Former India cricketer Pranab Roy, basking on Bengal’s win over TNCA XI on Tuesday as its coach, fondly recalled profitable the Buchi Babu All India invitational cricket match title with the State Bank of India.
“Buchi Babu is always very close to my heart. We won the championship. That was long ago, maybe in the 90s. We were the champions!” he reminisced.
He stated that Chennai may be very expensive to his household. For it was at Chepauk that he made his India Test debut towards England in 1982, 26 years after his father Pankaj had a then World document 413-run opening partnership in Tests with Vinoo Mankad. It was additionally in Chennai that his father scored his second Test century towards England in India’s first-ever Test victory in 1952!
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“People talk about the Chennai crowd, that it is a cricket-loving crowd. I can vouch for it. Because when I made my India debut, I had replaced (Krishnamachari) Srikkanth. Srikkanth is a local guy.
“So, I was expecting some tough comments or tough behaviour from the crowd. But the crowd was absolutely brilliant! They made me feel comfortable and supported me all through. It was absolutely amazing! I never thought that I could expect that kind of good, healthy support from the crowd. So, I will always remember that!”
He stated Buchi Babu match has all the time been “one of the toughest tournaments” and shared an amusing anecdote from his enjoying days within the occasion.
“I still vividly remember – I was batting with (Mohammad) Azharuddin for State Bank of India against Hyderabad XI on a matting wicket in Chennai. Marina beach side. The Hyderabad boys were trying to bowl bouncers to Azharuddin and he came up to and told me: ‘Look at this, they are my colleagues! And now they are bowling bouncers to me!’”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com