It’s been four decades but Lakshmi Shastri’s memories of a heady evening from January 1985 are still fresh. It was on that day in 1985 that her son, Ravi Shastri, created history by hitting six sixes in an over. It was only the second time in history this was done. In doing so — in a Ranji Trophy game against Baroda while playing for Mumbai — Ravi Shastri had emulated what the legendary Garfield Sobers had done in 1968 in an English County game for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan.
While Ravi was occupied in commentary duties for the second Test at Edgbaston, Lakshmi was accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award on her son’s behalf at Bombay Gymkhana in Mumbai from the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai. There, she spoke of that day her son created history 40 years ago. And also gave a glimpse of where the former India cricketer and coach-turned commentator gets his skills behind the microphone.
“There are many treasured memories which Ravi has given us. But I would say that the one which stands out is when he scored six sixes in an over. I was blissfully unaware of the fact that he was doing it at Wankhede Stadium (nearby). I was told by my bhelpuri wala who was present there and witnessed this,” Lakshmi told the audience from the dias on Wednesday to much laughter.
While Sobers had hit the six sixes at Swansea against Malcolm Nash, Ravi Shastri had struck Baroda’s Tilak Raj in the 1984-85 Ranji Trophy season. The feat has since been matched by just a handful of batters like Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh.
Continuing the anecdote from that day in 1985, Lakshmi said: “When Ravi came home, he had to immediately leave for somewhere else. I asked him what happened today. You know his style, he never wanted to say the truth to me. So he said, ‘you want to know what I did? Then tune in to today’s All India Radio for the 7 o’clock news’.
“So since even the bhel puri wala (was talking about it), this thing was running in my mind. I was wondering why has he asked me to do this? So I informed my husband who was sitting in his clinic at that time and told him that he better come and hear the 7 o’clock broadcast in Marathi. He said why? I said this is what everybody is saying. So I came home and there to my great surprise, it was being announced that he had “Sobered Sobers”, and I’m quoting the banner that was put on Marine Drive the next day, hailing for equalling Sobers’ record. These are precious memories that I carry with me.”
Besides Shastri, Michael Ferreira, Anjali Bhagwat, Deepali Deshpande, Suma Shirur, Pravin Thipsay, Joaquim Carvalho and Mervyn Fernandis were among those feted with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Story continues below this ad
Lakshmi added: “1985 was a glorious year for him. He started with these six sixes, then he ended up at the Benson Hedges World Championship of Cricket where he was awarded this title, Champion of Champions and the famous Audi car which nobody, at least me, I didn’t even know how to pronounce the name of that car and I’m sure many in India have not seen that and that memory of the entire team taking a round in the Melbourne ground will always stay in my memory.”
She then thanked her son, “Thank you Ravi, you have been a great son to us and we hope you will achieve much more.”
