Amol Majumdar -- Profile
Prasanna P.N.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
--------------------
By
-- Joseph Hoover
Source: Deccan Herald
Close on the heels of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli, comes another
prodigious talent from the cricket city of India. And he is an ambitious
if not fortunate as his former Shardashram schoolmates. His incredible
score and insatiable appetite for runs has got everybody sitting up
and taking note of him. That's Amol Majumdar for you.
Amol's batting prowess had been well documented at the junior level.
There was absolutely no doubt about his class and calibre. Yet, he had
to wait in the wings. For the Bombay Ranji side boasts of such a glittering
array of proven talent that it was difficult to break in. Teenager, he
may be but he was certainly due for Ranji debut. It has been a long wait for
Majumdar. His spirits sagged nearly gave up hopes of breaking into the
Bombay squad.
"I have made the 14, but I wonder if I can get to play in the eleven this
season", Amol had said during the under-19 quarter-final tie against
Railways a couple of months ago. However, he knew that when Sachin
Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli and Sanjay Manjrekar are away, he would get
his break. Eventually it came when Manjrekar was recalled to the Indian
team. Amol wasn't going to let the opportunity go by. For he it has been
a long and patient wait. And what an innings he produced.
The 20-year old, like his schoolmates, announced his entry into first class
cricket in a magnificent manner. Amol's 260 on debut against Haryana
in the Ranji Trophy prequarter-finals bettered the seven decade-old record
of South African W.F.E. Marks, whose 240 was made in 1920-21.
Amol's mammoth essay was in a way substantial proof of his potential, which
have drawn rave reviews from a host of senior cricketers. "Watch this
lad. He has tremendous potential," was how G R Vishwanath had assesses him
during the national under-16 camp at Bangalore in 1990.
Born into a cricketing family on January 11, 1974, Amol
wielded the willow at the age of 10. His father, Anil Majumdar, a
first division player, was his inspiration. It was fortunate that
(though he did not get to represent his school team - BPM HS), his talent
was noticed by Ramakanth Achrekar. At the behest of the famed coach,
Amol joined Shardashram which boasted of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod
Kambli in their ranks. During his first taste of competitive cricket, he
made 108 on his first appearance for the school.
"I used to admire Sachin's and Kambli's game. Playing alongside them
really helped me improve. Their presence was inspiring. They were so
ambitious and talented that I caught the bug, too," says Amol. The
frail lad was associated in two significant partnerships with Sachin
(341 and 292, his individual score being 103 and 212, respectively)
in the Harris Shield tournament. There were big partnerships with
Kambli, too.
Like Sachin and Kambli, who have captured that world's imagination with
their exploits, Amol too has a penchant for big scores. On his debut in the
under-15 championships, he notched up an unbeaten 125 against
Saurashtra(1989). In the following year when the Vijay Merchant tourney
was open to under-16 lads, he amassing 647 runs from four successive
innings (125, 119, 303 n.o. and 100) to finish with a stupendous average
of 215. And the reward was the 'Best Junior Cricketer of Year Award.'
Amol admits rubbing shoulders with senior cricketers in the Bombay
league has helped him hone skills. So did Achrekar's nets. By 17 he
had established himself. The under-19 championship was the platform
from where he displayed more proof of his ability. A series of
three-figure knocks, including a painstaking 284, fetched him a place
in the Indian colts team to South Africa. Amol took on the sharpest
of Springbok bowlers on the hard and bouncy tracks to aggregate 453
from nine innings for a 50 plus average. The 102 not out against
Natal won him accolades of the team manager.
Things were never easy for this Bombay lad. In spite of his latent talent
he had to sit out of his school(BPM) side for two years. But he was
not disheartened. In fact it only increased his determination
as he single-mindendly strove to improve his game.
There have been frustrations, too. Amol had to wait for over 10 hours
while Sachin and Kambli went about creating the world-record of 642
run partnership for the third wicket.
"Some senior cricketers noticed some faults in my technique during
the Ghotaskar benefit match(he opened with Ravi Shastri and remained
unbeaten with 91 not out). I want to rectify them."
"Whenever I have difficulties I speak to Sachin. He has helped me with
the finer points of the game," says Amol.
Amol, like all other aspiring youngster, has treasured Sachin's gift
(Slazenger bat and batting gloves) and is not willing to 'misuse' them.
Though he has a hint of Vengsarkar in his batting, Amol says it must
have crept in unconsciously. "I want to play the way I can."
Incidentally Amol has scored a ton on all his first appearances (school,
under-16, under-19 and Ranji Trophy). One fervently hopes that makes a
three-figure score when he makes his first blow in the big league.
Sadiq Yusuf
if Joseph Hoover is right - I dont know if Amol is 20 years old. I mean, he
captained the triumphant Bombay Under 19 side last month !! :-) And the
newspaper pieces from around the world commenting on his breaking the world
record consistently referred to him as the "18 year old Amol Muzumdar". Oh
well. He's definately accurate about Amol being way overdue for his Ranji
debut tho - he was even in the 16 a year ago but never played ! Still, I
presume he's a certainty in the Bombay side now, no ? :-)
Sadiq [ #1 Amol fan on rsc *AND* irc :-) ] Yusuf
--
mu
> Just a quibble tho, I dont know if Joseph Hoover is right - I dont know
> if Amol is 20 years old. I mean, he captained the triumphant Bombay Under
> 19 side last month !! :-) And the newspaper pieces from around the world
> commenting on his breaking the world record consistently referred to him
> as the "18 year old Amol Muzumdar".
After his 260 in the prequarterfinal vs. Haryana, the Times of India had him
down as the 19 year old undergraduate of Mithibai College. The confusion
mounts. :-)
Murari Venkataraman
ven...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu