by Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
088
Boxing day is certainly not a day to box out between two opponents – fist to fist- but it is a day when Boxes of gifts are presented post Christmas. 26th December is traditionally known as Boxing Day.
Funnily, 2024 Boxing Day Test match between India and Australia has been marred by two on-field cricketers, which left the onlookers bewildered with one of the ugliest scenes on field when Virat Kohli quite unnecessarily shoulder-charged to the debutant 19 year old Sam Konstas and left all spellbound with the utterly disgraceful behavior. It was not cricket.
Well Virat Kohli is not known for chocolate behviour on field for last decade and half as he has been entangled in number of such incidents at home and abroad but this shoulder charging perhaps has crossed all lines. Thanks to his stars that ICC has reprimanded him with only 20% of his match fee as fine and one demerit point. He could easily have been banned for the rest of the series for such blatant outburst for no reason. It was unbecoming of a cricketer like Virat who is idolized by many. Not long ago, he came almost to blows with Gautam Gambhir in an IPL match and it took several years for both to come to terms. It is ironic that today Gambhir is his coach in India team.
Sledging on field is nothing new. Rather these have added colours to the proceedings. The players have at times lost their cool too with the umpire needing to intervene. Sledging is absolutely a mind game. Be it in Australia, England or South Africa, things are almost same with Australia leading the list in terms of hostility.
That is one reason why Saurav Ganguly, as Captain of India, decided to see ‘eye ball to eye ball’ situation with Australians always. Saurav kept opponent captain Steve Waugh waiting for the toss with an attempt to put pressure. That is also a kind of sledging.
Hilarious and some breathtaking sledging incidents are here for you readers.
Melbourne, 1981: Gavaskar was batting superbly to fight out Australian bowling. One ball from Dennis Lillie came thundering on Gavaskar’s pads and there was chorus appeal. The umpire held Gavaskar out. He was batting on 70. In those days there were no video replays, no ultra edge – to find out the actual status. The fact was that the ball had hit Gavaskar’s bat first and then the pad. Obviously Gavaskar was fuming as Lillie charged down the wicket and thumped on Gavaskar’s pads by his hand showing that the ball had hit there. That was enough for Gavaskar to protest and ordered his partner Chauhan to leave the ground. Poor Chauhan had no choice but to obey Captain’s order as he slowly followed Gavaskar towards the pavilion. The Indian team manager, Shahid Durrani, rushed out from the pavilion and bodily sent back Chauhan to the wicket. Else, the Test would have been surrendered. Incidentally India won that Test thanks to brilliant bowling by Kapil and Doshi . Lillie’s act was beyond sledging as he bodily attacked Gavaskar, something like Kohli. However, 40 years later, Gavaskar revealed the real reason behind his walkout, stating that it was the Australian players’ ‘get lost’ call, and not his LBW dismissal, that prompted him to walk off the ground with his opening partner.
1981 Ashes Test at Headingly: Rodney Marsh to Ian Botham: “So, how’s your wife and my kids?” The reply from Botham was even more stunning, “The wife’s fine. The kids are retarded!”
Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon, in 1984-85 Brisbane Test. Boon was having a bit of trouble against the fast bowler and had played and missed a few times. Marshall : “Now David, are you going to get out or am I going to have to come round the wicket and kill you?”.
1989 : Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut for India at the age of 16 years against Pakistan. In a 20 over exhibition match, Pakistan, had put up 157 runs on board. In response, India lost a few early wickets. Tendulkar made his presence felt, hitting Mushtaq Ahmed for two sixes in one over. Watching this, the experienced Abdul Qadir went to Sachin and said ‘why are you hitting kids, try and hit me’. The India legend replied by hitting Qadir for four sixes in an over !
1991 : Javed Miandad tried to sledge Merv Hughes. Miandad said to him: “Merv you are a big, fat bus conductor”. Just a few balls later, Hughes dismissed Miandad. In doing so, the Aussie fast bowler ran past Miandad shouting – : “Tickets please.”
1991, Jamaica. After every delivery, Merv Hughes started giving a stare to Viv Richards, which angered the West Indian captain. The legendary West Indies batsman went up to him and said, “Don’t you be staring at me, man. This is my island, my culture, we play accordingly”. Hughes replied – “In my culture we just say fxxk-off.”
Third Test in Trinidad,1995. A furious Curtly Ambrose towered over Steve Waugh and threatened to punch his lights out. For a bowler who rarely offered more than a stare after sending down his thunderbolts, this was a blow-up truly out of character. Ambrose was bouncing Waugh repeatedly and Waugh was pulling them smartly to the boundaries. Ambrose lost his cool and came charging down the wicket. Quickly enough, Richie Richardson forcibly restrained Ambrose while Waugh looked at him dead in the eye without moving an inch. This remains one of cricket’s most iconic images as shown. Rarely do a bowler and batsman appear to be so close to coming to blows on the pitch.
