by QAMAR AHMED
The tragic demise of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, known as the Nawab of Pataudi Jr, at Delhi yesterday brings to mind then the genius that he was as one of the finest batsmen that India produced and undoubtedly one of the top-class fielders that I have seen over the years having watched men of the type of Colin Bland, Clive Lloyd, Mohammad Azharuddin and of course Jonty Rhodes.
Even his father Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi who died in 1952 while playing polo, had not reached those heights in the game as did the son Pataudi Jr. The senior Nawab played only six Tests, the first for England in the infamous bodyline series in 1932 hitting a hundred on debut at Sydney and then later led India in Tests. The only Indian to have played for England and India.
His son Mansur though was a player apart, a lot more talented and skilful than his father and tactically an even greater leader which is ominous for the fact in that in 46 Tests that Mansur played for his country, he led them in 40. His team won nine of those matches, giving India the belief that with perseverance India could win matches overseas.
Under his captaincy, India for the first time in their history won a series abroad, in New Zealand in 1968, the same year when Pataudi Jr was named as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
He employed a multi-spinner strategy to bring Indians in the limelight, on the pattern of which Clive Lloyd later introduced his four-pronged fast bowling battery.
It was at 21 that Pataudi was handed over the mantle of Test captaincy in the fourth Test on the West Indies tour of 1962 to replace injured captain Nari Contractor who suffered head injury off a Charlie Griffith bouncer.
Dawn for more
(Thanks to Mansoor Gowani)