Written by Rahul Sadhu
|
Updated: July 13, 2021 3:13:20 pm
Yashpal Sharma's best performance came in the 1982 Chennai Test when he made 140 in a stand of 316 with Gundappa Viswanath against England.
Former India cricketer Gundappa Viswanath remembers his teammate Yashpal Sharma as a ‘total cricketer’. Together they had battled for an entire day against England in the 1982 Chennai Test and stitched a mammoth 316-run stand. While Viswanath scored 222, Sharma recorded his best score in Test cricket by stroking his way to 140.
Sharma, who would have turned 67 next month, passed away on Tuesday, due to a cardiac arrest. He represented India in 37 Tests and 42 ODIs.
He is best known for his magnum opus with Viswanath in the Madras (now Chennai) Test as they became only the third Indian pair to remain not out throughout a day’s play.
https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1×1.png
“Playing a whole day in Test cricket is a unique achievement and not many people have done it. The two of us playing the whole day was memorable. He was a very good cricketer, hardworking, a team man and I would say a total cricketer,” Viswanath told The Indian Express.
The Chennai Test, which began on January 13, 1982, saw India in a spot of bother early on.
Yashpal Sharma, who turns 66 today, played 37 Tests for India between 1979 and 1983 averaging 33.45 and 42 ODIs. His best performance came at Madras in 1981-82 when he made 140 (his second ad final Test ton) in a stand of 316 with Gundappa Viswanath against England pic.twitter.com/clPy3IT6Z8
— Historic Cricket Pictures (@PictureSporting) August 11, 2020
“The pitch was a bit bouncy and we lost Sunil Gavaskar and Pranab Roy early on. Dilip Vengsarkar was hit by a Bob Willis bouncer and retired hurt,” recalled Viswanath.
India were 150/2, but three of their batsmen were back in the pavilion.
“It was then that Yashpal came in. At the start, we spoke to each other and decided to take a cautious approach and tried to be there in the middle.”
While Vishwanath with his touch strokeplay scored 222 off 374 deliveries, Sharma’s knock was guts and determination as he scored 140 in 298 balls and spent more than 490 minutes at the crease. The entire partnership lasted ten-and-a-quarter hours and that too against an England bowling attack comprising Willis, Ian Botham and Derek Underwood.
“He played superbly and it was an attractive innings. He kept egging me on saying, “Vishy Bhai, chhodna nhi, hum dono aaj khelenge (don’t give up, both of us will keep playing). Towards the end of the day, he kept telling me to play the long innings and inspired me by saying, “Ab pura din khelenge (we will bat the entire day)“.
“So that was in my mind and we both dug deep and remained unbeaten.”
Today Sharma’s death has upset Vishwanath.
“The news is very shocking for me. I had never heard anything from anyone that he was unwell. So I am still not able to believe that he is no more. My condolences to his family and I hope they can bear through this pain” he signed off.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
