Comeback man has no plans of turning his back

October 31, 2014 12:51 am | Updated May 23, 2016 06:43 pm IST

Vasudeva Das. Photo: K. Pichumani

Vasudeva Das. Photo: K. Pichumani

The memory lingers. The fast and furious Simon Jones, steaming in, unleashed a thunderbolt. Only to look heavenwards in anguish as a lithe left-hander, on his first-class debut, pierced the field with a gorgeous cover-drive.

The year was 2004, the venue Chepauk, and K. Shri Vasudeva Das was only 19 then. His 98 of typically left-handed elegance, against the touring England ‘A’, was laden with promise. He seemed on course for greater things.

Contrast that vignette with rumours doing the rounds last season when Vasudeva Das was missing from a significant part of the TNCA first division league. Many believed, he, disappointed at being left out, had bid adieu to the game.

Given his ability, it would have been the state cricket’s loss.

To the relief of many, Vasudeva Das is back. And this graceful stroke-maker has, following some telling performances for Globe Trotters in the league this year, been picked in the Tamil Nadu team for the Subbaiah Pillai one-day tournament.

“Every person reaches a point when he pauses, takes stock, tries to find out what he wants to do with his life. I am not someone who can do things half and half. I need to devote myself completely,” said the cricketer when The Hindu caught up with him.

Vasudeva Das, who hails from the well-known Dasaprakash group, conceded he was drawn to family business during this phase. “We have interests in the hospitality sector and I spent a lot of time there. Finally, it was my family, which has been my strength, that encouraged me to return to the game,” he said.

His elder brother Bhakta Govinda Das, father K. Narayana Das and mother Poornima had invariably put their weight behind him as he pursued his cricketing ambitions.

Inspiring words

When doubts crept in, Vasudeva Das remembered what Indian legend Rahul Dravid had said to him in a conversation — “Always believe in your ability.” And he found inspiration in autobiographies — Andre Agassi’s Open and Michael Phelps’s No Limits .

Then there were former State cricketers M. Senthilnathan (his coach at Trotters), S. Sriram and J.R. Madanagopal, who he could always approach during a difficult time.

Vasudeva Das’s first-class record — 1514 runs at 35.20 from 32 games — and his figures in the one-dayers — 879 at 35.16 from 38 matches — are creditable even if it does not entirely reflect his talent.

He responded, “I am not a numbers man. It is how you counter tough situations and conditions that matter.”

Asked about his favourite innings, he replied, “The one against England ‘A’ convinced me that I belonged. The 99 against Mumbai on a turner at the IC-Guru Nanak ground enabled Tamil Nadu to qualify. Then there was the century on a seaming track against Bengal at the Eden Gardens.”

But then, his has been a career of varying fortunes. For someone who was at the NCA in 2004 and 2005 as one of the brightest batting prospects in the country, he should have made the ‘breakthrough’ by now.

No regrets

“I am only 29. I’ve had ups and downs but have no regrets. It has been a part of the learning process. I would not be here if I didn’t believe I could still make it,” he said.

A top-ranking junior athlete during his school days at Don Bosco, Vasudeva Das is a dynamic, natural fielder. The comeback man has no plans of turning his back on the game.

(This is a fortnightly feature on the Chennai sporting scene).

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.