City cricket loses some swing!

Hemu Dalvi is felicitated by chief guest Sir Vivian Richards at a function hosted by Dr D Y Patil Sports Academy in Nerul on May 8, 2013. Pic/mid-day archives

When college cricket was big in Mumbai, top teams on the inter-collegiate circuit had household names coaching them. Some of these coaches became synonymous with cricket-keen colleges.

One of the best examples of this was Hemu Dalvi, who coached Jhunjhunwala College cricketers at Sunder Cricket Club ground in Cross Maidan for 35 years.
Dalvi, 86, passed away on January 13, leaving behind not only his wife and daughter (son Sachin passed away in 2018), relatives and friends, but also a legion of cricketers, whom he guided.

He helped give the Ghatkopar college a good name in the willow game, just like V S ‘Marshal' Patil did for Podar College.

Dalvi had a hand in the emergence of several club and domestic cricketers, including two Test men - Balvinder Singh Sandhu and Paras Mhambrey. Both swing bowlers originally belonged to the Ramakant Achrekar cricketing stable.

Sandhu, the 1983 World Cupper, undertook trips to Dalvi's western suburbs dwelling to check on his health; the last one in December included other Jhunjhunwala players too.

In a classic case of watch-and-learn, Sandhu used to observe how his coach swung the ball and then take his turn to bowl at the Jhunjhunwala nets in the 1970s.
Oh yes, Dalvi was a fine swing bowler, who played for Madhya Pradesh in the late 1950s under Test player Chandu Sarwate and the Railways in 1970-71.

Also Read: Coping, hoping and winning!

At Baroda, the state of his birth, he was in the Ranji Trophy reserves. Legend has it that he once clean bowled master technician Vijay Hazare thrice in consecutive balls during net practice at Baroda. No one I know has heard this from modest Dalvi. That was the measure of the man and he went about helping cricketers without trumpeting the role he played in their success.

We knew each other for over three decades, but he never mentioned to me that he coached Ravi Shastri at a Bandra Gymkhana camp before the former India stalwart made his mark in schools cricket. Shastri revealed this on the mid-day Mumbai cricket podcast last year.

Mhambrey, meanwhile, told me during the podcast featuring him how he gained from Dalvi's support. "When I came in [Jhunjhunwala set up], I was not very confident of my game, was trying to understand my game and you needed someone to support you, to believe in you," said Mhambrey, indicating his gratitude.

There came a time when Dalvi had to make a choice between Mhambrey and another cricketer in the team. Dalvi chose the former. Mhambrey hasn't forgotten: "The other guy was good too, but had I not got the support [from Dalvi], my journey would have been delayed."

Dalvi knew what was best for his wards. Raju Shirke, a maidan toiler, recalled how he wanted to learn the art of out-swing bowling from Dalvi at the Jhunjhunwala nets in the early 1980s. "I was essentially an in-swing bowler whom batsmen had worked out. I was desperate to learn to move the ball the other way. When I approached sir, he said I should continue bowling inswing for the time being. He feared I would lose out on both skills in the midst of the season and suggested I work on out-swing in the off-season. I did what sir prescribed and was better for it."

Both Mhambrey and Shirke were chief architects of Sunder CC's (a club for which Dalvi was secretary) triumph in the 1990 edition of the Kanga League ‘A' division.
Shirke got a Ranji Trophy call-up in the 1990-91 season, while Mhambrey made the first-class grade in 1992-93. Both also benefited from the BCA-Mafatlal bowling scheme, where Dalvi was one of the coaches before former England fast bowler Frank Tyson arrived to herald a fast bowling revolution in Mumbai cricket.

Coaches like Dalvi struck an emotional chord with their students. His daughter Sujata told me on Wednesday that the last call her kidney failure-battling father made to anyone was ex-Test player and Railways man Sanjay Bangar early last week. Dalvi told the former India batting coach that it would be his last call to him.

The following recollections of Vilas Godbole, 80, the former Mumbai first-class batsman, cause me to return to the coach-college combinations: "Across eras, Mohini Amladi, Madhav Mantri and PK Kamath coached Ruia College. Vinoo Mankad helped Elphinstone cricketers. CT Patankar served Wilson [and Ruia for a couple of years as the former India wicketkeeper and Ruiaite told this columnist]. Podar had MS ‘Manya' Naik and later VS Patil for many years. Dattu Phadkar did a bit of coaching at Elphinstone while the Ruparel team were looked after by former Maharashtra player Kamal Bhandarkar and ex-Mumbai captain Manohar Hardikar."

Godbole himself coached Ruia College at some point in time in the 1970s.

Among all these names, it shouldn't be forgotten that Naren Tamhane, the former India stumper, did a lot for the emergence of Rizvi College.

All these men left their mark on city cricket and their contribution shouldn't be forgotten. Remember, a coach [PK ‘Joe' Kamath] played a leading hand in the making of one of Mumbai's and India's most successful captains [Ajit Wadekar]. And Madhav Apte's college coach Mankad made him an opening batsman for Mumbai and India. Incredibly, coach and ward opened the batting for India in the 1952-53 series against Pakistan.

Cricket is replete with such fascinating occurrences. The sport is also blessed with tireless, humble mentors. Never should they be lost in a crowd of memories.
Meanwhile, well bowled, Hemu!

mid-day's group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello

Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper