Finally it seems to an inglorious end of innings for Ravi Sastri, the man known to play long innings during his playing days. Known for his grit and patience he has a history of making comebacks when left for good. His exit from an administrative role was as damp squib as when he retired unceremoniously as a player, if I remember correctly after India's maiden tour to South Africa in 1992.
He was a hearthrobe of girls during his peak playing days and known for his cricketing acumen as it was said that he was the best captain India never had. But media and public in India never liked him. Though a great allrounder, unlike Kapil Dev and even Sunny Gavaskar he was never a man of the masses and was perpetually seen as a selfish cricketer, a rock like burden on his shoulders which he couldn't shrug off. On popularity chart many times he would be at the rock bottom. Glad there was no social media those days to be another fly in ointment.
Mountains out of molehill are made out of him. Much has been said about his abilities and disabilities. I am no fan of him, but I admire him coming a long way from entering the international scene as a lanky 19 year old leg spinner in 1981 to end up as an opener and a crucial all rounder of utility value, then on a managerial role post retirement.
When you are a celebrity you are no more a private person. The public believes they own you and you owe them. No one can be a celebrity without the acceptance of commoners but one still has his rights to privacy. But when there is a huge expectation bestowed on you, you are expected to meet that expectation by sacrificing your privacy in a cricket obsessed nation.
Unlike these days when most test matches end in 4 days and draws are quite unheard of unless caused by weather intervention, 1970 to 1980s saw plenty of dull draws. One of which I witnessed when India played Pakistan in Jaipur test of 1987 - the test match is remembered as the venue for Cricket diplomacy initiated by General Zia Ul Haq, the military dictator of Pakistan. The match ended in a tame draw, with Ravi Sastri taking more than an hour to move from 99 to 100. India lost that 5 match series 0-1, with the rest 4 tests in that series ending in draws. Sastri's image as a slow, selfish player who can kill any number of time to reach his personal milestones was cemented.
Emotions when run high can swing like a pendulum. One day the fans put you on a pedestal, the next day they mercilessly troll you, shower you with shoes - literally happened so to Sastri. In 1985 when he returned as the Champion of Champions from Australia he was so overloaded with garlands that his face was barely visible. A few years later he was blamed for his slow scoring rate on March 1, 1992 when India lost by 1 run in a crucial world cup game in Brisbane against Australia. Though a silly rain related rule cost India victory, public put the blame squarely on the slow batting of Ravi Sastri earlier that innings.
Same day I happened to be in the temple township of Puri, Odisha. His effigy now ironically garlanded with shoes was carried on a donkey on the BADADANDA (Broadway) for a while before the straw made effigy was burnt. I asked one bystander PANDA (priest class folks from Puri) what all the commotion about. In his typical lingo he started showering Rabi Sastri's entire family with choicest of Odia expletives. (Not sure what Sastri's mother and sisters had to with his slow batting).The funniest part was the guy did not even know who the heck Rabi Sastri was. He just got tagged into the melee for the sake of fun and was emulating what his fellow onlookers were doing.
Though this happened in Puri, you would think Sastri would have been spared in his home town Bombay. It didn't happen. I saw on Times Of India his pictures adorned strings of old, torn footwear (a sign of insult in India) and his effigies were burn all over the metropolis.
I personally believe public has been a bit too harsh to judge him as he definitely has contributed to many India's victories - as a player and in management role. As expected he has been pilloried on social media. But he had seen enough in his life to get immune to these things by developing a Rhino's thick skin. Wish him a happy retirement life. Public memory is short and this too shall pass.
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