Of mammoth partnerships and stern coaches

B Manoj Kumar and Mohammed Shaibaaz Tumbi, two 13-year old school-boys from Hyderabad, have managed to eclipse a record set by Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli in February 1988. They scored a world-record partnership of 721 runs off 40 overs to break the 664-run partnership record set by Tendulkar and Kambli. But then, you know that already! The news has been all over the media. These two (obviously quite talented) schoolboys are being heralded as the next Tendulkars and Kamblis. Too premature, I say!

Of course there is no doubt that 721 runs in 40 overs in a competitive match is no mean feat. But one must consider the fact that the other team was all-out for a mere 21 runs. That gives us a measure of the other team’s ability (or the lack of it, at least!)

By the way, one interesting point to note here is the way the two mammoth partnerships were achieved.

“When we were on the 600-run mark, our coach informed us that there were 38 runs left for the world record and instructed us to play well and not get out. We were under pressure and that’s why we played slowly,” said Manoj. Added Shaibaaz, “I was just playing for myself and my school. I only realised when I returned to the pavilion that I’d broken a record by scoring a triple century.”

[source: Cricinfo]
[emphasis mine]

And now consider a similar situation way back in 1988.

Tendulkar ended the day on 192, and Kambli was ten runs behind. Ramakant Achrekar, their stern coach, explained to Tendulkar that the team should declare first thing in the morning.
…
At lunch, selectively acting on Achrekar’s instructions from the previous day, Tendulkar rang him up from Khao Galli and informed him the score was seven hundred and something, and that Vinod was on 349. He wisely kept his own score to himself, and instead told Achrekar that Kambli wanted to reach his 350. Almost innocently, he passed the phone to the horrified Kambli. The innings was declared immediately.
[source: Cricinfo]
[emphasis mine]

One coach specifically asked his wards to go for the record, while the other, uncompromising on discipline, demanded a declaration because he deemed it to be in the best interests of the team and the game in general. I do not say Manoj and Shaibaaz’s coach was wrong. There is nothing wrong in going for records… because records, after all, are meant to be broken over and over again. But at the same time, this distinction in the coaches’ approach highlights the discipline and team-play that used to be the hallmark of Mumbai cricket… especially Shivaji Park cricket under the coaching camps of people like Ramakant Achrekar and other lesser known coaches. It was this discipline that made batsmen play ‘correct’ cricketing shots along the turf. Because, the punishment for an unnecessary lofted shot (or for that matter for a spilled catch) was usually at least 5 rounds running around the huge Shivaji Park. ;-)

I can only hope that Manoj and Shaibaaz’s feat is not a flash in the pan. Instead, I hope it’s an indication of the exceptional talent that chief selector, Dilip Vengsarkar was hoping to see more of… in domestic Indian cricket!