wish of continuity in supply line of pacers to the Indian cricket has ,perhaps, remained unfulfilled, primarily because of the apathy of the then administration and also intra-board politics. Had the concept of outsourcing and public-private sector participation come a decade earlier, the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium would have occupied the position the PCA Stadium in Mohali holds now. A couple of years after the 1993 India-England match, its hosts, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), moved an application to the Chandigarh administration, offering to take the cricket stadium on lease on lines the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) had been given the Sector 10 Tennis Stadium. The PCA move set a debate in motion. The basic objections raised by the administration were giving away administrative control of its prime facility, giving it on lease to a Punjab association and rigid controls imposed by the master plan. Objections were also raised how a similar claim by the Haryana Cricket Association on the stadium would be handled in case the PCA plea was upheld. Further, Chandigarh also had its own association, which was neither affiliated to the PCA or the HCA. In case of tennis, it was different. As the administration was reluctant to grant the application, the PCA moved to the satellite township of Mohali and got the land, belonging to the Punjab government, allotted for construction of a world-class cricket stadium. Punjab allowed change of land use as the venue was earmarked for a cycling velodrome as part of a bigger sports complex. While the PCA Stadium came up in 1996, the second part of the sports complex is still to see the light of the day. Since the master plan did not permit any new construction in the Leisure Valley, the administration allowed only temporary wooden structures to meet the basic requirements of staging World Cup matches at the stadium in 1989. This is why till recently, the press box at the stadium was a temporary structure. Only a couple of years ago, the administration gave special sanction to make the press enclosure a brick-concrete structure with ultra-modern facilities, besides allowing some renovation and extension of the pavilion building. Had the administration given the Sector 16 stadium in 1995 to the PCA, the city would not have missed any single international cricketing event after the India-England rain ruined match.
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Lucky for Azhar
The Sector 16 stadium has played host to four ODIs and one Test match so far.
The stadium proved lucky for former Test player Mohammad Azharuddin. It was here that he tasted success for the first time as captain of Team India in the ODI against England in 1993. Prior to this, he had failed to clinch a victory for the country as skipper, resulting in his quitting the top position. In 1993 the selectors decided to give him another chance and asked him to lead the team. Azhar strengthened his position with the team’s five-wicket victory over the visitors. Lathi charge on fans
The stadium was packed to capacity.To maintain law and order, security personnel had to resort to a lathi charge on the fans. During lunch break, over 500 cricklet enthusiasts jumped the iron barricade and invaded the ground. The CRPF, which had charge of security due to threat from terrorists, had a tough time shooing them away. Shooting at main gate
A CRPF security personnel shot a security guard of the then Punjab’s chief minister Beant Singh at the main entrance of the stadium when the match was in progress. A security vehicle of the CM’s cavalcade reached late. On being denied entry, the CM’s security guards began to argue with the securitymen. An angry CRPF guard took out his gun and shot a bodyguard of the CM. Oblivious of the incident outside, spectators continued to enjoy the match uninterrupted.
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The rise, the fall and the rise
In early 1960s, it was a simple ground surrounded by big trees at the south end. Kids used to frequent the ground to play cricket.
In 1962-63, the administration set up a double-storeyed structure at the north end, thus setting the work on the cricket stadium in motion. In 1964, young D.P. Azad was called on deputation as first cricket coach from NIS, Patiala. With the help of some enthusiasts, a pitch was laid by the administration under the supervision of Azad. As the stadium had no stands or other infrastructure, batsmen used to get instructions from the fielding side against hitting a boundary on the south end due to the presence of a drain there. In 1966, the first Ranji match between Southern Punjab and Delhi was held here. There was no looking back ever after. The legendry Kapil Dev, who learnt his first lessons in cricket at the ground, pushed the ground into the limelight. The first international match between India and England for the Charminar Challenge Cup was played here in 1985. The Punjab Cricket Association organised the match, catapulting the stadium onto the international arena. The association hosted three more one-day matches i.e. in 1987, 1990 and 1993 here. A Test match between India and Sri Lanka was also held here in 1990. But after the 1993 match between India and England, the stadium went into oblivion, with the PCA building its own stadium at Mohali. The stadium remained in neglect until the Haryana Cricket Association brought the India Australia match to the city. Though some first-class matches were played between 1993 and 2007, nobody took interest in revamping the stadium. But with the coming of the October 8 match, the Chandigarh administration swung into action and spent over Rs 10 crore to provide facilities conforming to international standards at the stadium. The match has brought in a Rs 1-crore electronic scoreboard, air-conditioned media box, multi-gym, moveable nets, toro machine, pitch rollers and new sprinkler system.
