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Journalism of Courage
CHENNAI, AUGUST 12: His bowling alone warranted a place in the Test team. Add to his dependable batting and close fielding abilities, he was one of the doyens of Tamil Nadu cricket. The genial Ram Singh (90), who was ailing for some time, passed away on Wednesday evening at home. He is survived by wife, two sons and two daughters.
Ram Singh was the architect of Tamil Nadu’s win in the inaugural Ranji Trophy match against Mysore at home in ’34-35 which finished on the first day itself. With 11 wickets in the match, he fashioned TN’s win, one of his best-ever Ranji performance. With 164 wickets in 27 matches and well over 1000 runs, his Ranji efforts speak for themselves.
Perhaps the biggest contribution of Ram Singh to Indian cricket came in the form of two of his sons — the late Kripal Singh and Milkha Singh. His third son Satwinder Singh possibly was the most talented of the lot but a persistent knee injury came in his way of scaling greater heights.
Ram Singh’s contemporary M J Gopalan, said the mild mannered Sikh narrowly missed the tours of England in ’36 (under Vizzy) and in ’46 (under Nawab of Pataudi, Sr).
On the first occasion, C Ramaswamy, a middle order bat got the nod ahead of him and the second time, the late Vinoo Mankad edged him for the slot.
It was one of those unfortunate things that Ram Singh could never get to play official Test cricket. Much in the same way of the tennis legend Ramanathan Krishnan not closing his hands on the Wimbledon Trophy.
Gopalan rated Ram Singh as the best left-arm spinner he had come across and a batsman of Test material. “It was tough luck that all he could get was to play was just a solitary unofficial Test against the Jack Ryder’s Australians in ’35-36. Above all, his impeccable mannerisms and discipline was a lesson to the youngsters,” recalled the nonagenarian.
And as a coach too, Gopalan compared him with the Englishman Wesley, who had a profitable stint in India coaching the youngsters. Only that the double international stumbled in his memory banks to get the year right.
Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s way of showing their gratitude was in naming a gate after him, belated though, early this year.
A fitness fanatic, Ram Singh looked after his sports good shop in Bell’s Road. Coaching school and college boys, imparting them the vagaries of spin bowling gave him unending hours of joy. One could almost see the longing in his eyes which said it in so many words of what he had missed his wards should accomplish.
Old-timers recalled that when Kripal scored a century on debut, it was precisely the moment Ram Singh lived for.
Ram Singh’s commitment and his passion for the game will remain unmatched. A stickler to perfection he was the guiding force to the aspirants. He always had an encouraging word for the youngsters. A legend who ate, drank and slept cricket, even in those pre-television days.
