This Surat man helped start God’s career

SURAT: Most bowlers remember either their wicket-taking deliveries or the ones on which they were smashed out of the park. But former Gujarat Ranji captain Nisarg Patel remembers the two off-spinners he bowled a quarter of a century ago even when they were innocuously defended.
Those uneventful deliveries were, in fact, history-making — they were the first two to be bowled to Sachin Tendulkar on his Ranji debut against Gujarat in 1988 and effectively launched the cricketing God’s career.For the record, this match too was played at the Wankhede, the venue for Sachin’s last stand in international cricket with the 200th Test against the West Indies starting November 14.
“Never had I imagined that I would one day find mention in the books of cricket history for that day when both Sachin and I made our debuts,” says Patel, 25 years on.
Making history with the debut delivery seems to run in the family. Patel is the son of Ambubhai Patel, who holds the record of being India’s first bowler to take a wicket with the first delivery in first class cricket.
Looking at a 15-year-old Sachin for the first time in 1988, Patel had felt here was an easy wicket. “But the boy went on to score a run-a-ball century. Everyone could see his potential.”
Sachin and Patel last played together in 1995 when both were captains of their respective teams. “Those were wonderful days with Ravi Shastri, Dilip Vengsarkar, Sanjay Manjrekar and, of course, Sachin making up the Indian team,” Patel smiles. He adds, “The Gujarat team would practice on carpet grounds in those days. Test wickets were a difficult to find and a different ball game.”
Patel played his last match in 1996 and was later made chairman of Gujarat Cricket Association’s selection committee. On Sachin’s retirement, he says, “His passion for the game is the same as it was on day one. But wear and tear tends to creep in. Dedication, determination and discipline have kept him going. To retire is the right decision.”