What is the value of a hollow win? Gentleman cricketer Vishy celebrates his 77th birthday  

Most legendary cricketers were assigned nicknames by their fans and the media. Kapil Dev was known as the Haryana Hurricane, Sachin Tendulkar was the Master Blaster and Rahul Dravid was The Wall. But Gundappa Vishwanath had a nickname that was merely a shortening of his real name. He was simply called Vishy.

It was not a colourful nickname nor an awe inspiring one like those of his teammates. But it suited his personality perfectly. Vishy was always a quiet, humble man whose bat was like a magic wand, but whose own persona was never flashy or pretentious.

On Thursday (February 12), the batting maestro, born in Bhadravati in Karnataka, celebrates his 77th birthday. The fact that he remains just as popular as he was during his playing days is evident from the huge number of birthday greetings that have flooded social media today from his numerous admirers.

Friends forever: Teammates Sunil Gavaskar and Vishwanath later turned into relatives as Vishy married Sunny’s sister Kavitha

In his international career spanning 14 years (1969 to 1983), he scored 6080 runs including 14 centuries from 91 Tests at an average of 41.93. In ODIs, he played 25 matches, scoring 439 runs at an average of 19.95. Nothing spectacular one may say. These days every young batter is slamming centuries in record time with astounding strike rates. But Vishy’s batting was never a matter of monumental and earth-shaking statistics. Only people who have the ability to appreciate the finer points of batting could understand Vishy’s exquisite skills.

Former Hyderabad off spinner V Ramnarayan, in an article, had written: “Vishy was arguably the inventor of the technique of playing from beside the ball, rather than behind it, and his square-cutting has scarcely been equalled. He was known to be capable of playing at least two shots to any single delivery, as my Hyderabad team-mates and I discovered to our dismay.”

Why and how and he developed the square cut

There is no doubt that the square cut was Vishy’s pet shot. In his autobiography titled “Wrist Assured”, he has written that when he was growing up, he was not a strong lad. He hardly had the strength to execute a hard drive. So, the only way he could score runs was through square cuts and late cuts. He perfected these shots with assiduous practice.

Vishy was arguably the inventor of the technique of playing from beside the ball, rather than behind it, and his square-cutting has scarcely been equalled, said Hyderabad off spinner V Ramnarayan

Later he could make use of these shots against the world’s fastest bowlers like John Snow, Bob Willis and Graham Mackenzie, leaving them fretting and fuming. It is relevant to note that K S Ranjitsinhji (better known as Ranji) perfected the leg glance for the same reasons and used it to good effect against the fast bowlers of his days.

In his book, Vishy also mentioned that it was skipper Pataudi who boosted his confidence. Especially after he had scored a duck in the first innings of his debut Test match in Kanpur (the second of the series against Australia in 1969), Pataudi’s reassuring words helped him to score 137 in the second innings.

Whenever Vishy scored a ton, India did not lose

The Kanpur Test ended in a draw and Pataudi was criticised by some experts for not declaring earlier and trying to win the battle. But Vishy revealed in his book that Pataudi wanted him to reach 150 and that was why the declaration was delayed. However, that result set an extraordinary trend. Thereafter, whenever Vishy scored a century, India never lost the Test match.

When Vishy was growing up, he was not a strong lad. He hardly had the strength to execute a hard drive. So, the only way he could score runs was through square cuts and late cuts. He perfected these shots with assiduous practice

After Vishy’s debut Test, legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor sent him a congratulatory telegram. Vishwanath has written that Raj Kapoor was a great cricket enthusiast. Everyone knows about the affinity between B S Chandrasekhar and the singer Mukesh. But Raj Kapoor too had a close relationship with cricketers based on mutual admiration.

Unusual incidents in Vishy’s career

In the course of his career, Vishy was involved in two unusual incidents that are talked of even today. The first was an incident in which Tony Greig picked him up and held him in his arms like a baby. The second was when he recalled Englishman Bob Taylor after the batter was given out by the umpire during the Jubilee Test in Mumbai in 1980.

The Tony Greig incident happened when England was touring India in 1973. In the 5th Test being played in Mumbai, India scored 448 in the first innings thanks to centuries by Farokh Engineer and Vishwanath.

When Vishy was batting in the 90s, Greig was fielding at his customary position of silly point. In his book, Vishy has written that Greig gave him prior warning that he was planning to do something if Vishy reached his century. But he did not disclose what he was going to do.

When I reached the three-figure mark, Tony effortlessly picked me off the ground and cuddled me like a baby. At 6 feet 6 inches tall, he towered over me and I was not surprised at the ease with which he lifted me. It was a lovely gesture from a lovely man, Vishy wrote

Vishy has written: “When I reached the three-figure mark, Tony effortlessly picked me off the ground and cuddled me like a baby. At 6 feet 6 inches tall, he towered over me and I was not surprised at the ease with which he lifted me. It was a lovely gesture from a lovely man.”

Sunny and Vishy failed to lift up Tony Greig

Later in the same match, Tony himself scored a century. Gavaskar told Vishy – let us return the compliment. The two Indian superstars tried to pick up the giant Tony Greig but failed to lift even one of his legs off the ground.

Recalling Bob Taylor was a fine gesture

The second incident for which Vishy remains famous for, was the recall of Bob Taylor. Vishy has described the incident in these words: “We had been dismissed for 242 in the one-off Test at the Wankhede stadium. But England themselves were struggling at 85 for 5 when Kapil Dev seemed to have found the edge of Taylor’s bat and Kiri (Syed Kirmani) caught the ball behind the stumps.

“Instinctively we all went up in appeal. Umpire S N Hanumantha Rao upheld our appeal. But almost immediately I sensed that Taylor had not nicked the ball. I looked at Kiri and he mouthed the word ‘NO’ to indicate that there was no edge. I looked at Gavaskar beside me in the slip cordon and he shrugged his shoulders. He was not sure. We had a quick discussion. Gavaskar told me ‘You are the captain. Whatever you decide, we will stand by you.’

“Meanwhile Taylor had not uttered a word. He had started to walk back. Then I went to the umpire and told him ‘Sir I want to withdraw the appeal’. After a little hesitation, Rao told me that he had no issues with it. It was then that I called out to Taylor and asked him to resume batting. Both the non-striker Ian Botham and Tayor himself said ‘well done, good show’.”

Sunny and Vishy dance at the latter’s son’s wedding reception

“I didn’t think at the time that I had done anything that was extraordinary. Even now I don’t think so. Perhaps we might have won the Test if I had not withdrawn the appeal. But what is the value of such a victory?” Vishy wrote in his book.

Those words summed up the principles by which Vishy played his cricket. He was always a gentleman playing the gentleman’s game in the true spirit of sportsmanship. Today the name of G R Vishwanath brings to mind, not only the beauty of his silky-smooth square cuts, but also his upstanding honour and graceful manners.

There are few, on the field and off it, who can match his qualities today.