Vivek Razdan on TA Sekar and the Pace Foundation

‘TA Sekar was the lifeline of the Pace Foundation. He was the ‘Foundation’ of the Pace Foundation’ – Vivek Razdan, part of the first batch of trainees at MRF Pace Foundation in 1988

Vivek Razdan was part of the first batch of fast bowlers to be trained at the pace foundation in Madras - there were 12 of them from outside Madras, prominent among them being Harvindar Singh Sodhi and Subrato Banerji. Ashish Winston Zaidi joined a little later. Razdan had a three year stint with TA Sekar starting 1988. He joined Vivekananda College in Mylapore and played for the college and the Madras University.  He also played first division league here in Madras. In fact, Razdan made his Ranji debut for Tamil Nadu before moving later to Delhi.

Within a year and a half of joining the MRF Pace Foundation and working with Sekar, Razdan had found a place in the Indian team that toured Pakistan (the debut series for Sachin Tendulkar) under Srikkanth’s captaincy. It was a meteoric rise for Razdan from a raw fast bowler when he first came to meet Sekar to a Test cricketer within a period of 18months. In his debut series, Razdan had a 5wicket haul in the last test.

Razdan who currently does regular TV commentary on the Indian domestic matches spoke from Delhi recounting those days in the late 1980s.

“We came in from different parts of the country. We were all still in our teens. Early on, it was a cultural shock for us there in Madras.  But the kind of personal care that Sekar took of us, throughout that three year period we felt we had an extended family out here. He showered brotherly love on all of us. We were truly blessed to have interacted with Sekar and Lillee at that young age. The three years went off so quickly and so smoothly.”

On the specific cricketing contribution made by Sekar, Razdan says, “The pace foundation could not have reached the heights today without Sekar. All the improvements in us were enforced (and reinforced) by him. (Dennis) Lillee was there at the camp for a week to 10days twice a year and played an invaluable role in sharing insights that only he was capable of. But Sekar was with us all through 365days guiding us all the way through. He got us the opportunities to play in the TNCA first division league. Till then, all of us had played only 40over matches. For the first time, we were playing 2day league matches. We had the opportunity to bowl regularly at batsmen such as Robin Singh and WV Raman.”

In those early days, he brought in Jatin Paranjpe, Venkataraghavan and Raj Singh Dungapur to take a look at us in the pace foundation camp.

On the coaching methodology, “Sekar had a specific chart for each of us, something that was not in vogue in India at that time. He wanted to see specific improvements in us on a periodic basis and would be behind us to ensure that we implemented those. It was not just theoretical. He made sure we understood that finer aspects. He was particular on every step of the process- the run up, the bowling action, the follow through, line and length, accuracy. He would video tape us and sit with us to discuss specific aspects and guide each of the bowlers on the corrective steps. Some of the theoretical steps are easy to preach but Sekar would actually show us himself as to how to implement it- for example side on bowling.”

He brought Video tapes of some of Lillee’s best spells and would personally sit with us and discuss the finer points of fast bowling with Lillee as the example. We also used to sit and discuss steps to get each batsman out.

‘Not just bowling, his fielding drills were difficult to match at that point of time. He wanted us to be the best of fielders and also wanted us to contribute with the bat.”

In the mornings, we were out in the Marina for 90minutes as part of our fitness regime.

“Sekar was the man we looked up to for everything. He would share with us feedback from Lillee and would get us all that we wanted on the MRF front, from Mr. Ravi Mammen. For us, the first batch of fast bowlers who worked with him, I can say that he was just such a wonderful human being and guide. And we owe everything to him for what he did for us in those formative years of our cricket.”

To me, TA Sekar was the ‘Foundation’ of the ‘Pace Foundation’. He was the lifeline of the Pace Foundation. Without him, it would not be where it is now.'

TA Sekar Architect World’s Best Pace Foundation

In his 2^nd innings in cricket, TA Sekar has given to World Cricket a foundation that the entire cricketing fraternity is proud of – Creating from scratch a truly World Class Pace Foundation in Madras that has unearthed the best of fast bowling talent.

It was also TA Sekar who, as one of the National Selectors, suggested to the Indian coach, both prior to the memorable Kolkata Test against Australia in 2001-02 and just before the start of the ‘follow on’ 2^nd innings, to consider sending VVS Laxman at No. 3. And the rest was history

TA Sekar with S. Aravind, a trainee at the Pace Foundation over two decades ago

While one door was being shut in the late 1980s, a different opportunity opened up for TA Sekar – No one, not even him, would have had the slightest idea of what the signing on that April Fools Day in 1988 would finally end up becoming, for at that time it was meant to be only a small stepping stone.  The lead up to his appointment happened in very funny circumstances.

The Big Day – Venkat’s search for Sekar

1^st April 1988 was meant to be an important day in Sekar’s family. It was the engagement function of his brother in law. However, an unexpected event was to take place later that day that made it a life changing one for him.

