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'My son loves a challenge'

Saisuresh Sivaswamy

January 31, the third day of the Chennai cricket Test. With India set a target of 271 to win the match being played after 12 long years, the spotlight was on the new opening pair of Sadagoppan Ramesh and V V S Laxman who had notched up 67 runs in the first innings. The focus, in particular, was on local boy Ramesh who, in his debut innings, had rattled up 43 runs off 41 deliveries, and had stood up to fiery bouncers that Wasim Akram had rained on him before getting out lbw to the Pakistani skipper.

The law of averages, however, chose a script different from that desired by the 35,000 Indians who had packed into the M A Chidambaram stadium that day. In the crucial second inning, with the crowd behind him, Ramesh got out cheaply, caught by Inzamam at slip off Waqar Younis, for 5. The crowd groans in disappointment, but not Sadagoppan, the proud father of the Tamil Nadu opener who had come to the stadium on the second day to watch his left-hander son put the Paki bowlers to the willowy sword.

"Yes, this was a great opportunity for him to come good, but I am not unhappy. If I know my son, he will think over his failure, and do much better in the next Test," Sadagoppan said at the family home on Chamiers Road, an upmarket area off Hotel Adyar Gate in Chennai.

True. Cut to the Delhi match. Batting first on a Ferozeshah Kotla pitch that proved its innate devilry as the day wore on, the 23-year-old Ramesh once again faced the collective wiles of Messrs Akram and Saqlain, taking 60 runs off them. And, in the crucial second innings, he missed a century by a heartbeat, the despair plain on his face as he stood immobilised at getting out -- on contrast to the Pakistani 11 erupting in joy at around him -- indicating a long night of introspection.

"My son loves a challenge, he will not duck from it. He is an attacking batsman." Even as the proud father goes on animatedly, the plain drawing room tells its own story. Apart from the mandatory essential furniture that one comes across in middle-class Brahmin families in Chennai, the showcase is full of photographs and awards that the four sports-loving sons have brought home. "Look at that picture," Sadagoppan points out, "There is Magesh bowling to Ramesh."

'Magesh', as the father calls him local style, is Ramesh's elder brother, and is a quickie in the Tamil Nadu team, one of the few instances when siblings have made it to the same 11. Natural question: how come the older son is not in the Indian team, while the youngest of the four has walked in? Obviously, there is much to say, and little scope to do it without endangering budding careers.

Rather, the talk turns to how the four sons have fared on the sports arena. Ramesh's eldest brother, Satish Kumar, whom the father rates as the "best cricketer of the lot", plays cricket for India Pistons. "You see, sir, at that time playing cricket did not get you jobs, and we as parents were more concerned about education, unlike today. But he was a very good all-rounder," parental pride reflecting in his eyes "He encouraged Magesh and Ramesh in the game."

The mother, meantime, bustles in, overruling refusals with a steaming cup of traditional filter coffee. The talk, naturally, turns to food and other habits, and once again it is unbridled pride: "Do you know, Ramesh does not like this hotel food business (from the 5-star Taj Coromandel, Chennai), so every night he comes home for dinner..." which the father corroborates with: "Yes, even when he goes abroad, he does not like to eat out, or non-vegetarian food. Luckily we have relatives all over, so he has had no problems so far." A mamma's boy as they come, the father says he needs to see her everyday, spend time with her. "No bad habits, sir," once again the pride shines through.

The second son is not into cricket, having turned to the community's strong point: chess, at which he is a reasonably good player on the domestic circuit. Mahesh bowls for Tamil Nadu, while the youngest is setting hearts aflutter in Chennai with his game. "He scored a century on debut for Tamil Nadu, as also for South Zone. I don't think he has played in Irani as yet, if he does so I think he will emulate Sachin's achievement."

Most of the congratulatory calls that come in at that time, also mention that Ramesh's footwork was not up to the mark. In Chennai in the first innings in fact, there was little movement of the feet, an error the father is determined his son will soon overcome. "He has an inborn talent to attack, and he is temperamentally very stable. He is not unduly worried about success and failures (the close-up shots of his mortification at being caught and bowled by Mushtaq for 96 on Saturday being an obvious exception). He does a lot of self-study, sir, and he thinks over his dismissals a lot."

At the RK Mission school in Chennai, where he started off as a right-arm bowler, Ramesh joined Jolly Rovers, where he apparently was an also-ran. "Money was never a problem with us, I was willing to spend any amount of money to make my sons good sportspersons." The big break came, says the father, when he got a chance to play for SPIC club, after which he made it to the state Ranji team in 95-96, a little after his elder brother Mahesh. "Two brothers playing in the same team seems like I have tremendous influence sir, but tell me, I am not a cricketing person, I am not involved with the TNCA in any way, so they must be good on their own, right?"

The father is also quick to acknowledge the encouragement provided to Ramesh by local hero Krishnamachari Srikkanth. The latter, however, says it is all entirely due to Ramesh's talent, when buttonholed in the crowded stadium. "When you are out there in the middle, there is no one with you, you are all alone. Only your talent counts."

As the mother breezes in to clear the stainless steel tumblers, she points out: "Actually, this is not our own house, we took this on rent only four months ago because it will help the boys' cricket to stay in town." Before that, the family was staying at Thiruazhavarnagar, in Chennai's suburbs, where the family says the youngest son is a celebrated hero today. "They have put up banners and all over there, congratulating Ramesh," beams the father.

A god-fearing lad, Ramesh makes it a point to pray at the Anjaneya temple near his home, and believes in the power of japam (telling beads). "In fact, I am sure he will come home today (after the second innings game in Chennai) and blame me for his cheap dismissal, that it was because I did not do japam properly that he got out..."