1986.
In sport, it was quintessentially the summer of Diego Maradona. Many miles away from Mexico, it was also the year of a tall, stylish man from Bombay – who was crowned the Lord of Lord’s. Dilip Vengsarkar had already anointed himself as an elegant artist with the willow. At Lord’s, he just happened to transform into Michelangelo.
While the local radio commentary paid a loud and exaggerated tribute to that fabulous 126 by Vengsarkar, I would like to imagine his knock in a very English fashion. Because it was so sophisticated and English in all its glory.
Imagine this: A politely mild London sun. Hushed applause. Henry Blofeld on commentary. And Derek Pringle runs in to bowl. Vengsarkar, looks at his grip and looks up, looks at his grip and looks up, feet and stance so perfectly balanced. Pringle releases one outside the off-stump and Vengsarkar launches into an immaculately executed front-foot drive. The ball dissects the ground between cover point and extra cover and careens hastily to the boundary. Poetic and pragmatic at the same time.
His unbeaten century is considered one of the finest that has been played in Lord’s. So pure in its execution, so eclectic in its charm and so complete in its responsibility. The English Summer that year truly belonged to the Colonel.