Sekar was waiting for the guests to arrive that morning. As he looked out of his bed room window, he seemed to sight a familiar face driving down the road. He rushed down to check what that person was doing there in his car. It was S. Venkataraghavan, Sekar’s former captain, who had come searching for him. He had brought the news that MRF’s Chief Ravi Mammen wanted to meet Sekar immediately that morning (Incidentally, it was Venkat who had suggested Sekar’s name as the ideal person for this new pace foundation venture that was taking shape in Madras).

Caught in an awkward position between attending the family function and handling Venkat, Sekar requested his former captain for a couple of hours so he could complete the formalities at his family function.

Venkataraghavan (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/04/venkataraghavan75.html) returned that noon to pick Sekar up from his home and took him to meet Ravi Mammen. Before the end of the day, Sekar had signed the acceptance letter to become the Coach of the Pace Foundation at the MCC School Campus in Chetput.  

The big motivation for Sekar at that time was simple. This offer would give him the opportunity to be associated with his childhood role model Dennis Lillee.  Sekar had, for two decades, carried Dennis Lillee’s bowling action photograph in his kit bag!!

Sekar’s Conditional Acceptance!!!

Sekar had just one condition to Mr. Mammen prior to signing the acceptance letter – to be permitted to tour with the Indian team if he was selected to play for India. At that point of time, Sekar was confident that he would make it to the Indian team again especially as Lillee himself had strongly suggested and even commented in an interview that he was bowling well enough to be playing for India and that he had it in him to bowl well for India for at least the next two years.

Luckily for MRF and may be, in hindsight, luckily for Sekar as well, that moment never came. With Sekar missing out on the WI tour of 1989 (he was slated to be in the squad for that tour until his name was struck off for reasons that is supposed to remain a ‘secret), http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2013/08/ta-sekar-fastest-indian-bowler-of-1980s.html

 he had made up his mind to hang his boots and to focus fully on his new role - to assist fast bowlers in honing their skills, helping them take care of their fitness and to coach them on the art of fast bowling- all of which he had missed during his two decades of playing career.

Having taken almost 150wickets in Ranji Cricket as a fast bowler at a time when Venkataraghavan and VV Kumar were at their peak, B. Kalyanasundaram http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2011/08/kalli-b-kalyanasundaram.html

would have been in the considered set for the coaching engagement. But the B. Tech, MBA had his sights elsewhere – he was already settling down in his corporate career and was not particularly interested in coaching.

Kalli remembers a conversation he had in 1987 with a key influencer to whom he suggested that TA Sekar was the ideal person to head the coaching at the pace foundation for he had all the makings of a great coach. And so it turned out a year later.

1^st Asian to get Level 3 Coaching Accreditation

Within a few years, he became the first Asian to achieve the highest coaching accreditation – the Level 3.  Through MRF, he had coaching stints in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. MRF gave him all the support that he needed during that initial phase giving him a free hand to take all important decisions.  Sekar was sent to Australia to learn new and latest techniques. Throughout his stint that lasted two decades, Sekar was allowed to take big calls without even consulting the powers that be at MRF. Such was the confidence reposed in his abilities by the Mammens.

While it all seems rosy now two decades later, it was not as easy in those early days. One of the biggest hurdles that Sekar faced in the first phase of the pace foundation was the strong corporate warfare that had intensified in the top division of the Chennai league in the early 1990s. It was difficult for Sekar to attract young talent to avail the benefits of the foundation because the respective corporate teams were not particularly keen on their boys going to the campus of a competing team (Globe Trotters) to hone their bowling skills. And yet, during the 1990s, Sekar was able to establish credibility for the pace foundation that a true fast bowler could not stay away from.

In the mid 90s, ACB and ECB started recognising the Pace Foundation here in Madras. Every January they would send 25 of their fast bowlers to be trained under Sekar. The pace foundation was not officially recognised by TNCA, the local association (It is another matter that it was not officially recognised even by the BCCI) till the time Sekar left the Pace Foundation.

Sekar’s Contribution to cricketers

While Sekar worked for MRF and the pace foundation, his contribution to the cricketers was not restricted to the MRF players alone. He took some big personal calls and went out of the way to help out cricketers who were in need for help and who looked up to him for support.

When Javagal Srinath had shoulder trouble, Sekar spoke personally to Rod Marsh in Australia and helped Srinath sort out the injury. 

In 1996, prior to India’s tour of Sri Lanka and Singapore, Sachin Tendulkar came to the MRF nets in Madras. It was Sekar who tested him that day and told him to go Australia. It was a career threatening injury and very few know that it was Sekar who directed Sachin to the Australian Cricket Academy to sort out his problem (there was no academy in India at that time!!!! Australia launched their academy in 1987, India did in 2001!!!).

