Ramesh adds perspective on Pak

“The 1999 series was a series of emotion and reprisal,” recollects former Indian Test opener Sadagoppan Ramesh.

“The 1999 series was a series of emotion and reprisal,” recollects former Indian Test opener Sadagoppan Ramesh . After nearly eight years, the southpaw still remembers that memorable series.

“At that time, playing Pakistan was tense and the series became more so because the Kargil War had just taken place. The first match was scheduled to take place at Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla, but the protestors spoilt the pitch and the match was shifted to Chennai. There was a lot of emotion attached to that tournament and the urge to take revenge was there, but that seems to be missing now as we play Pakistan quite often,” Ramesh told The Indian Express.

The 32-year-old, who is playing in the Plate Group for Assam against Gujarat at Motera said, “I remember when I was leaving the hotel, the security personnel had told me that we should destroy the Pakistan team. When I went out to bat with Laxman in the first Test, I could hear Wasim Akram and Moin Khan sledging, and the first couple of overs I faced from Wasim were all bouncers.”

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It was in this series that despite having a world class bowling attack, which included the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akthar, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed that Ramesh had risen to the occcasion with a knock of 96 in the second Test.

“It was a very difficult tour. I had to make my debut in my home ground itself against the arch-rivals. There was a lot of pressure,” says Ramesh.

The southpaw added that it is always difficult to start a career against Pakistan and if one performs in those, he should play at least 50 Test matches.

On why he hasn’t been able to cement his place in the team, he said, “I think I have failed to convert my 30’s and 40’s to big scores. If I had scored a few more tons, then things would have been different.”