Dilip Vengsarkar was one of the best players from India in the period of the 80s and his record at Lord's, the home of cricket is simply magnificent.
Follow Us
Dilip Vengsarkar is acknowledged as one of the greatest players to have played for India in the period of the 80s. His compact defense and his stylish strokeplay made him the ultimate authority for India at number three. Vengsarkar’s record in that period was one of the key factors in India being a dominant power during the 80s. But, it is his record at Lord’s, the home of cricket that is jaw-dropping.
Consider this one statistic. Dilip Vengsarkar has more centuries than Sir Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and Sir Viv Richards combined at Lord’s. Dilip Vengsarkar is the only overseas player in the history of the game to have three centuries in Lord’s. From 1979 to 1990, Dilip Vengsarkar hit three centuries, one fifty with an average of 72.
It must also be remembered that Vengsarkar’s first innings at Lord’s was 0. His dismissal by Mike Hendrick was a reflection of how India batted poorly as they were shot out for 96. In the same match, Vengsarkar achieved redemption as he blasted 103 and shared a partnership of 210 with Gundappa Viswanath who also hit a ton. It was the start of something special for Vengsarkar at Lord’s.
There is a reason why Vengsarkar is nicknamed ‘The Colonel’. His organized, near-military bearing and technique helped India win and save many matches. Lord’s was just a reflection of the talent Vengsarkar possessed in a team of superstars. Sunil Gavaskar was brilliant, Kapil Dev was a megastar in his own right. But, deep down, Vengsarkar was the match-winner that India looked up to in the 80s.
After his match-saving effort in Lord’s 1979, his next moment came in 1982. England had notched up 433 with Derek Randall hitting 126. India collapsed to 128 all out with Ian Botham taking 5/46. The game seemed to be slipping away from India but Vengsarkar showed his class. His magnificent 157, combined with Kapil Dev’s 89 helped India avoid total humiliation. Although India lost the match by seven wickets, Vengsarkar’s knock defined India’s resilience.
In 1986, India were on top of the world having won the 1983 World Cup and the 1985 World Series of Cricket. India looked for glory in England. Once again, Vengsarkar stepped up and led India to a historic achievement in 1986. Vengsarkar smashed 126 and he became the first and only overseas player to hit three centuries in Lord’s. It was Vengsarkar’s class and the discipline of the Indian bowling that helped India secure their first-ever win in Lord’s in 11 attempts. From 1932 till then, India was vying for glory in the home of cricket but it never happened.
The magnitude of Vengsarkar’s brilliance can be summed up in the modern era. India has won only one series since the glory of 1986. Vengsarkar’s century would be replicated by another fellow Mumbai batsman in Ajinkya Rahane in 1014. His 103 on a Lord’s green top and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 6/82, combined with Ishant Sharma’s 7/74 gave India their first win there since Vengsarkar’s exploits.
From 1986 to 1988, Vengsarkar was the number one batsman in that period. In those two years, he scored eight hundreds in 16 Tests at an average of 100. In his final match at the venue in 1990, Vengsarkar hit 52 and 35 in a match that would be overshadowed by Graham Gooch’s world record aggregate of 456 runs in a match.
Vengsarkar’s numbers are impressive although he was once again pigeon-holed as a batsman who performed well only in India. Out of his 17 centuries, he smashed 13 in India. All four of his overseas tons came in England. He never scored a century in Australia, West Indies and New Zealand, averaging below 30.
Vengsarkar’s 6868 runs at an average of 42 in that era made for magnificent reading. However, in the galaxy of Indian cricket, Vengsarkar would carve a niche among many players.
In domestic cricket, Vengsarkar would be the giant of Bombay cricket. In 260 First Class games from 1975 to 1991, Vengsarkar would amass 17868 runs at an average of 52 with 55 centuries. Vengsarkar had burst upon the scene as a talented teenager when he scored a breezy 110 for Bombay against the Rest of India in the Irani Trophy match at Nagpur in 1975, in the process taking a heavy toll of Bedi and Prasanna, then at their peak.
In 1991, he almost gave Bombay a famous win on one leg against Kapil Dev’s Haryana in the 1991 Ranji season. Vengsarkar blasted 139 with an injured thigh in their chase of 355. But, with two runs needed, his runner was run-out and Bombay lost for the first time in a final at the Wankhede. Vengsarkar was in tears.
It summed up the desire of Vengsarkar even in his final playing days. But, he will always be known as one of the greatest players to have ever stepped foot on the hallowed turf of Lord’s.
