A Lasting Impression

Cricket is a game which tests its players’ endurance and staying capacity. In order to present a satisfactory or commendable performance, one needs endurance. Endurance of two types is required; one which includes constant practice throughout the year (long term), and the other, a sustained amount of focus, concentration and physical sustenance throughout that period (match or innings) in which that performance is delivered i.e., short term endurance.

All of us who sat at home and enjoy Lara’s 400 not out on TV are not aware of how much effort (both on the spot and prior practice) the recently retired stalwart of cricket put into that innings. We sat and watched him on TV, periodically getting a drink of water and eating our dinner in front of the TV. It has to be appreciated that ALL this time, Lara was on the field, in the heat of St.John’s en route to a record.

The amount of endurance cricket requires is noted in one game, the Ranji Trophy Final of 1982 between Delhi and Karnataka at Delhi. Karnataka batted first and scored a mammoth 705 all out. There were four centuries in that innings and surprisingly, G.R.Viswanath scored a duck in that innings.

In the event of a match ending in a draw, the team with the first innings lead at stumps on the last day is awarded the match. Delhi won. 707 for 8 was their score.

This is one of the best examples of endurance in cricket. Batting first and scoring 705 is significant but not as significant as chasing that down in the second innings of the match. A significant point was that there were only two centuries in the Delhi innings. The man of the series in world cup ’83, Mohinder Amarnath came in at number 5 and went on and on to score 185 and won the match (not outright though) for Delhi.

The endurance from the bowlers was also commendable. Some of the spinners in that game bowled an enormous number of overs. In the Karnataka innings, Maninder Singh bowler 87.5 overs in a total of almost 256 overs!! In the Delhi innings, left arm spinner Raghuram Bhat bowled 94 overs!!! The innings lasted almost 253 overs.

That’s endurance for you.-BS