He was a four-year-old, playing tennis-ball cricket, when Kapil Dev’s team was winning the World Cup, the first time ever for an Indian team. Many years later, Nikhil Naz, a sports presenter with NDTV, met some of his heroes and planned a 20-chapter story around their triumph, building up from the wins before the cup, and ending with Kapil holding the trophy aloft.
It resulted in a book replete with anecdotes, some of them little known, as Nikhil creates situations which have stayed with cricket lovers for eternity. The Kapil Dev catch which dismissed Viv Richards has assumed iconic status here, but there is a lovely tale that the author narrates to relive the game-changing moment at Lord’s.
Richards has “feasted” on Madan Lal and Kapil looks to make a change to “arrest” the flow of runs. The game appears to be fast slipping away. “Maddipa, you take a break. I’ll get you back after a few overs.” Madan is thinking hard, reflecting on the game at Berbice a few months ago when India beat West Indies for the first time ever in a one-day international. “Kaps, give me the ball. I got Vivin Berbice, I’ll get him here too. Just one more over, please,” Madan pleads with the skipper, who relents. And India get the most prized wicket, and the match too.
Nikhil succeeds in re-creating the final, writing about moves emanating from the field, where SunilGavaskar comes up with priceless advice for the captain. Like suggesting Mohinder Amarnath be pressed into the attack. “They aren’t finding him the easiest to play,” Gavaskar observes. Amarnath plays his role of an all-rounder and India makes history, mocking the bookmakers and experts by going on to win the World Cup.
There’s just one error: As the last West Indian wicket falls, Nikhil writes, “Amarnath runs and picks up a stump.” The truth is Amarnath missed picking up the stump and was left with no souvenirs from the match. Gavaskar had managed to lay his hands on the ball that Amarnath bowled to take the final wicket.
For cricket lovers, Miracle Men is a tribute to the greatest underdog story in cricket. It would have been enriched had the author also spoken to R. Mohan, G. Viswanath and Dwarkanath Sanzgiri, three eminent cricket writers from India who covered the 1983 World Cup.
And then there’s also praise from Sachin Tendulkar: “A brilliant book that took me on a nostalgia ride. Fine storytelling;” and VVS Laxman: “passionate and hilarious.”
