Ravi Shastri: I am honoured to share 6x6 feat with Sir Garfield Sobers

Ravi Shastri and Sir Garfield Sobers during an IPL game in 2010

India all-rounder Ravi Shastri will forever be linked with Sir Garry Sobers who celebrates his 80th birthday in Barbados today.

Ravi Shastri and Sir Garfield Sobers during an IPL game in 2010

Like Sobers did in 1968 (against Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash for Nottinghamshire at Swansea), Shastri hit six sixes in an over off Baroda bowler Tilak Raj in a Ranji Trophy game at the Wankhede Stadium in January 1985.

Shastri reiterated to mid-day yesterday that it was an honour and privilege to be linked with Sobers in this feat.

The Mumbai-based cricketer and commentator, who was also India's Team Director until recently, was invited to be part of a festival match between Sir Garry Sobers XI (led by Carl Hooper) and the Brian Lara XI (captained by Lara) which is organised by the Barbados Cricket Association and the 50th Anniversary of Independence Celebrations Secretariat.

93-Test package
Shastri, however, was preoccupied to fly down. "In 139 years of Test cricket, Sobers is the greatest cricketer ever. It's as simple as that. In a 93-Test package, he averaged 57.78. Now that is something. Then you have his 235 wickets and 100-plus catches. It's quite incredible.

"Along the way, during these 139 years, you had the Tendulkars, Bradmans and other greats. But Sobers was the greatest - a true match-winner. He must have influenced 60 out of his 93 Tests," Shastri said.

Shastri recalled how, once, Sobers was demonstrating some shots while speaking to him and Ian Chappell about how he was essentially a back foot player.

"He was showing us how he would play and while he did that, I looked at the great man's feet and how they moved as he was playing the 'shots' and I told Ian to watch those feet.

This was around 1998, so Sobers was well into his 60s and it was at two or three in the morning. It was quite remarkable," said Shastri.

Another occasion when Shastri was astounded by Sobers was when he asked him during commentary whether he enjoyed batting at No 3 or No 6.

"Sobers said he enjoyed batting at six because it was a challenge and he believed he would get a hundred or even a double hundred with not much support at the other end - maybe with half a batsman and three bowlers," revealed Shastri.
- With inputs from Bipin Dani

Did you know?
Late journalist Dicky Rutnagur witnessed Garry Sobers' six sixes at Swansea in 1968 as well as Ravi Shastri's feat at Mumbai in 1985