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Bhajji that was
Harbhajan Singh was extremely shy and could hardly utter a word or even make an eye contact when he was first brought to the academy,” reminisces Desh Prem Azad, former project director, Pace Bowlers Academy.
“He wasn’t much of a toughy then, which proved to be a hurdle in his selection to the squad for Punjab u-15 tournament,” the coach recalls about the ace spinner. The academy was openened at the Sector 16 cricket stadium as a joint venture of the BCCI, SAI and the UT administration in 1991, he recollects. Only pace bowlers were trained during its first year. But second year onwards, batsmen, spin bowlers and wicketkeepers joined in, he quips. “While selection trials were conducted by a panel appointed by the BCCI, coaching, training and equipment were take care of by the SAI. Pavilion and practice wickets were made available by the Chandigarh administration,” Azad reveals. “Harbhajan had absolutely no cricketing background,” the first Dronacharya awardee recollects. “During the selection trials, I was convinced that the boy was good, for he had a nice loop and control on the ball. I knew he was a good prospect.” The training started showing results and Harbhajan began developing into a fine off-spinner. “I recommended his name for the u-15 tournament. But he was left out owing to his lean stature. He wasn’t too strong on his legs.” “I took charge and put him on weight training and made him undergo fitness regimen to strengthen his legs. “Next year again Bhajji was not given a berth in the team. Convinced about the talent Harbhajan had, I put my foot down and got him selected,” reminisces Azad. “Arun Sharma, former Punjab wicketkeeper batsman, brought him from Jalandhar to Patiala for the match the next day. Harbhajan took 12 wickets in the match (Punjab vs Delhi). The young man left his imprint and the rest is history,” Azad says. Azad, who started coaching in 1964 and is credited with coaching a host of cricketers like legendary Kapil Dev, Yograj Singh, Chetan Sharma, Ashok Malhotra and Rakesh Jolly, says the academy started to look up in just four years (process to wind it up began in mid-1996). “Besides Harbhajan, T. Kumaran, medium fast bowler from Tamil Nadu, and Venugopal Rao, a batsman and occasional off-spinner from Andhra Pradesh, have played for the country,” he adds. “It was unfortunate that the academy, even after it was a rousing success, was shut down.” The process of shutting down the academy started in mid-1996 and became defunct when Azad retired in 1998.
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Total Recall: ‘I was there’
— M. P. S. Chawla,
nominated councillor — Man Mohan Singh Kohli,
hotelier — G. Dewan,
District immunisation officer — Manjeet Singh,
Sports Authority of India coach — D.P. Azad,
Cricket Dronacharya & coach of Kapil |
ODIs at Sector 16, Chandigarh India vs England on Jan 27, 1985 — Eng won by 7 runs Australia vs New Zealand on Oct 27, 1987 — Aus won by 17 runs India vs Bangladesh on Dec 25 1990 — India won by 9 wickets India vs England on Jan 21, 1993 — India won by 5 wickets Highest totals
Australia — 251/8 against NZ India — 201/5 against England Between India and Australia
India won the first ever ODI encounter between both the countries on December 6, 1980 in Melbourne by 66 runs and hero of the victory was Sandeep Patil who scored 64 off 70 balls. It has been more than three years when India tasted victory against Australians. Last time when India won against them was on January 18, 2004 in Brisbane. VVS Laxman (103) and Sachin Tendulkar (86) were the chief architects of the victory.
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Ball in your court now
Oh yes, the connoisseur of cricket are all set to become a big hit with the crowd - bigger than Yuvraj's sixes and his knock of over 120 runs in the previous match. The Tricolour has been meticulously, and dexterously, traced on those long nails. Ishani Nanayakhara of Oleega, Fun Republic, has already done three sets. A master stroke-player, she is all geared up to take the score to 20 just before the match begins.The charges hover around Rs 950 per set, but people are willing to pay. Putting up in Chandigarh 's Sector 8, creative nail painter Jaswinder Kaur is also into it. Almost all big, and not-so-big names in the haircare industry are in the painting game. Oleega is doing it. So is Hanif of Naaz Beauty Parlour-20. He is charging just for the stuff, not for the services rendered by his "boys". After all, it's for cheering up the home team. Autograph bats have been picked up. You never know the thunderous Yuvi or even the not-so-roaring Tendulkar may actually elect the bat to pen down their autographs. Souvenirs business has gone for a six with shops like The Jewels-11 coming out with exclusive range of bat and ball key-rings. Also up for grabs are posters of all your favourite cricket stars. Confectionary shops have come out with an in-swinger. Jagdish Seth of Kandys-32 is baking wonders in form of bat-ball cakes with the ingredient of enthusiasm. The stuff is costing anywhere between Rs 250 and Rs 450 depending upon the cake's size and shape. Surplus cakes he plans to cut after the match and distribute these, of course if India wins. Nik-9 too is planning to cut a huge ball-shaped cake Monday evening and offer 10 per cent discount to all the customers. The offer comes with a rider: India has to win the match. The hoteliers have set the ball rolling with more than just giant screens in their bars. Without spinning words, Ankit Gupta of Himani Residency-35 says they have come up with special packages not just for the tourists, but also residents out to enjoy the match in their city. They can avail free beverage coupons. The Aussies fans, on the other hand, are being provided with transportation facilities, right from the time they land in the city till they depart, sightseeing included. Well, you don't need a third empire to tell you that a local match has its own appeal. As the ball is in your court now, it's up to you to play it along with the rest of the city, or to duck it.
