MCA to honour 1974 Mumbai cricket team on Wankhede stadium's 50th anniversary celebration

The Wankhede Stadium is one of the most historic venues in Indian cricket history that has hosted some of the biggest matches in international cricket. Notably, the 2011 World Cup final was played between India and Sri Lanka at this iconic venue. Apart from that, the ground has also become one of the main venues to host matches for the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

For the unversed, Wankhede has been hosting games for over five decades since its construction in 1974. Hence, to celebrate the 50th year of the venue, the MCA who is in charge of operating the ground has chosen to felicitate the players who were involved in the first-ever first-class match played at the venue. Wankhede hosted the game between Mumbai and Baroda in 1974.

The match witnessed some legendary Mumbai players. The likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sudhir Naik, Farokh Engineer (wicketkeeper), Karsan Ghavri, Ashok Mankad, Eknath Solkar and Ajit Pai featured in the game. While the domestic stalwarts in the form of Padmalkar Shivalkar, Milind Rege, Abdul Ismail and Rakesh Tandon, also became part of a special cricketing legacy.

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The team was led by the Little Master himself and went on to thrash the Baroda team by an innings and 96 runs where the Mumbai team (then Bombay) put up a total of 348 on the board with impressive half-centuries by Engineer (51), Rege (63) and Ghavri (83), respectively.

In reply, the Baroda team was bowled out for just 60 with brilliant spells from Ismail (4/27) and Ghavri (5/25) and asked to follow on. Baroda in the second innings could not do much and eventually lost the game in the end. Former Mumbai skipper Milind Rege also reflects on the game that was played and talks about the conditions and how the match played out.

“I remember that it was a green top. If I remember correctly, the stadium wasn’t completely ready by then. The credit for making the outfield and the pitch on what was a ‘reclamation ground’ must go to Polly Umrigar (former India captain). Our dressing room was where the ‘PD Hall’ is now. We were in a delicate position at 169 for five, before a 122-run stand between myself and Ghavri took us to a good score,” Rege told the Mirror.

Gavaskar went on to become greatest batter for India in future

Some of the players who were part of this match have gone on to become big names in Indian cricket and have also led the national side. Gavaskar went on to become one of the legendary figures in the game and Ghavri went on to become one of the best all-rounders for India as well. Especially, Gavaskar who went on to slam 34 Test centuries for India with a couple of them while playing away from home in tough conditions.