Bantoo, one of the most pillars of Delhi’s batting between mid 80s and mid 90s, can now find the money for to giggle when he jogs his reminiscence 32 summers again to April 20, 1991.
“Mere naak ka naqshaa hi badaal gaya Sachin ke uss bouncer ke baad. Mere paas ab naya naak hai (The design of my nose changed after that Sachin bouncer. I have a new nose now),” Bantoo stated all over an interplay with PTI at the eve of the legend’s fiftieth birthday.
But there was once backdrop to Sachin’s bouncer that had Bantoo actually finishing up on all fours.
The Mumbai as opposed to Delhi clashes within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen Nineties was as a lot about ego because it was once about enjoying the sport of 1 manship.
The chaste Punjabi abuses would fly thick and rapid from Delhi camp and returned in type in ‘Mumbaiyaa tapori’ language.
“We had tried preparing a green top at Kotla which had good carry but it became a batting paradise. It was a heated-up game as our seamers Sanjeev (Sharma) and Atul (Wassan) bowled a few bouncers to Dilip bhai (Vengsarkar) , who was playing his last season.
“I consider no less than on two events, Atul’s bouncers hit Dilip bhai at the rib cage and sledging began,” Bantoo remembered.
Delhi lost the quarter-final by one run as they finished first innings on 389 to Mumbai’s 390.
The second innings of both teams was a mere formality as Mumbai scored 719 in their second innings, riding on hundreds from skipper Sanjay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar and Chandrakant Pandit.
“It was once the general day and Mumbai boys have been somewhat annoyed with us on account of short-pitched stuff that was once dished. I had hit 100 in first innings and was once top on self belief. Now Sachin in the ones days would insist on seam bowling -up and was once reasonably extra misleading than he in fact appeared.”
“Once he were given the ball, I punched him thru covers for a boundary and he threw a chilly look at me. The subsequent ball, he installed effort and hit a grass patch on wanting duration because the ball climbed up.
“Well, I never wore a helmet with protective visor (front grill). Mine was old fashioned with fiberglass protection on ears. As the ball climbed on me, I tried to play the pull shot over mid-wicket but the ball ended up hitting the toe of my bat and came like a rocket towards me.”
“In those days, when any Ranji match was held in Delhi, we would use a red ball from a local company named Keemati. Today’s generation which has grown up on SG Test wouldn’t know that Keemati balls were like a brick. The moment it hit me, I went blur and before I lost my balance, it was Mumbai skipper Sanjay (Manjrekar), who quickly ran from slips and I collapsed into his arms,” Bantoo took a breath.
“My shirt was soaked in blood and even Sanjay had blood on his shirt as I left the field with the help of my teammates.”
Bantoo was once taken to Sanjivan Hospital proper in the back of Kotla and was once recognized with more than one fractures on his nostril, which required surgical procedure. He needed to keep on liquid nutrition for no less than two months.
But Bantoo recollects Sachin, the human being.
(AI pictures)
“Mumbai team had left that very evening after the match ended. It was around 11 at night that our landline phone rang and my dad picked up. On the other end, it was Sachin, who had got my contact, I don’t know how. He asked Dad, ‘How is Bantoo doing? What are the doctors saying?’ My dad was moved.”
“Later on, whenever we met, he would ask, “Naak theek hain na tera (Is your nostril alright now.).”