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SLEDGEHAMMER
Grace's ability to stand his ground would have done Steve Waugh proud. Once, when the ball knocked off a bail, he replaced it and told the umpire: "T'was the wind which took thy bail orf, good sir." The umpire replied: "Indeed, doctor, and let us hope thy wind helps the good doctor on thy journey back to the pavilion." Merv Hughes was bowling to Hansie Cronje during a tour game in South Africa. It was an especially flat wicket and Cronje was hitting Hughes for fours and sixes all over the place. After the umpteenth boundary, Hughes headed down the pitch, stood near Cronje, let out a fart and said: "Try hitting that for six." It was five minutes before the guffawing stopped and play could resume. The best WG Grace sledge was on him, though, not from him. Charles Kortright had dismissed him four or five times in a county game -- only for the umpires to keep turning down his appeals. Finally, he uprooted two of Grace's three stumps. Grace stalled, as though waiting for a no-ball call or something, before reluctantly walking off with Kortright's words in his ears: "Surely you're not going, doctor? There's still one stump standing." Like Inzamam-ul-Haq telling Brett Lee to "stop bowling off spinners". That's funny stuff from big Inzy. (Bye the way, best wishes, Mister, Test cricket will miss you!) And Javed Miandad telling Hughes he resembled a fat bus conductor, only for Hughes to scream, "Tickets pleeease!" after getting him out next ball. And the county bowler who beat the bat of Viv Richards and dared tell him the ball was red and weighed about six ounces; Richards hit the next ball for six and replied: "You know what it looks like, now go f---ing find it." Like Ian Healy telling Arjuna Ranatunga he couldn't have a runner for being a fat bastard. Or suggesting a Mars Bar be placed down the pitch to tempt him to move down the track. Ah, sledging! |
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Just the beginning for my son: Yograj
In the midst of a great run, the Chandigarh batsman has, of late, been at his domineering best, especially with the bat. The argument that the stylish batsman was in the midst of a purple patch was met by Yograj Singh with nonchalance. “I was reading a book written by Don Bradman, who has a Test average of over 99. In the book, he mentioned that when he (Don) retired, he felt that there was room for improvement. Someone as great as Don felt that he could have done even better,” the former fast bowler remarks. “Yuvraj, as you know, is a special talent. Though he is striking the ball well and scoring runs, a lot needs to be done. He needs to put in more hours of practice. He has just started climbing the ladder and he has to go way up,” he feels. “By the time he retires he should have an average of over 80. Maybe, at the moment it sounds farcical, but Yuvi needs to work harder and practice to achieve his goals. I firmly believe that this is just the beginning for Yuvi. His best is yet to come,” Yograj says with conviction. On Yuvi’s handling of spinners, where he was vulnerable earlier, Yograj says there has been a marked improvement in the area now. “Yuvi is an intelligent cricketer and a good student of the game. He has his own way of playing spinners. He has played for nearly seven years for the country and has scored over 5,000 runs. He has started going forward while playing spinners. He used to earlier play slightly away from his body while driving against spinners. Moreover, it depends on the wicket you are playing on. On Indian tracks, you have to lean into your drives. Yuvi is now showing full blade to the deliveries,” he replies. About Yuvraj’s utility as a left-arm spinner, Yograj says he can use his height to advantage. He can develop into a useful left-armer. At the moment, however, he is more focussed on batting and fielding. Dwelling on the preparation that went into making Yuvraj what he is today, Yograj reminisces that he made his son practice a lot with plastic balls to sharpen his batting reflexes. “Even recently I sent him three-four dozens plastic balls for practice,” he remarks. “Someone recently broached the matter of Yuvraj’s marriage. I told the fellow right away that Yuvi was already married to cricket. At least for the next 10 to 15 years, Yuvi will be devoted to the game and nothing else. He should work harder and win more matches for the country,” he concludes.
