“Voh nahi milne waali hai tere ko” - Ravi Shastri recalls banter with Javed Miandad over Audi during 1985 World Championship of Cricket final
Former Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri has opened up on some fun banter he had with Javed Miandad over the Audi car he won for being named 'Champion of Champions' at the 1985 World Championship of Cricket (WCC). Shastri recalled that during the final against Pakistan in Melbourne, Miandad told him that he wouldn’t be getting the car, to which the former Team India coach responded that the Audi was coming his way.
Chasing 177 in the WCC final, India hammered Pakistan by eight wickets. Kris Srikkanth top-scored with 67 off 77 while Shastri anchored the innings with an unbeaten 63 off 148. Following India’s famous triumph, Shastri was declared Player of the Tournament for his all-round effort - 182 runs and eight wickets.
On Friday, Shastri shared images of the restored car on his Twitter handle and termed it a ‘national asset’. In a column for The Indian Express, he went down memory lane and revealed the details of his ‘conversation’ with Miandad over the Audi. He recalled:
“We needed some 15-20 runs more to beat Pakistan in the final of the 1985 Benson & Hedges tournament. I had a look at square-leg to check the field set by Javed Miandad, Pakistan’s captain. Javed perked up from midwicket.”
The 60-year-old continued:
“Tu baar baar udhar kya deke raha hai” (Why are you looking there repeatedly?) he said in his characteristic lisp. “Gaadi ko kyun dekh raha hai?!” (Why are you looking at the car). Voh nahi milne waali hai tere ko! (You are not going to get it!).”
On how he responded, Shastri added:
“That’s when I had one proper look at it, and told him, “Javed, meri taraf hi aa rahi hai! (It’s coming my way, only!)”.
India dominated the WCC final from start to finish. Kapil Dev and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan claimed three wickets each as Pakistan were held to a disappointing total. India then chased down the target in 47.1 overs.
“The six sixes had a recall value but this is the biggest in my career” - Ravi Shastri
The former all-rounder described winning the car as one of the most memorable moments of his career, even bigger than hitting sixes in an over. In the column, he wrote:
“As a recall factor, more than most things I have done in my life, this car stands at the top. The six sixes had a recall value but this is the biggest in my career. The circumstances aligned: The timing of one-day cricket, day-and-night matches coming in from Australia, Channel 9 coming into India for the first time, 1983 was all whites, this was colour clothing and that pristine telecast. And of course when you get Pakistan in a final, no one can ever forget it – if you win it.”
Apart from the 1983 World Cup triumph, winning the 1985 World Championship is considered one of the greatest moments in the history of Indian cricket.
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Samya Majumdar