The Iyengars of Cricket
Vengrai Parthasarathy
Being an Iyengar I am tempted to write about Iyengar Cricketers who have made a mark in this prince of games. No way is this brief article intended to downsize others who have represented Madras and India
The first name that comes to mind is of M.J. Gopalan. In his early days this medium-fast swing bowler of distinction sported a tuft –kudumi as it is called in Tamil. Often this tuft will come untied and when Gopalan tied them up into a nice bundle and went on to bowl, some of his inveterate fans predicted that it was a signal that a wicket would fall! Gopalan was a popular figure specially in the Presidency Cricket matches in which Indians were pitted against Europeans, That was in those days. The matches were played during Pongal time and surely there was a festive atmosphere. Gopalan was included in the team that toured England in 1936.He was also a skilled hockey player—a double International.
You can’t talk of Gopalan without mentioning another name—C.R. Rangachari, both of them being from Triplicane Cricket Club. A jolly man this speed merchant had represented India in the Australian tour and had bowled against the great Donald George Bradman and other worthies. I remember reading a sports report (by A.L.Hasset if my memory serves me right) that said Rangachari missed Bradman’s off-stump by the ‘proverbial varnish’—a metaphor that had stuck my mind.. He had played for Madras State in all the Ranji Trophy matches. The Delhi Cricket authorities still have on display a stump broken into two with a Rangachari whizzer in one of the international matches.
A Cricketer of note was S.V.T.Chari ( a noted doctor of Tnagar), who kept wickets. Another name that comes to mind is of M.O.Srinivasan, also a wicket-keeper.
Even Mohd.Nissar India’s first speed merchant of those days did not hold any terror for him and he used to stand on the ready, pretty close to the stumps.
Then there is Venkataraghavan the wily off-spinner. His jaw-breaking name was too much of a mouthful for an English commentator who called him ‘Venta-caravan’! He captained the Indian team and was a part of the famous quartet of India’s spin attack.( the others being Prasanna, Chandrasekhar and Bedi). He went on to become a highly regarded Cricket umpire. Another spin bowler of merit was A.K. Sarangapani.
The jaunty Cricketer of Madras, K.Srikkanth was an intrepid batsman who saw in the ‘red’ ball a red rag meant to be ‘attacked’ and mercilessly too. He has played a notable part in Indian Cricket and was made Captain of the team that went to Pakistan. His dashing forays and devil-may-care attitude were greatly admired. He is now a Cricket administrator being Chairman of the selection committee.
Then there is/was Ramesh Sadagopan who had showed much promise but has been sidelined because of injuries. One Cricketer I should mention as tail-piece is the Editor of StraightBat, S.R. Jagannathan, Captain of Egmore Excelsiors, a formidable leg-break bowler and tenacious opening bat who would have gone places but got jostled out of the State team because Tamil Nadu had too many good players knocking on the doors of Cricket, when this College/University Cricketer was at his peak