da pinup bet： The tributes paid to him when he passed away three years agotoday (July 6) were notable for their warmth and sincerity
Partab Ramachand05-Jul-2002The tributes paid to him when he passed away three years agotoday (July 6) were notable for their warmth and sincerity. “Hehad style, elegance and grace not only as a batsman but also as aman,” said the then president of the Board of Control for Cricketin India Raj Singh Dungarpur. Former Indian captain Lala Amarnathcalled him “a gem of a person.” Throughout the length and breadthof India, the tributes poured in from those whose lives he hadinfluenced. And Motganhalli Laxminarasu Jaisimha did touchnumerous lives in India and abroad even though he was only 60when he breathed his last following a long fight against lungcancer.
On and off the field, Jaisimha was the personification ofelegance and charm. He could not do a mean thing or play a meanstroke even if he tried. Grace came naturally to him. There wassomething about him that made Jaisimha the darling of the masses.His slim figure, which he maintained till his last day, theboyish good looks, the inimitable gait, the trademark silk shirtand scarf, the sleeves buttoned at the wrist or the collar turnedup - all these attracted immediate attention.
As a batsman, Jaisimha provided a lot of entertainment to thespectators and that was why he was a surefire draw. Even in anera chock-full with colourful personalities - his contemporariesincluded the likes of Salim Durrani, Nawab of Pataudi Jnr,Farookh Engineer, Abbas Ali Baig and Budhi Kunderan - Jaisimhawas instantly recognisable. Silken elegance was the phrasegenerally used to describe Jaisimha’s batting style and I wouldnot want to change it. For, that is indeed the best way hisapproach could be described.On and off the field, Jaisimha was the personification ofelegance and charm. He could not do a mean thing or play a meanstroke even if he tried. Grace came naturally to him. There wassomething about him that made Jaisimha the darling of the masses.His slim figure, which he maintained till his last day, theboyish good looks, the inimitable gait, the trademark silk shirtand scarf, the sleeves buttoned at the wrist or the collar turnedup - all these attracted immediate attention. Indeed, he madecricket seem chic and his style and approach had a tremendousimpact on the teenage cricketers of his era, among them the youngSunil Gavaskar, for whom `Jai’ was a boyhood idol.When Jaisimha reached the crease, the attention then turned tohis wristy strokes, the manner in which he caressed the ball tothe boundary and the way he leapt out to play the lofted drive orpull. Off the field, he was an extrovert. Gregarious by nature,he was the life and soul of any party and enlivened theproceedings with in-jokes or naughty stories, always told withinthe realms of decency and in his impeccable English andinimitable style, complete with a good laugh at himself, if itwas a merry-Andrew situation.He brought all these extrovert qualities into his cricket andthus there was never a dull moment when he was around.Conservative thinking officials and selectors considered him tobe `flashy’ and he was frequently dropped down the order. But heachieved success at both positions and it is worth recalling thattwo of his three centuries in Tests were made as an openingbatsman.In truth, Jaisimha would have made good at the top or in themiddle-order for inside that extrovert lay a shrewd cricketingbrain. Tactically he was considered the best captain of his timein the country and it is well known that Pataudi and Ajit Wadekarconsulted him on matters of strategy while leading the country.As a batsman and captain, Jaisimha occupies an honoured place inIndian cricket. In 39 Tests from 1959 to 1971, he scored 2056runs at an average of 30.69. His name is associated with suchstorybook feats like being the first to bat on all five days of aTest match - while scoring 74 in 390 minutes in a famousrearguard action against Australia at Calcutta in 1959-60 - andhitting 74 and 101 in a Brisbane Test eight years later afterarriving two days before in Australia as a replacement.As a leader, he captained Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy for 16consecutive seasons and South Zone in the Duleep Trophy foralmost a decade. His profound knowledge of pitches and the mannerin which he out-thought the opposing skipper made him theconnoisseur’s delight.After his playing days were over, Jaisimha kept in close touchwith the game he had adorned for so long. From 1977-78 to1980-81, he served four terms on the national selectioncommittee. He was a popular TV commentator who regaled audienceswith succinct comments and analyses. He managed the Indian teamto Sri Lanka in 1985. He was prominent among those whoencouraged the game at the schools level and was the cricketingambassador of many leading companies who sponsored suchprogrammes. A couple of years before he died he became the statecoach and handled the job with the same shrewdness and enthusiasmthat he showed during his playing career.Above all, Jaisimha will be remembered fondly for his qualitiesas a person. When he died, there was a sense of shock and a pallof gloom not only in Hyderabad but also among the cricketingfraternity all around the country. For many, it was a personalloss, for `Jai’, as he was popularly known, had touched numerouslives with his warmth and sincerity. This was reflected in thetributes that said it all on behalf of those who came in touchwith Jaisimha.