Tamil Kumaran played for India after he joined MRF and had been under the guidance of Sekar. L. Balaji came to Sekar when he had developed a back problem in the middle of last decade. Sekar worked closely with him to remodel his action. Shortly after, L. Balaji got 9 wickets against Pakistan in the test at Mohali in March 2005.

Not just international cricketers. Sekar played a helping role in domestic cricketers as well.  In the early 90s, J Gokulakrishnan was called for chucking in his very first Ranji match for Tamil Nadu. And who did he turn to- it was to TA Sekar. Gokulakrishnan credits Sekar for helping him come through that most difficult phase of his career.  “One can imagine what would have gone through a youngster who was called for the first time in his career in his very first Ranji match. Sekar helped me come back strong. Not only did he support me personally during that phase, he also had Lillee clear my action that at the end of that process Lillee came out with a clean chit that said : ‘If this guy is chucking, then I too have chucked all my life’. I had no MRF connection and yet Sekar went out of the way to help me and clear my name that helped me progress my career in the coming years.”

The earliest set of players that trained under Sekar were the likes of Vivek Razdan ( who toured Pakistan in 1989), Subrato Banerji (who toured Australia in 1992-93), Ashish Winston Zaidi and Harvinder Singh Sodhi who were selected by him out of a pool of players from across India. (Read Vivek Razdan story).

Giving him great credit for two decade long effort, Kalyanasundaram says ‘MRF may have funded the entire process but still someone had to put in hard work and make it happen. And Sekar did just that with unwavering sincerity for 2decades. You just have to look at the fast bowlers who played for India in recent times and you will know the contribution Sekar has made.  ‘So many bowlers owe a lot to him for his role in transforming their careers – Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan….’

Sekar counts making the Pace Foundation as a world class international coaching school for fast bowlers and spreading it worldwide as his biggest achievement over the last two decades.  Cricketers worldwide came to him all around the year, not just when Lillee was here.

Working with his childhood role model was a memorable experience. ‘Coaching requires flair, not everyone has that. Dennis Lillee was an exception. I found that within a fortnight. In just 15days, he taught me almost everything about swing bowling. And my performance in the domestic scene reflected that soon after. He was the kind who would pass on and share knowledge without the slightest hesitation.”  Sekar continues to be in regular touch with his role model.

(As an aside and on the lighter front, Dennis Lillee offered me to teach me the art of swing bowling in 1997 if I revealed to him the brand ambassador fee of Ajit Agarkar who was signed up by Pepsi at an event here in Madras, for which I was the PR. I refused and hence lost the opportunity to be taught by Lillee!!!)

Transformational Change in Indian Cricket

The roping of TA Sekar in 1988 as the head of the Pace Foundation turned out to be a significant move not just for MRF but for the entire bowling fraternity around the world. The pace foundation, as a private institution, produced / mentored several cricketers who achieved cricketing success.

If the Pace Foundation is what it is today, almost the entire credit should go to TA Sekar for it was his relentless pursuit for excellence that led to the MRF PF becoming the world’s best learning school for fast bowlers, one where bowlers came in flocks from across all the cricket playing countries to sharpen their skills.

For this often silent architect, it was a monumental achievement to be able to attract the best fast bowlers in the world to come down to Madras to be trained on fast bowling skills, fitness and correction in techniques.

As one looks back at this shy personality, Sekar’s performance as a player was a case of ‘what could have been’ but his achievements as the architect of the Pace Foundation is one that the entire cricket fraternity should be proud of, for he is the one who created and built a world class institution here in Madras for fast bowlers that has now become a global bench mark for training and developing fast bowlers.

Araiyar Srinivasa Rangachariyar Srivilliputhur

Presenting Araiyar Sevai for seven decades

His most memorable moment was when he presented Araiyar Sevai in the Himalayas in 1978 at 330am in shivering cold at Badrinath Divya Desam 

Araiyar Sevai of Thirumangai Azhvaar's ‘Akkum Puliyum’ and NamAzhvaar’s ‘Enganeyo’ has been a regular during Kaisika Ekadesi at ThiruKurungudi while Thirumangai Azhvaar's ‘Thooviriya Malar Uzhakki’ and Thiru Nedunthaandagam are his personal favourites at Srivilliputhur during Adhyayana Utsavam

While the over 1000years old art of Araiyar Sevai, which was once performed across several Divya Desams, has seen a decline in recent times (it is now performed only in Srirangam, Srivilliputhur and Azhwar Tirunagari in TN) - http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2010/12/araiyar-sevai-saving-rare-art.html
one Araiyar is not ready to give up. 83year old Araiyar Srinivasa Ranga Chariyar Swami of Srivilliputhur is now into his 8^th decade of selfless service to the Lord and still performs Araiyar Sevai with the same devotion with which he had started way back in 1943 when he was just 13years old.

