Gopalan Trophy all set for revival
For about 30 years, it was perhaps the most eagerly awaited annual contest for cricket fans across both sides of the Palk Straits
Partab Ramchand
17-Jul-2000
For about 30 years, it was perhaps the most eagerly awaited annual
contest for cricket fans across both sides of the Palk Straits. It was
held alternately in Madras and Colombo, top players made it a point to
take part, the contests were keen and the cricketing standards high.
Named after the famed Indian double international MJ Gopalan, Madras
and Ceylon attached utmost importance to the annual match, which
commenced at Madras in 1952-53. Given the special relationship between
the South Indian State and the emerald isle, it was but fitting that
the two took the lead in cementing a relationship that would
ultimately draw India and Sri Lanka closer.
Ceylon won that inaugural match by 95 runs. The next year at Colombo,
Ceylon reaffirmed their supremacy by winning by an innings and 108
runs. The tie was not held in 1954-55 but Ceylon continued their
dominance by winning by an innings and 14 runs in 1955-56 and by five
wickets the next year.
Madras won the trophy for the first time in 1957-58. defeating Ceylon
by two wickets. The first drawn game in the annual series was played
at Colombo in 1958-59 but Madras retained the trophy on the first
innings lead. The next year at Madras, the home team registered an
eight wicket victory.
In the sixties, however Ceylon emerged as much the stronger team. They
won the 1960-61 contest by 169 runs, and by an innings and 66 runs the
next year. In 1963-64, they again won by six wickets while in 1962-63
and 1964-65 the match was not held.
Madras emerged winners in 1965-66 and 1966-67 but then Ceylon won the
trophy for three successive years. From 1970-71 to 1972-73 it was
Madras' turn (by the time the state had been christened Tamil Nadu) to
register three successive victories. By 1973-74, Ceylon had been
christened Sri Lanka and the new name proved lucky for them. Tamil
Nadu won the trophy in 1974-75 at Salem, the first time it was held
outside Madras. In 1975-76 and 1976-77 however Sri Lanka were the
winners.
By this time however Sri Lanka were in the midst of their bid to
become a full member of the International Cricket Council. Not only
were they playing unofficial `Tests' against India and other
countries, they had also participated in the inaugural World Cup in
1975 and acquited themselves creditably even if they lost all three
group matches. It came as no surprise that towards the end of the
decade, the Sri Lankan authorities were rather chary in having
contests with a state side, convinced that continuance of the Gopalan
Trophy tie might be damaging to their chances of getting Test status.
For three successive years from 1977-78 to 1979-80 the match was not
played. When the contest was resumed in 1980-81 at Salem, Sri Lanka
won on the first innings lead. There was no match in 1981-82 but the
next year at Colombo, Sri Lanka again won on the first innings lead.
By that time, Sri Lanka had become a full member of the ICC and had
played their first Test matches and to be candid, it did not come as a
surprise that the contests were discontinued.
Till date, that game in 1982-83 has been the last of the series in
which Sri Lanka have won 15 times and Tamil Nadu nine. And it has been
a series that has seen some great matches and performances. Who can
forget Tamil Nadu's three run victory at Madras in 1972-73 or their
two wicket win in 1957-58? Who can also forget CI Gunasekara's 212 in
1958-59, the highest score in the series or Duleep Mendis' 194 at
Madras in 1976-77 or Michael Dalvi's 179 at Salem in 1974-75? Also on
the unforgettable list are the bowling performances - VV Kumar's 12
for 108 in 1957-58, J Arenhold's 11 for 43 in 1956-57, D Sahabandu's
11 for 137 in 1968-69 or S Venkatraghavan's 11 for 140 in 1974-75.
All in all, the contests featured much good cricket and it was a pity
that they could not be held even though there were voices in cricket
circles on both sides that the annual tie should be revived. In the
last few years, however the voices have become more strident. Sri
Lankan official Chandra Schaffter, a former Sri Lankan Deputy High
Commissioner in Madras Suhit Gautamadasa, eminent Indian historian S
Muthiah and the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association AC
Muthiah all evinced interest in the revival of the Gopalan Trophy
match. Also playing a leading diplomatic role was the former Indian
captain K Srikkanth.
All their efforts seem to have borne fruit for the first match in the
series for more than 17 years is all set to be played in Colombo in
September. An itinerary has been tentatively drawn up and the Tamil
Nadu will play three one day games and a four day match for the
Gopalan Trophy from September 21 to October 2. But the matches will be
against the Colombo District Cricket Association team. While Tamil
Nadu will field their full state side, Bandula Dissanayake, secretary
of the CDCA has assured that the Colombo team will include five of six
Sri Lanka Test cricketers. The youngsters, in particular, from both
sides are bound to benefit from a fixture that has an international
flavour and one hopes that the revival does come through and will be
here to stay.