Chandu Borde interview: "Pujara has the right temperament to fill in Dravid's shoes"

If at all there is someone who has lived up to his name as an all-rounder both on and off the field in Indian cricket, it’s none other than Chandrakant Gulabrao Borde, better known as Chandu Borde in Indian cricketing circles. Where else can you find a man who has been associated with Indian cricket as a Test player, Test captain, National selection committee chairman, team manager, pitch curator and a mentor? Mr. Borde played 55 test matches for India between 1958-1969, scoring more than 3000 runs and taking 52 wickets in as many matches.

The multi-dimensional career of Mr. Borde puts a huge amount of experience behind him. He is one man who can offer credible thoughts and predictions about the future of Indian cricket, given the fact that he has seen Indian cricket from all possible angles. It was indeed a pleasure for the Sportskeeda team to get to have a chat with this soft-spoken gentleman, who happened to be in Bangalore for the inaugural function of the Global Indian International School and the Chandu Borde Cricket Academy. He was present there in the capacity of the Vice-president of the Global School Foundation.

Following are the excerpts from the interview with Mr. Borde, during which he reflected his views on Indian cricket, the various eras and his experiences:

Now that you have been associated with the educational sector for a decade too, looking back in time, which role have you enjoyed the most?

Of course, it’s the cricket-player’s role! Playing alongside great players like Subhash Gupte and many other distinguished Indian cricketers and playing against greats like Sir Gary Sobers, Laker, Truman and many more top cricketers of my time, has given me immense satisfaction. I feel honoured to have played with them.

You have played so many roles in Indian Cricket, to add to this you were also an all-rounder on the field. What are your thoughts about your contribution to Indian cricket ?

According to me, there are three eras in Indian cricket. The (Vijay) Hazare era, the Gavaskar era and the Tendulkar era. I was a player in the Hazare era, a selector in the Gavaskar era and a team manager in the Tendulkar era. I have had my presence in all three generations.

Who was your idol in your playing days ?

I styled my batting on Vijay Hazare, he was my idol .

Can India find suitable replacements for Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman?

Their contribution to Indian cricket is tremendous. But there is always somebody to take over from the seniors. History is the proof. It’s very important to have bench strength and India has got a very good bench strength. I am impressed with Pujara.

Gundappa Vishwanath filled in your shoes and history has it that he has done a great job of it. Do you think Cheteshwar Pujara can do a ‘Gundappa Vishwanath’ w.r.t. filling in Dravid’s shoes?

Pujara has the right temperament and technique. His approach to the game is very good, he has got triple centuries at the domestic level and is prepared to have a long stay at the wicket, which is the key. Unfortunately, he was out of the game due to injury after getting a good start. But now he is back and the hundred that he got is going to give him the confidence to do the ‘tough job’ of filling in Rahul’s ‘big’ shoes.

Sir, who is your all-time best player?

It will be unfair to single-out one player out of the many greats that the game has witnessed.

Do you feel that the players from the victorious Under-19 team should be given a place in the senior side?

It’s good to see talent. Let them perform and climb up the various levels of domestic cricket. After all, there are other players who have been performing at the First-class level for many seasons and are waiting for a chance too. It will be fair to everybody.

What is your view on integration of sports with education?

Look, we have observed how school children finish their daily schooling routine and slump in front of the TV and computers. This is very unhealthy for their overall development. When you have sports in the curriculum, students become more active and fit, thereby making them more receptive to studies and academics. Bangalore boys like Dravid and Kumble are the best examples of the outcome of the combination of sport and education. Today they are able to take up huge responsibilities efficiently even after their playing days.

Can you give us more details about the Chandu Borde Cricket Academy at the Global Indian International School, Bangalore ?

I have been with the Global School Foundation for the past decade . The Chandu Borde Cricket Academy will be focusing on nurturing the young cricket talent at GIIS. We will be imparting coaching at the cricket ground situated within the GIIS Whitefield campus. Also, I have got in touch with the concerned authorities in Karnataka to help us in preparing a good wicket at this ground. I have immense belief in the cricketing talent of Bangalore, given its rich history of being able to produce world-class players every now and then. As such we should be able to produce more such talents from Bangalore in the future.