  

The origins of Araiyar Sevai

Along with his nephews, Keezhaiyagath Azhvaar and Melaiyagath Azhvaar, Nathamuni presented the Naalayira Divya Prabandham that was until then only in a text form through a visual song and dance enactment creating special Raagams and Thaalams for the paasurams.

His early days

Born in Srivilliputhur on the Pooram day in Puratasi in 1930, Araiyar Srinivasa Ranga Chariyar Swami, a descendent of Melaiyagath Azhvaar, was initiated into this special art of presenting the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham by his father Araiyar Vadabadrasayee at the young age of seven.

His learning process over a long 18year period of mastering the art form included singing the paasuram in a special tune with the relevant raagam, practising the Abhinaya and presenting the Vyakyanam every morning at 4am and again in the evening at 9pm. The entire process involved not just acquiring knowledge of the 4000 divine songs of the Azhvaars but also the monumental task of capturing the meaning of each of these Paasurams and then reaching out the essence of these verses to the audience. The Vyakyanam for the Thiru Pallandu verses alone run into 70 long pages!!

Araiyar Srinivasa Ranga Chariyar Swami has fond memories of his Arangetram in 1943 “I really felt honoured to be led by a music band with ‘melam and thaalam’ and the temple elephant with an umbrella atop me and a sacred samaram (to  fan me)  around the streets of Srivilliputhur and then into the Andal Sannidhi, Vadabadrasayee Sannidhi and the Peri Azhvaar Sannidhi. I was presented with the ‘Kreedam, Parivattam and Peetambaram’. It was a divine moment for me.”

In the same year, he presented his first ever Araiyar Sevai in front of Thirukurungudi Nambi, his Kula Deivam Lord, performing the abhinaya of Thirumangai Azhvaar’s Periya Thirumozhi verse ‘Akkum Puliyum’ and NamAzhvaar’s Thiruvoimozhi paasuram ‘Enganeyo’. Since then, for decades, he has been presenting these two verses at the Thirukurungudi Divya Desam on the occasion of Kaisika Ekadesi.

Enactment of legendary stories through Araiyar Sevai

He has had the unique honour of being invited to present Araiyar Sevai in over 30Divya Desams across Tamil Nadu including at Sarangapani Koil, Nachiyar Koil, Thiru Cherai, Azhagar Koil and Thiru Nagai and also at ancient temples such as Mannargudi and Srimushnam. He particularly remembers his first such presentation at the Parthasarathy Koil in Thiruvallikeni exactly fifty years ago in 1963 in front of a big audience.

Cherishing those special moments, Araiyar Srinivasa Ranga Chariyar Swami says, ‘It was a privilege to travel to these to renowned Divya Desams and present Araiyar Sevai for hours together. Devotees used to gather in thousands and would witness in pin drop silence the presentation that would sometimes go late into the night.’

All through this 70year period beginning 1943, he has continued to present Araiyar Sevai at his home Divya Desam of Srivilliputhur on all festive occasions such as Aadi Pooram, Panguni Uthiram and the 20day Adhyayana Utsavam.

Araiyar Srinivasa Ranga Chariyar Swami has taken many a devotee back in time with his presentation of legendary tales such as Goddess Andal growing into a beautiful young girl, Lord Vishnu demolishing the evil forces - Kamsa and Hiranya, Lord Naryana securing the nectar and handing back to the Devas and Lord Raama’s victory over the Lankan king Ravana, each of which form a part of the divine songs of the Azhvaars. 

Araiyar Sevai in the Himalayas

The most memorable experience of his life was his trip in 1978 to the Himalayas, where he presented Araiyar Sevai in shivering cold in front of Lord Badri Narayanan at the Badrinath Divya Desam. His eyes light up as he recounts that trip “I was sitting outside my house in Srivilliputhur when an astrologer passed that way. I told him I wanted to go North. He suggested that I leave for my trip that same day. I left immediately for Madras and from there I went to Hyderabad and met Sriman Narayana Jeer. From Secunderabad, I went to Badrinath and stayed in the Himalayas for 9days.”

As joyful tears roll down his eyes, he continues to narrate that performance “It was God’s grace that I was able to present Araiyar Sevai at 330am in the morning in front of the Lord. Almost everyone was shivering as it was unbearably cold. But I was out there without a shirt presenting the Araiyar Sevai. My entire thought that morning centred on Badri Narayana Perumal and I was unmindful of the temperature that must have been in several degrees minus.”

Stunned at this wonderful Araiyar Sevai performance and his devotion to the Divya Desam Lord, Sriman Narayana Jeer honoured him with the title of ‘Bhagavad Vishaya Vidwan’.

Two Favourites

His two favourite presentations which he savours to this day are Thirumangai Azhvaar’s ‘Thooviriya Malar Uzhakki’ Periya Thirumozhi verse praising the Lord of Thiruvali Divya Desam presented in Deva Mugari Ragam and the Thiru Nedunthaandagam verses – both during the Pagal Pathu Utsavam in Margazhi.

