Kunderan – The swashbuckling trend setter
by Partab Ramchand
DateLine: 23rd June 2006
It was Budhisagar Krishnappa Kunderan who started the trend of
swashbuckling Indian wicket keeper batsmen a tradition that Mahender
Singh Dhoni has carried on to this day. Before he burst upon the scene
so dramatically in January 1960 Indian wicket keepers had a dour image.
They were competent behind the stumps but added little by way of
substance or entertainment in front of them.
Given the big break by selection committee chairman Lala Amarnath when
only 20 Kunderan took little time in exhibiting his buccaneering
exploits with the bat and in only his second Test hammered Alan
Davidson and Ian Meckiff to all parts of the ground while top scoring
with 71 in a total of 149. The Richie Benaud led Australians were
flabbergasted by this young batsman who was treating the attack in
cavalier fashion and it was amply driven home that India had discovered
an immensely gifted player whose approach was refreshingly different
from the dour image of the Indian batsman.
It did not matter to Kunderan that very soon there appeared on the
Indian cricket horizon another young player who adopted a similar
attitude. For the rest of the decade he and Farokh Engineer played a
game of musical chairs as far as selection of stumper was concerned.
Both batted at a nifty rate, took outrageous risks and could also open
the batting but Engineer was probably marginally the better keeper and
this meant that Kunderan really had competition. Thriving on this he
took pains to improve his performance behind the stumps and in the
first Test against England at Bombay in 1961-62 he brought off five
dismissals in the first innings – an Indian record.
As far as batting was concerned Kunderan was Engineer’s equal both in
skill and entertainment value. This is best reflected in figures for
his career average is 32.70 compared to Engineer’s 31.08. Both had two
centuries but whereas Kunderan played only 18 Tests Engineer figured in
46.
Kunderan’s two hundreds were made in one magical series – against
England in 1963-64 when he became the first wicket keeper in Test
history to top the 500-run mark in a series. The first of the hundreds
had a storybook touch for Engineer was originally selected in the
eleven and not Kunderan. It was only an injury to the former that saw
Kunderan scramble into the side and for sheer daredevilry his batting
on the opening day of the first Test at Madras has had few equals. He
brought off audacious and unorthodox strokes that left the fielders
bewildered and the packed crowd howling with excitement. Out of the
first day’s total of 277 for two Kunderan hammered 170 and carried on
well into the second morning before he was out for 192 then the highest
score by an Indian against England. His seven-hour tenure did not in
any way seem to affect his concentration behind the stumps for he ended
the match with six dismissals. For good measure he added another
hundred in the fourth Test at New Delhi. When after all this he was not
considered for the series against Australia a few months later he was
disillusioned but in keeping with his never say die attitude he
continued to fight it out and another typically swashbuckling knock was
his 79 in an hour and a half at No 9 against Hall, Griffith, Sobers and
Gibbs at Bombay in December 1966.
An enterprising batsman like Kunderan was however seen in a totally
different role at Lord’s in 1967. A totally outclassed Indian team was
facing defeat by an innings and plenty but there was Kunderan refusing
to bow to the inevitable and defying the England attack for almost
three hours before he was last out for 47 in a total of 110 just
failing to carry his bat. The next Test however proved to be his last
for in one of the shocking omissions he was not included in the team
that toured Australia in 1967-68. In this game in the absence of
regular new ball bowlers Kunderan even opened the bowling. As he
recalled later in an interview ``when the captain asked me `what do you
bowl’ I said `I don’t know.'''
A career that had promised much came to a rather melancholic end with a
touch of controversy. The Mangalore-born Kunderan shifted from Railways
to Karnataka (then Mysore) in the sixties and after a couple of more
seasons with them retired in 1970. In an interview before migrating to
Britain he had a few uncharitable things to say about the functioning
of the Indian Cricket Board. He alleged that ``from association to
Board level players are made to feel they exist at the mercy of the
officials. Sirring is a must for players.’’ Needless to say his
comments did not go well with the administrators and from then on he
was in their black books. Kunderan was later to deeply regret the
comments made at a time of stress brought about by his wife’s illness
as he clarified. But the damage was done and he was not invited by the
Board to attend the Golden Jubilee Test against England at Bombay in
February 1980. He even sent a letter to the Board expressing an
unreserved apology adding that he would have been proud and honoured to
be alongside the other Indian cricketers who were invited for the
special occasion.
All this unpleasantness however did not in any way curb his enthusiasm
for the game and Kunderan played as a professional in the North
Lancashire league before becoming a successful and popular pro in
Scotland turning out for the odd game even when past the age of 40.
Last year he was diagnosed with lung cancer and had since been on
treatment. He passed away on Friday and is survived by his English wife
and two sons.
(Article: Copyright © 2006 CricketArchive)
