By Sunil Gavaskar

IN 1982 after the team members had been selected to tour Pakistan, the selectors sat around, had a cup of tea, exchanged a few jokes and then became serious again since the vice-captain of the team had to be selected from 15 others. One selector proposed the name of Kapi! Dev and looked at me. I immediately accepted the suggestion and thus Kapil became vice captain of the Indian team. I accepted the suggestion because when one is appointed captain one expects to continue in the job for some time and it is thus a good idea to groom a younger player to take over by giving him the responsibility of vice-captain. The player thus understands that he is looked at as being the successor and gets mentally prepared to take on greater responsibilities as the captain in due course. Also Kapil had shown very positive leadership qualities at the time he had been North Zone captain and it was generally known that Vishwanath, who had been in the vice-captain, and I being the same age would probably go out together and so there should be no void at the top. What the selection committee nor I had foreseen was the probability of a heavy defeat in Pakistan, necessitating a change in the captaincy. Perhaps just one member envisaged a possibility like that.

Well, Imran Khan, with a little help from Zaheer, Javed and Mudassar, swept us aside and only Mohinder Amarnath making a to Test cricket, was able to enhance his reputation. I was held personally responsible for the loss and discarded as captain and that’s how Kapil ascended the throne. All along the Pakistan tour he kept on saying that he did not want the captaincy. But then it’s not something you cannot accept.

His first assignment was against the West Indies. Not many experienced captains would fancy their chances against the West Indies, especially in the early 80s and even a highly rated captain like Mike Brearley never captained a single Test against the West Indies. So Kapil had the uneviable task of captaining his country for the frist time and that too against the undisputed World Champions in all grades of cricket. He started losing the first Test ina thrilling finish when the West Indies won with just a few balls to spare. Predictably, he was criticized, but instead of being disheartened one could see a new determination in him.

The second Test was played kon one of the greatest wickets I’ve seen at Trinidad and here too we looked in danger of losing when Kapil played a captain’s knock to score a century and save the game for us. I suspect that it was after this that the West Indians took a hard, aggressive attitude playing after Lloyd offered to go off after 10 of the mandatory 20 overs had been owled. Kapil was nearing his century then and understandably wanted to continue. Test centuries kdo not come on a platter and one against the West Indians is highly coveted.

We lost one more out of the remaining three Tests to lose by two Tests but considering our lack of experience and exposure to pace like the West Indies’ it was a creditable performance. It was thus no surprise to find him as captain of the team for the Prudential World Cup to follow the West Indies tour. He had a different vicecapatain now, on ewhom he admired and one who was an extremely good friend of his Jimmy Amarnath. Amarnath’s comeback was complete after his superlative displays against West Indies and he was not a very confident person. Mohinder quiet, almost shy, but a man with a cricketing brain and he and Kapil plotted and planned every move during the World Cup campaign. A tournament where we were rank outsiders ended up with an impressive victory which astonished and stunned the world and sent Indians onto the streets in the middle of the night for a jubilant celebration. Kapil himself had been instrumental in getting us the championship playing the innings of his life against Zimbabwe and bowling superbly throughout. Moreover his captaincy in using Mohinder and Kirti Azad’s bowling was nothing short of inspirational. With this win, and age being on Kapil’s side, everybody thought that the captaincy problem was over at least for the rest of the decade.

However, the World Cup victory had blinded us to the fact that we still only that Kapil as a match winning bowler] for Tests. He had no support, although Sandhu, Binny, and Madan all tried gamely, as is their wont. They simply did not have that little extra which Kapil had. We just managed to save the series against Pakistan and now faced West Indies, who were determined to avenge their defeat in the World Cup final. I’ve never seen the West Indies look as serious as they did on that tour. Normally they are a happy-go-lucky people but this time they kept the laughing to the minimum as they went about in a clinically professional manner to not only win the Tests 30 but the one day series without a loss. Their revenge was complete and so complete was their mastery that our team looked hopeless.

By this time, the strain over the last few years was taking its toll on Kapil and his knee gave way. He had gamely carried on during the season, packing it in the ice after the days play but now had to have an operation. He could not get fit in time for the first Asia Cup in Sharjah and so I was reappointed captain. The team’s success there unfortunately started a discussion as to who should lead India in the new season. I was once again given the job which at that time I really did not want but, as I said, earlier one cannot refuse the country’s captaincy.

I quit the captaincy after the World Championship at Melbourne and Kapil came back as the captain and promptly won the Australia Cup in Sharjah. Thereafter his captaincy has had its ups and downs and while it is easy to be critical one must keep in mind the fact that we did not have the bowling resources to take 20 wickets in a match and win it. Thus we went without victory for some time till the tour of England where the wickets gave our bowlers that little extra help and we won the series 20. Once again there was the hope that the controversy regarding captaincy was over but the loss to Pakistan last season revived it and Kapil was expected to go.

The new selection committee has however retained him for the Reliance Cup and the nation’s cricket lovers eyes are on him now to repeat the 1983 performances. As we work out at this conditioning camp one can feel the determination in Kapil and one can only pray for his success for that would be the icing on the cake of a great career which has made millions of Indians proud of him.

PORTRAITS OF CAPTAINS — HOW KAPIL ASCENDED THE THRONE BY SUNIL GAVASKAR.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 9, 1987