                   Seen here with his son Bala Mukundan Araiyar and grandson Nathamuni Araiyar

Araiyar Srinivasa Ranga Chariyar Swami can be contacted on 94438 67345

TA Sekar - The fastest Indian bowler of the 1980s

The story of how the tag of the 'fastest bowler in India' went against him at three important moments in his life

In Pakistan, Imran Khan went out of the way to identify the fastest bowler and made him a legend. In India, we had the fastest bowler in front of us and took all efforts to ignore him

‘Sekar was the fastest bowler in the World in 1983’ - K. Srikkanth

‘This lad will kill some batsman with his pace’- Sunil Gavaskar during the SZ v WZ Duleep Trophy match in 1982

 

In January 1983, a tall and lanky 26year old 6footer from Madras got a surprise call in the middle of an overseas series. He neither had a visa (when he was asked to leave the country on an urgent mission) nor foreign currency (even when he landed subsequently in our neighbouring country).

From playing tennis ball ‘test’ cricket over weekends for the ‘Guru’ (Gurumurthy) Team at the Somasundaram ground in T. Nagar as a RKM school student, Thirumalai Ananthapillai Sekar had got the real ‘Test’ call - a moment that he calls his biggest ever in his cricketing life - to play for India against the mighty Imran Khan led Pakistan in Pakistan, a series in which India had already been vanquished by the time he landed in Karachi.

The early days

TA Sekar got introduced into cricket with tennis ball cricket at Somasundaram ground organised by Mr. Gurumurthy (YSCA Trophy fame!!). Those days bowling fast with the tennis ball is what gave Sekar the clear edge with pace years later as he went up the ladder. Having started off with the C team of Gurumurthy (along with Kedarnath), he quickly moved up. That stint with the Guru team at the Somasundaram ground, where he used to also roll the mat and hit the mat nails, taught him a lot of discipline in addition to teaching him to bowl as fast as he could to beat the batsmen.

There were days when Kalyanasundaram (Kalli), the other great fast bowler of Tamil Nadu who played in the 60s and 70s, would come to watch Sekar bowl at the Somasundaram ground.

In his first match in the TNCA league, playing for Rising Stars, while still at school, Sekar took 4wickets against Milky Way. He played for over 4years for Rising Stars. While in PU (Pre Univ), he toured Mangalore and Kerala with the Tamil Nadu Juniors (Colts) and was the highest wicket taker there.

Immediately after, playing the Ramadurai Tourney in Salem, he took 19wickets in 3matches immediately catching the attention of RT Parthasarathy, who wrote to Sriraman about the need to groom the youngster for the State and as a possible replacement for Kalli (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2011/08/kalli-b-kalyanasundaram.html) , after the latter retired.

(It is another matter that the 'posted letter' from TNCA asking him to report for the Ranji camp never reached him!!!! Much later, Annadurai and Sriraman questioned him as to why he did not report for the camp. We will keep that story- of the letter not reaching him- for another day)

By the time he was 21, while doing M.Com at Pachaiyappas College, he was offered a job with the RBI, a team which was in the first division then. Sekar happily grabbed the offer (discontinued his post grad) in February 1977 and joined at a then princely starting salary of Rs. 595 (the highest for any bank).

TN Debut

A couple of months later, in April 1977, he played his first big match for the state - the Gopalan Trophy match at Chepauk, one that two others remember quite well for very different reasons… Kalli captained TN (in the absence of Venkataraghavan) for the only time for the State.

Kalli says that one could see the potential he had as he pushed back the star studded Ceylon line up early on. I gave him the new ball and asked him to bowl as fast as he could. Despite not picking up wickets and going for a few runs against Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis, he impressed us with his pace and all of us who saw him that day knew he had the potential to make it big.

Kalyanasundaram recalls telling Venkatraghavan after that Gopalan Trophy match in 1977 that Sekar had the potential to make it big.He was a very good batsman too in those days.

For the former TN Ranji Trophy winning captain S Vasudavan http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2007/10/s-vasudevan-tn-ranji-winning-captain.html), this was a big match. He got 5wickets and scored a century, a performance that was to elevate him into the Ranji team in the coming season.

“Yes, I remember him opening the bowling with Kalli in that match and he was real quick. I had seen him much earlier in a city college match at the University Union ground in 1972-73, one that I did not play. On that slow Union wicket bowling against the Districts, Sekar got 7wickets. You could see the class in him even at that early stage in his career (he was just 16years old then)”.   

Vasudevan and Sekar also played for the same league team- SPIC- for 5years in the 1980s. ‘He would get the ball menacingly up from a good length’ says Vasudevan and he too considers it unfortunate that a player of his potential did not get to play more international matches.

