Sushil Doshi : Indian Cricket’s master storyteller…

Sushil Doshi and A Winter in Indian Cricket…

The age was impressionable, the game was one that had the nation’s pulse. It was easy to play and fall in love with. All one needed was a bit of romanticism to it.

A cold and miserable winter of 1977 brought the trigger along for me.

The air was crisp and cold in many parts of the country. Young and old alike, following cricket were up early and crouched with their sweaters on, in front of the valve-radio’s and early versions of transistor radios. Far away in a different time zone , 5 hours ahead, Australia were playing India in a test match at Brisbane. I was all of 9 and had woken up to listen in as many of my other friends and elders in the neighbourhood were doing so. It was just a curiosity then.

India was emerging as a force in Test cricket and Australia was going through a miserable patch. Bob Simpson , ever the faithful servant of Australian cricket had to be recalled from retirement to lead a side that was under pressure.

The Voice of the Indian Cricket : Sushil Doshi

The morning was a few hours away, as the radio waves crackled and the now familiar voice of Anant Setalvad , with his crisp English floated into millions of cold dark rooms in India. It was when Setalvad welcomed his fellow commentator in Hindi, Sushil Doshi, that for me, cricket and its love sunk in.

Speaking the language that many in India spoke and thought in , Doshi with his charming voice, musical intonation and an unparalleled ability to create a picture with words became for me the voice of Indian cricket.

Sushil Doshi , on that cold and hazy morning, brought the Gabba at Brisbane right into my house as he along with the equally smooth Setalvad painted a game in their words. I could see and not just hear, a crouching Gavaskar at slips , catching Simpson as Bishan Singh Bedi spun one away from him. Chandrasekhar and Prasanna seemed to be bowling in the grounds just in front of my house. It was just mesmerizing.

The only names in the Aussie team we knew were Simpson, Jeff Thomson and wicketkeeper Steve Rixon. Bedi finished with five wickets as the Aussies folded for 153. It was a different matter that Simpson scored a fighting 89 in the second innings and Thomson with his four wickets ensured that Australia won the first test.

The series was a battle of the best kind. India won two test matches but lost the series by 3-2. For me , it was Sushil Doshi who made it more memorable.

I followed every match he was commenting on. Doshi’s best was yet to come. I was lucky enough to have been tuned in , when Doshi delivered the words that were to go on and become a part of Indian cricketing folklore.

The masterpiece : Sunil Gavaskar and Sushil Doshi

It was 1979, and India was visiting England. Having won the first test and drawn the other two England looked forward to wrapping up the series at Oval. They batted first scored 305, and dismissed India for 202. In their second innings helped by a seven hour 125 from the dour and determined Geoff Boycott, England declared and challenged India to chase a total of 438 in 150 odd overs.

Although India managed a world record chase of 406 a couple of years earlier at Port-of-Spain against West Indies, not many gave a chance for this chase. England had an attack which had the likes of Bob Willis, Ian Botham, Mike Hendrick, Phil Edmonds and Peter Willey, and India were expected to play out a draw.

In what is a story that is inspiring as ever even after five decades, India chased hard. Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chouhan his favorite opening partner put on 213 for the first wicket. Chauhan went for 80, then Dilip Vengsarkar and Gavaskar took India to 366 and the English attack looked tired. Mike Brearley, always the cricketing genius, was ringing in changes, slowing the game down to save the game. The match went into the final hours of the fifth day with India eight wickets down.

India were left to score 10 in the last over and managed only one, and a test match which had stoked the imagination of a nation ended in a draw. It was late in the night when India’s collective sigh of what could have been, was heard in every room across the nation. Sunil Gavaskar produced a magnificent innings of 221, one that is to this day considered by many as the best in Indian cricket, matched only perhaps by the masterclass V V S Laxman produced in a winning cause in Kolkatta in 2001.

As the emotions and pressure mounted and dropped every minute, Sushil Doshi in his own inimitable style delivered the words he would himself have not imagined would go on and get etched in the memories of those with their ears to the radio’s. ……

“Jin logon ko dil ki bimari hai, woh commentary na sune toh behtar hai, kyonki unke doctor unhe yeh salah de rahe honge ki yeh romaanch jo sar par chadh kar hawi ho raha hai, yeh unke dil ke liye hanikarak sabit ho sakta hai.”

( those with weak hearts are advised to stop listening to the commentary as all this excitement could be a risk to their hearts)

Doshi was the first Hindi commentator in India, starting in the Ranji matches aged 18. His first Test match assignment in 1972 against the travelling Englishmen.

Over the years as radio fought a losing battle against television, Doshi held it all together. He adapted himself to the television commentary and was his usual best even in a visual medium which gave little room to language.

Sushil Doshi was awarded the Padma Shri in 2017. After more than 50 years of bringing the game to the faithful, he continues to grace the commentary box and entertain the next generation of cricket lovers. A tireless performer who has romanticised the game all his life.

His choice of words was always perfect. The adjectives bristled and fell into place as he brought the scene alive. One could feel the weather, see the pitch and appreciate the beauty of a cracking square cut, just from the words that he employed.

Sushil Doshi , for me was more of a teacher than a commentator. For someone who is not a native Hindi speaker, Doshi was an inspiration for me. I learnt more adjectives and grammar in his commentary than all my years at school. He gave me the confidence to dare and read the prose and poems from literary giants of Hindi.

His style on the mike and the romance of the game were too much of a potent mix for a 9 year old .

Appeal me utsah jyadaaur vishwas kum….( the appeal has more excitement and less of belief)

There is no way you could not but fall for that line

Remember ….an impressionable age it was!!!!

Dhanywad Doshisaab……..

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For those who would like to hear a few words in Sushil Doshi’s magical voice…here is a clip , Doshi still going strong from the 2023 World Cup match in Bangalore against the Netherlands…..

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