Gundappa Vishwanath's Autobiography

 There were many gentlemen cricketers in that era, which I had the good fortune to grow up watching. Vishy was one of them. Though he was not as big a star as perhaps Gavaskar or Tendulkar (later), he had a personality which stood out. Also known as the man of Cuts and Square-cuts, his autobiography is full of humility for all the well-known personalities of his era. 

This includes anecdotes about Jaisimha, Pataudi, Man Singh (administrator), Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar, and of course, Prasanna, Chandrasekhar, and Wadekar. Pataudi held a special place in his heart, as he was "spotted" by the former captain when he made a double hundred in a Ranji Trophy match, and nurtured into the Indian team. Full of unknown tidbits about the 1971 twin tours of West Indies and England which turned the course of India's cricketing fortunes, and much more. Well-narrated, and a must read for anyone who loves cricket and wants to know about the pre-Rahul Dravid gentle cricketer from Bangalore.



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