Going by just numbers alone, Gundappa Viswanath would hardly elicit a mention among India's cricketing greats. And yet, any Indian cricket fan who watched him at his peak in the 1970s would undoubtedly swoon over his greatness.
It was not just because of the runs he made or his contributions to the team – it was about sheer artistry.
Along with Sunil Gavaskar, "Vishy" was the backbone of the Indian batting in that decade. With his magical wrists, he was the connoisseur's delight. And what made him so special was his stomach for a fight – some of his best knocks came in difficult circumstances with India back to the wall.
One such knock came in Melbourne against Australia in 1981. On a grassy pitch, India had stumbled to 23/2 before Viswanath made his mark with a invaluable 114. It would turn out to be a match-winning one as India went on to win the Test, only the third time ever that they had won a Test in Australia. The video above provides glimpses of his batting genius in that innings, contrasted with the failures of the other Indian batsmen.
The "Mysore Magician" had given early proof of his greatness, scoring a century on his debut against Australia in Kanpur in 1969. And in 1974, he was the only man who stood up against the rampaging pace of West Indian pace great Andy Roberts in Madras. Viswanath remained not out on 97 as the team finished on 190. The performance was widely hailed as one of the finest performances by an Indian batsman as evidenced by the glowing tribute paid by The Hindu then.
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