All through his teenage years, his family was very much against Sekar spending all his time at the cricket field. When once he broke his front foot while landing in a YSCA Trophy match, he was almost scared to go back home with a plastered leg. 

Turning Point – Moving from RBI to IOB

In 1980, when he was practising in the RBI nets watched by his teammate VJ Kumaraswamy, he held the ball loose and found that suddenly the ball swung big. With this new found grip, he was bowling even faster. In the Hindu trophy that year, he took 7wickets including a hat-trick and then took 4wickets in a losing cause against IOB. But that match led IOB to offer him a job which he accepted much to the angst of RBI.

This however was a turning point in his career as 7wickets in the first match that season got him into the Buchi Babu squad where again he picked up 7wickets in successive matches. Against a strong Mafatlal team that included the likes of Ashok Mankad, Sekar captured 5wickets. At the end of that match, Mankad claimed that Sekar was the fastest bowler he had faced in India and that he was test match material.

Wicket with First Ball in Ranji Trophy
That same year, he got a wicket of the very first ball in Ranji Trophy claiming Hyderabad Opener Shahid Akbar.  He took 3wickets in that match watched by South Zone Selector ML Jaisimha. He was immediately, within a month of his Ranji Debut, picked by Jaisimha for South Zone under the captaincy of Brijesh Patel, who too having seen and played Sekar was of the view that he was true test match potential and that he would play for long for India.  Though South Zone lost to Central Zone, Sekar impressed and justified Jaisimha’s decision to back him in his very first Ranji season picking up 4wickets in the 2^nd innings in his first Duleep Trophy match.

‘It was a big call from Jaisimha to pick up in my very first season. He really picked me for my potential and believed that I could make it big. I felt happy that I was able to validate his selection in terms of immediate performance’ says Sekar looking back at his first season.

However, with Sunil Valson coming into Tamil Nadu the next season, Sekar was in and out of the squad in 81-82. He was left out of the historic debut match of L Sivararamakrishnan (who took 7wickets and boarded the flight to the West Indies) - the quarter final against Delhi which TN lost.

Duleep Trophy Match against Gavaskar

The next year in the season opening Duleep Trophy match, he was up against the great Sunil Gavaskar on a moist wicket at the Wankhade Stadium in early October. In what he terms as his  best performance, he took 5 for 66 against a strong West Zone team, a performance that earned him an immediate place in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy match and one that was to set the tone for his international selection later that season..

With a Sonex ball in hand, Sekar remembers a bouncer to Gavaskar that he evaded only to find the ball bounce a 2^nd time near the boundary (for 4byes). This fast and furious spell of Sekar led Gavaskar to announce that this lanky lad could kill batsmen with his pace, a compliment that Sekar still cherishes after 3decades.

A fortnight later he played under Gavaskar (a match better known for Srikkanth’s belligerent 2^nd innings century that helped ROI beat Delhi in a historic 400+ run chase), Sekar bowled really fast but did not take a wicket in the entire match.

Sekar still remembers those motivating words from Gavaskar. He came to me, tapped me on the back and said “You will bowl lot worse some day and pick lot more wickets. Hence don’t worry. You did bowl really well in this match”. Those words gave Sekar a lot of confidence as he went into that season that turned out to be a momentous one for him.

In January 1983, in what looked like a career changing spell, Sekar took 9wickets for 54runs in a 14over spell at Palakkad against Kerala in a Ranji Trophy match. 10days later he was aboard a flight to Karachi to play for India.

His Test Debut – The trip to Pakistan - January 1983

Sekar replaced an injured Madan Lal in the same week that Mudassar Nazar and Javed Miandad had given India a belting with a world record 451 run partnership (which at that time equalled the best ever in test – that of Ponsford and Bradman).

He landed in Karachi not knowing how to reach his destination and without having the Pakistani currency. No one welcomed him at the airport!!! Shockingly, the Indian team including the captain Sunil Gavaskar were not aware that Sekar was joining the team.

Managing to speak in broken Hindi, he picked a cab (after convincing people that he was there to play for India!!!) to the hotel room where he met a surprised Gavaskar. The very next day he made his international debut at the fourth one-dayer of that series.

Looking back at that match, he says, “Gavaskar did not want to disclose too much of me and wanted to save me for the forthcoming test. He shielded in that match (bowling only 4overs) where India were once again demolished by Zaheer Abbas.” 

Sekar made his test debut in the 5^th test of that 6 test series a match. Despite being wicket less, Srikkanth who also played in that test believes Sekar bowled well. “He was quick and was clearly the fastest bowler on view.” And you may not have said that of any Indian bowler till Sekar came on the scene.