1999 England World Cup: South Africa looked on course to victory even though Australia captain Steve Waugh was at the crease. When Waugh clipped the ball straight to Gibbs at forward short leg, Gibbs dropped the catch unbelievably. Waugh uttered to Gibbs, “Mate, how does it feel to have dropped the World Cup?” Waugh went on to score a hundred and won the match for Australia.
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was involved in multiple sledging incidents during his illustrious career. It was 2004 Lords Test when Flintoff went for West Indian Tino Best. Bowler Flintoff just had a hilarious warning for the former saying, “mind those windows, Tino.” In response, Tino Best went for a wild heave only to get comprehensively stumped off the very next ball.
2004. India-Australia series was tied 1-1 going into the fourth Test. Australia had an improbable target of 443 to win in just over 90 overs. Waugh was on strike when Parthiv Patel uttered : “Let’s see if you can play one of those famous slog-sweeps, and miss one.” Steve replied, – “Show a bit of respect. You were in nappies when I played my first Test match. ”
Adam Gilchrist vs Mohammad Kaif in 2004. During the fourth Test at Mumbai, Australian players were convinced that Kaif had gloved one behind the stumps with Gilchrist taking a catch. However, the umpire wasn’t convinced and didn’t pay heed to the vociferous appeal. Kaif did not walk. End of the over, Gilchrist walked up to Kaif and said with utter disappointment, “The whole world is watching champ.”
2005: Shaun Pollock went against Ricky Ponting . After beating Ponting a couple of times, Pollock sarcastically pointed out to Ponting: “It’s red, round and weighs about five ounces.” Ponting hit the next ball out of the ground and said: “You know what it looks like, now go and find out.”
It was 2007 India’s tour in England. Stuart Broad, the hefty fast bowler was in his debut season as he was bouncing Saurav Ganguly a couple of times and hit in his pad with loud appeal. As Broad closed in to the batsman, Saurav uttered to him- “ Baby, my number of Test hundreds are more than the number of Tests you have played. Don’t fiddle with me. ”
Michael Clarke, in 2007 Sydney Test, went up to incoming batsman Sachin Tendulkar and uttered : “You are too old. You need to go.” Tendulkar kept mum, but the conversation upset Virender Sehwag who gave a dashing reply to Clarke, “What’s your age?” Clarke animatedly replied, “23, mate!” Sehwag then responded, “Do you know he has more hundreds in Tests and in ODIs than your age? Try someone your age, mate!” Clarke was still in no mood to stop and continued taunting Tendulkar. Sehwag then shut the Aussie cricketer by asking, “Your friends call you ‘pup’, right?” Clarke replied, “Yeah, mate.” Sehwag gave the final reply by asking, “Which breed?” To this, Tendulkar and Sehwag burst out laughing and Michael Clarke didn’t come in their way further in that Test match.
Shortly after McGrath’s wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer, Australia was playing a Test match against the West Indies. McGrath to Sarwan: “What does Brian Lara’s dick taste like?”. Sarwan: “Why don’t you ask your wife?”. McGrath lost his cool: “If you ever mention my wife again, I’ll fxxxen rip your fxxxxen throat out”.
From WG Grace, with his penchant for delivering a running commentary on opposition players and umpires, to Ian Chappell’s Australians and their tactic of creating ‘mental disintegration’, sledging is almost as old as cricket itself. The Australians, Dennis Lillee to Merv Hughes have been the acknowledged masters, but Asians have not lagged far behind.
Lets end with a real gentle sledging and not surprisingly, it is from the nicest cricketer on field, Rahul Dravid. See the exchanges during a commentary session during 2015 World Cup.
Nasser Hussain : – India has peaked too early, aren’t they? Are you worried Rahul that your boys are peaking too early?
Rahul Dravid had the perfect response, (referring to England’s performance): Nasser, it’s better to peak early than to not peak at all! You have to peak early to make to the quarter finals actually.
Shane Warne, the third commentator, chipped in: I don’t think you were expecting that answer, were you Nasser?
Nasser Hussain: Not from Rahul – from you yes, but not from the nicest man in cricket!
Rahul Dravid: I was sledged all along in the last commentary session about my 2007 stint. I was itching to give it back to someone! Sorry, Nasser!
Dravid even said sorry at the end, just shows his nature…truly a gentleman!!
Some fun, some punch are mixed in sledging on cricket field. But bodily charging an opponent is more often seen in football and Rugby. Not in Cricket.
Concluded…
Nice piece