Excerpts from Stargazing: The Players in My Life by Ravi Shastri

From Champion of Champions to one of the world’s top cricket commentators to India’s head coach, Ravi Shastri has an incomparable perspective when it comes to the game of cricket. In Stargazing: The Players in My Life, the legendary all-rounder looks back at the extraordinary talent he has encountered over the years.

Here are some excerpts from the book:

On Gundappa Vishwanath

‘I would keep a scrap book of sorts of Gundappa Vishwanath’s exploits, and whenever possible, if he was batting, keep my ears glued to the transistor. Among my most enjoyable memories while growing up is following India’s astonishing, record-breaking run chase at Port of Spain in 1976 on radio.’

On Ian Chappell

‘Ian Chappell was the kind of player I wanted to be. He was a polarizing figure in his heyday. He played really hard, but also played fair.’

On Clive Llyod

‘I watched from close quarters how Clive Lloyd handled his players, when to put an arm around someone who is struggling, what signals to send to someone who was being difficult that day. As a youngster on the international circuit in 1983-84, I imbibed some of his man-management skills which were of value to me later.’

On Javed Miandad

‘Javed Miandad was a streetfighter in the garb of a cricketer … sharp, cunning, audacious, with a never-say-die spirit.’

On Allan Border

‘An important thing I learnt from [Allan] Border was to leave the pressures and bitterness of battle behind on the field after stumps have been drawn. We’ve had our sledges and verbal jousts, but once the match was over, he would be the first to offer a beer. And advice for any young cricketer, which I latched on to eagerly in my early years.’

On Anil Kumble

‘I thought Anil Kumble’s handling of Monkeygate was commendable for its maturity and firmness. It was too sophisticated for the cribbing Aussies but earned respect of one and all elsewhere in the cricket universe.’

On Brian Lara

‘He would dance down the track with twinkling footwork, taking swift and precise steps to the pitch of the ball, in defence or attack. Being a naturally attacking batsman, more often than not, it was the latter. That he scored more than 600 runs against Muttiah Muralitharan at his peak in Sri Lanka is testimony to Lara’s prowess against spin even on pitches that afforded sharp turn. No other batsman has scored as many runs in three Tests anywhere in the subcontinent. Murali took 33 wickets in that series, which puts Lara’s `one-man show’ into perspective.

‘On his day, Lara was a spectator’s delight and an opponent’s nightmare because he would be impossible to contain. In fact, Lara posed a serious challenge to commentators too, because he could exhaust your vocabulary, phrases and imagery soon after taking to the field.’

On Viv Richards

‘In the Madras Test in 1987, I tried to rile him [Viv Richards] with some pointed banter, hoping to get him and finish the match early. Richards wouldn’t take the bait. He kept chewing gum, glared back hard at me and close-in fielders who were trying to make him lose his cool. His stony silence and smouldering eyes seemed to say, watch it next time guys, I’m going to get you all. When we toured the West Indies a year later, he did.’ 

On Sachin Tendulkar

‘Watching him from 22 yards away as we put up a partnership just under 200 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the 1991-92 Test, I realized how enormously gifted he was. His technique was purer than anything I’d seen in somebody so young.’

On Ben Stokes

‘Ben Stokes can play with the derring-do of a Botham and be as unflappable as M.S. Dhoni in a crisis.’

On Jonty Rhodes

‘Jonty Rhodes made fielding sexy and spectacular.’

On Rahul Dravid

‘Most major batsmen develop their skills swiftly through watching, learning and playing, reach their peak by the time they hit thirty, then plateau at a level of excellence which becomes their hallmark. Rahul Dravid was among the few I saw who kept evolving with each passing match, series and year.’

On Sourav Ganguly

‘My relationship with Sourav has often come under the spotlight. Our so-called “differences” have been chaat and bhelpuri for the media, which went to town on them, especially because of the dynamics in selecting the chief coach in 2016 and 2017. In fact, it was nothing more than two people seeing the same situation differently.’

On M S Dhoni

Nothing frazzled him. In the tightest of situations, in defeat or victory, he would be as solidly steadfast and unemotional as a practicing monk. ‘Captain Cool’ is a cliché now, but in many ways, still the most apt description for MS Dhoni.

On Virat Kohli

‘People often ask me whether Virat and I are kindred souls. I don’t know. We are separated by a quarter of a century in age, and have vastly different pursuits, passions and pleasures in life. Where cricket is concerned, however, our mindsets converge: playing sport is about self-belief, wanting to win, not settling for being second best.’

Publishing Fall 2021!