In the final test of that series (one that is also known for Ravi Shastri’s century as an opener- he replaced Srikkanth!!) and one that turned out to be the last for Sekar, Dilip Vengsarkar dropped 3catches in the slips of TA Sekar’s bowling as Mudassar, Mohsin and Javed Miandad made merry at Sekar’s cost. If those three catches had been taken at slip, Sekar’s career may have taken a different turn and one for the good, for he was rated by all as the fastest bowler seen from India until then. Unfortunately as fate would have it, Sekar was never to bowl again in tests.

The story goes that  clearly  there were sections within the bowling department of the Indian team that were overwhelmed at the pace of TA Sekar and hence were not in favour of someone who had the tag of the ‘fastest Indian bowler’.

Following the Pakistan tour, Madan Lal was chosen again (even though he had not recovered from the injury). It was also the period when the mantle of captaincy moved from Gavaskar to Kapil Dev!!! As you would see later in this piece, Sekar’s international come back later that decade was also ruined in the same way it had happened in the early 1980s.

K Srikkanth knows him as well as anyone from those days for the two played together in three important matches during that 4month period - the season opener - Irani Trophy match, the big Duleep Trophy match against West Zone and Sekar’s debut match in Pakistan.

After having faced the world’s best bowlers during in the first half of 1983 - Srikkanth had faced Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz on green tops in Pakistan and Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Joel Garner on moving wickets in England (1983 World Cup), Srikkanth says with confidence that Sekar was the fastest bowler in the world, not just in India, that year.

‘He had a fantastic debut series in terms of the way he bowled. I was the one standing at Forward Short leg and I watched the batsman’s feet as they were ready to face Sekar and you could see that they were worried at the pace he generated. That Pakistani team had great batsmen and they were truly impressed with Sekar’s pace. If only the catches had been taken in the slips in that test when Sekar made the world’s best batsmen like Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas jump on to their toes, his career may have taken a completely different turn. I am certain if he had those three top wickets in that match at the top of the order, he would have gone on to play for a much longer time for India.”

Sekar bowled 11overs at a stretch and had everyone hobbling. Zaheer Abbas felt uncomfortable as Sekar would constantly pitch short at a face pace, much to the legendary batsman’s dislike.

The story goes that Imran Khan wondered (as did Lala Amarnath – for Sekar had hit his son Mohinder on the helmet earlier that season beating Jimmy for pace) as to how India did not have Sekar in the original squad for that tour.  

The early tests of that series were played on green tops where India was bundled out by a fiery Imran (supported by Sarfraz Nawaz). With his pace and bounce, Sekar would have proved more than handy on those green tops where India only had the slow pace of Sandhu and Madan Lal.  

In the series that immediately followed in the West Indies, Madan Lal who had still not recovered was called back (though he did not play in the first three tests of that series- Incidentally Venkat was recalled for that series and L Sivaramakrishnan made his first overseas tour) with Sekar, the man who had replaced him in Pakistan losing out after having impressed most experts with his spells in the two tests.

Had Sekar made it to the West Indies on the back of his performance in Pakistan, he would have had the opportunity to bowl on one of the fastest wickets in the world in those times in the first test of that series at Kingston, Jamaica (a match that ended dramatically on the final evening). Instead India went in with Sandhu (who of course had his moments)!!!

Later that year, having missed the WI tour, he was up against the great West Indian team post their World Cup loss in their return series in India. And once again, the venue was his favourite Hyderabad and once again he was playing alongside Srikkanth. Playing for South Zone, he scalped Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge in that match.

Compliment from WI fast bowling greats

He still cherishes another big compliment that came his way at the end of that match: Malcom Marshall and Michael Holding asked why Sekar, who according to them was as quick as the WI bowlers of that series, was not playing for India.

Memorable Moment- 24000 boo Sekar and leave the ground

Two months later, came one of his most memorable moments in his cricketing career. In the first Ranji match of that season (83-84) at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore, 25000people came to watch day 1 of the Ranji match  between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Almost all of them were there to watch the great GR Vishwanath bat. They were disappointed on day 1 as TN batted through the entire day. With TN batting out a large portion of day 2, the crowd began to become restless.

For the 3rd day in a row, the 25000people returned this time hoping to enjoy GRV from ball 1. Before the end of the 1st over, he had come and gone for Sekar had bowled GR Vishwanath in the 1^st over of the day. After booing Sekar for spoiling their morning as he came back to fine leg,  24000people left the stadium. Despite disappointing the entire crowd, this moment of knocking the stumps back of the great Vishwanath with sheer pace, Sekar rates as one of his prized scalps in cricket.

January 1985 - Getting David Gower twice

The 1984-85 was one of mixed fortunes for Sekar. Twice in three weeks he got the wicket of David Gower. But it also turned out to be the last international season for Sekar.

Srikkanth also remembers the two matches the two of them played on either side of Pongal. “I remember that match in Hyderabad distinctly. It was just before Pongal. I captained South Zone and scored 90 on the first morning. When England came into bat, I gave Sekar the new ball. It was a brilliant spell from him. He even had the normally fleet footed David Gower hopping around and finally got the England captain out.”

