‘I Never Saw Him Bat’

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Rajdeep Sardesai remembers his late father Dilip Sardesai, Goa's only test cricketer, on his 75th birth anniversary this month

A recent piece on my late father in the Wisden India Almanac was titled Luck by Talent. And that, perhaps, exemplifies Dilip Sardesai’s story.

My father at the age of 17 had never played on a turf wicket in his life. He was born in Goa and played all his cricket in Goa, which at the time was ruled by the Portuguese. So he had absolutely no cricketing legacy to speak of.

Yet four years later, he was playing cricket for India, having moved to Mumbai at the age of 17. And just think about it, India had never before nor since, produced a Goa-born cricketer.

To my mind, it exemplifies the kind of journey that my father had to make. He often used to tell me, “You have got it all. You have got the facilities. You have got the legacy. You have got the opportunity. But my friend, you don’t have the talent and you don’t have the fire in the belly.” And he was right. To make it to the top, you need a fire in the belly.

Read the full article in 'Viva Goa' magazine copy.
Viva Goa magazine is now on stands. Available at all major book stalls and supermarkets in Goa.

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