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Poster boy of Indian cricket and skipper of one-day squad Mohinder Singh Dhoni was at his smashing best at a Ranji Trophy match played at this stadium in 2004. In the match against Haryana, he rained sixes all over.
“It is, perhaps, the most picturesque cricket stadium in India,” is how Sunil Gavaskar, a cricket legend and now a commentator described the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium during his last visit here 14 years ago.
Time cannot wither, nor can new trends stale the charm of the India-England match at the Sector 16 stadium. Almost 14 years have lapsed since the stadium was converted into one big battlefield with the two warring sides clashing on the crease. But, I vividly recall the constant din of the dhol drowning the battle cries, the heaves and the sighs… the feeling of life on the edge, the sensation of being within reach of victory, the apprehensions and subsequent dismay of losing its sight, of being so near, yet so far away…. No match can bowl out those sentiments.
The beauty of the match lives on. Though almost one-and-a-half decade has tumbled by since the ODI was played, the dust of time has not been able to cover its grandeur. Even today I remember the match as much for glamour as the game itself. As the men in blue pad up to meet the Australian team on the field, I recall the faces of members of the glam brigade with bright and cheerful sunglasses covering their fair visages. Oh yes, the glam dolls were there. Not just for the love of cricket, but also because to be seen on TV watching a live match was in vogue.
I will always cherish those few moments spent at the stadium watching the action live. As almost 14 years have gone by since the last match, I have a vague memory of being busy with something that day. So I was there for a brief period of time. But I distinctly remember each ball giving rise to a new hope, or leaving the crowd in dismay The game, it seemed would gradually slip out of India's hands, and everyone was hoping for a miracle to take place. I can still bring to mind the helplessness writ large on the faces of the cricket fans.
Sprawling lush green lawn with dew drops magnifying the ground's beauty, cool January breeze promising to lift the slight fog covering the area, the nip in the air, and wooden stairs at the northend - it was picture perfect. Everything about the stadium was so very green and natural in 1993 with few concrete structures. Being there was a pleasure in itself. I still remember the visiting team members saying it was all very English soon after they descended. The facilities were comparatively less and the field too has commendably improved since then. 
My association with the stadium dates back to the 80s. In fact, I was the pitch and ground in charge during the 1985 match, which was Sunil Gavaskar's last as captain. So, I have always taken keen interest in anything that goes on at the stadium. The 1993 match, with nerve-racking finish, was no exception. With nail-biting excitement, suspense and balance between the two sides till the end, you could have easily called it the Twenty20 version of the game. In the end, I can say there was nothing about the game the crowd did not enjoy.
As the "lions in blue" take to the crease for tackling the kangaroos in a "do-or-die" match Monday morning, cricket buffs across the city too have padded up. And, are all set to leave behind the pavilion of their houses for unmatched performance off the field.
And if you think this is the end of the thrill innings, you are in for a big surprise. Go to the stadium's vicinity, and you see fair damsels with painted visages and arms tattooed with the Indian flag. And then there are shades of merriment highlighted in the silky tresses of peroxide blondes. The locks have further been dyed red, gold and green just to match the mood of the occasion. 
Just in case you doubt the popularity of these 12-inch clean bats, ask Rajinder and Rajesh Bajaj of Prime Sports-7. They had ordered 400 bats. It's been almost a complete sellout. Tees of the Indian team have also been picked up for something like Rs 250. 
Sledging is a part of cricket. WG Grace did it. Once given out leg-before, he refused to walk and told the bowler: "They came to watch me bat, not you bowl". And the innings continued.
Yograj is a hard taskmaster and believes in getting things done by way of sheer hard work and dedication. He will never rest on his laurels, more so when it concerns his prodigal son Yuvraj Singh.
Unbeknowest to the majority of the cricketing world, strange things are afoot in the tiny country of Estonia. Here, for the last three years, the Estonian National Cricket Association has been organizing Ice Cricket Tournaments. Ice Cricket is …hold your breath…Cricket played on Ice! As bizarre as it sounds, every year from January to March, cricket teams from different parts of the world gather in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, to take part in this unique form of cricket. The ‘outfield’ is the frozen lake Harku or the Baltic Sea. The wicket is painstakingly carved out of ice. Instead of the normal leather ball which would freeze and harden in the minus six degrees temperatures, a composite red plastic ball is used. Also, the red ball is easy to spot in the snow. The boundary is marked off with snowdrift. Teams consist of 6 or 8 players with rolling substitutes. Tribune research cell