Later in the same month, in a rain restricted 15over one day match, bowling fast on a wet pitch in Chandigarh, he got Gatting and Gower (again) for his best ever one day spell taking 3 for 23. 

“You had to see him bowl that day to see how quick he was” says Srikkanth looking back at that short spell.

After Imran Khan and Zaheer Abbas in Pakistan a couple of years earlier, now Gatting and Gower were all praise for the pace of Sekar and they too wondered as to why he was not in the test squad.

After the performances against England in January 1985, Sekar had high hopes of making it to the WCC to be held the coming month in Australia immediately after this 5^th one dayer against England. And once again in overseas conditions that may have suited his bowling. Unfortunately, his hopes were shattered when he was not picked for the WCC.

And alas, the Chandigarh match turned out to be his last.

Later in the decade, Sekar met with Lillee (through S Srinivasan of SVPB) and immediately impressed him with his pace. He moved on to play for MP that year where he used all the learning he had from Lillee.

International Comeback in 1989?

Motivated by Lillee’s comment that Sekar was still quick enough and good enough to be in the Indian team at least for a couple of years (at the end of that decade), he was knocking on the doors again having performed well for Madhya Pradesh and Central Zone. He had an impressive season and was once again in the considered set (provisional squad) for the Indian team that was to tour the West Indies in 1989. He was unofficially told that he would be on the trip to the Carribean. 

However, once again and for one last time, he was kept out. The same reasons (mentioned above)  that kept him out of the 1983 WI tour and the 1985 Australia tour kept him out this time as well. And now there was no more energy left. That decision to leave out him out finally punctured his enthusiasm and a year or so later he decided to hang his boots from first class cricket to focus on coaching.

It meant that the fastest Indian bowler of the decade had played only 2test matches despite impressing international greats like David Gower and Mike Gatting of England, Marshall and Holding of the West Indies and Imran Khan of Pakistan. The early 80s was a phase where he impressed Sunil Gavaskar too with his genuine pace.

Kalli bemoans ‘You gave Chetan Sharma an ideal opportunity in England in swinging conditions in 1986. Sekar never got that.”

Twice there were opportunities to tap his talent and the country could have benefitted. After a terrific spell in Pakistan in Jan-Feb 1983, there was the fast and bouncy pitches in WI ( March-April) where he would have been useful. And he could have followed that up with the World Cup tour to England ( June 1983). And after impressing against the Englishmen in India in 1985, there was an immediate tour to Australia for the WCC one day tourney, where again conditions would have suited him.

Kalli believes that even if Sekar had been given 1/10 the chance that other India ‘medium pacers’ of his generation got, Sekar would have achieved big. “On his day, no one could play him. He was intimidating for most batsmen and with his height the ball would come from a height of 10feet+ at a pace that was too hot to handle.”

While Srikkanth is normally not the one to mince words, he chose to be more cautious on this one terming the ‘shortened’ international career of Sekar as ‘Unfortunate’. He said, “Let’s not get too much into those reasons. Let me just say it was ‘Unfortunate’ and leave it at that.”  Srikkanth also added that irrespective of how many tests he played, Sekar is a great human being and has been a very nice person all along.

The tag of the ‘fastest Indian bowler’ did not go well with ‘you know who’ and that sounded death knell for Sekar that decade.  In the time that has since passed, India has had  some genuinely quick bowlers playing Test Cricket (Sekar had a role in that as well - to be seen in a story that will follow shortly). But till the end of the 1980s, Sekar had been the fastest bowler to have ever played for India. However much a compliment that may have been, unfortunately, that tag went against him. And thus Thirumalai Anantha Pillai Sekar ended up playing too few international matches than what he genuinely deserved.

PS: As the comment below says, in Pakistan, Imran Khan identified Waqar Younis from no where and made a cricketing great out of him. In those early days, the message from Imran was clear.. Do not bother about wides. Bowl with Pace and we will bowl opposition out ( it does not matter if you are expensive). Imran's contemporary here may have done exactly the opposite. He had Sekar right beside him - someone who could beat the opposition with pace... Sunil Gavaskar playing for West Zone was testimony to that. And yet,  it was ensured that Sekar was no where near the ' international' circles.

Best Moment : Being selected to play against Pakistan and bowling to the likes of Javed Miandad  and Zaheer Abbas

Most prized scalp : Bowling GR Vishwanath in front of 25000people at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in a Ranji  match

Most Cherished performance: 5wickets against a strong West Zone team in 1982-83

Best Batsmen bowled to: Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Sandeep Patil and Srikkanth (he was the first batsman to hit over the top)

Best Fast Bowlers played with/against: Kapil Dev/ Malcolm Marshall

Best figures                     : 9/54 against Kerala

Life after Playing days - To be continued………………….