From keeping wickets to keeping an eye from where would the next rupee come from was a heart-breaking climb-down for this honest cricketer. Vijay Yadav grew up with dreams of playing for India. He did achieve his dream but became a victim of petty regionalism. By the time he realised he was being systematically eased out of the team it was late for Yadav. The bitterness remained for a while but later the pressure to run the kitchen of his home became a greater challenge than standing up to Anil Kumble.
Yadav gave a decent account of his skills in the only Test he played when 26. It was a Test marked by Vinod Kambli’s double century against Zimbabwe at Delhi. He scored 30, took one catch and brought off two stumpings as India won. “It was hard keeping wickets to Kumble because there was a ‘rough’ and the ball was darting. No one had taught me how to adjust. I learnt myself since I was mentally strong.”
With none to guide him, Yadav would train in front of a mirror. “That was the best way to learn really. The stance was developed this way.”On the eve of his Test debut, sharing room with W. V. Raman, he kept awake the whole night, polishing his stance in front of a mirror. “Such was my passion,” Yadav mumbles.
And then the Test happened. He batted at No 8, one slot behind Kapil Dev. “I told myself I was a wicketkeeper and not a wicketkeeper-batsman. You have to excel in your main role. There can be days when few balls would come your way. You have to be at your best.” Little did he know that this was to be his only Test.
Yadav travelled to Sri Lanka in 1993. He was the number 1 but Kiran More was favoured. Yadav played the one-dayers. For the New Zealand tour that followed, Sanjay Manjrekar went as the second wicketkeeper to Nayan Mongia. The omission of Yadav was strange and inexplicable. He went out despite doing well.
His first-class debut in November, 1987 came against Himachal Pradesh at 20 in Gurgaon and the farewell happened 11 years later against Services at the Harbaksh Stadium. It was a most forgettable match, a 21 at No 6 and just one catch. He reflected on his career and weighed his future in the game even as the Haryana team prepared for the Super League. “I saw no merit in continuing. Ajay Ratra had done well at the under-19 World Cup and I made way for him. It was the right thing to do.” Retirement at 31?
His experience at the previous Duleep trophy had been unpleasant. His replacement did not even have keeping gloves when he was asked to do the job. The following season, Yadav was axed again and Vijay Dahiya of Delhi was picked. “I had an offer from MRF and could have moved to Tamil Nadu but I had made up my mind.”
Just as he had made up his mind to grab the first chance that came his way early in the career. His best obviously was in the season Haryana won the Ranji Trophy in May 1991. The league phase prepared him for the bigger contests. The quarterfinal against Uttar Pradesh fetched him seven catches at Faridabad. “More than anything it boosted my confidence. The Eden Gardens (semifinal against Bengal) was a wonderful experience of playing cricket outside the zone. For three years we had not qualified for the knockouts. I had played on green pitches and square turners in the zone. The Eden was a beauty.”
Yadav came up with a 106 at No 8 even as Kapil hit 141 and Ajay Banerjee 111. He also held four catches. Luck had favoured Yadav too. “I had nicked one early but the umpire gave me not out,” he can afford a smile today. In the final, Haryana beat Bombay by two runs and made history by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first time ever. It has since not repeated the feat. “I was proud to be part of that team. None gave us a chance but Kapil Dev motivated us.”
Having tasted success, Yadav grew in strength. A double century in January 1992 Duleep Trophy against South at Surat, batting at No 7, established among the front runners for the India slot. His runs came off Venkatesh Prasad, Kumble and Arshad Ayub. His best came a year later against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy pre-quarterfinal. His knocks of 86 and 191 (the first 100 off 104 balls and the next 50 off 18) left the Uttar Pradesh attack in shambles. “I don’t know what happened that day. It was a batting track and I got all my shots right.” A six to cover off Ubaid Kamal still haunts the bowler.
India’s Hero Cup triumph had a tale too involving Yadav. In the semi-finals against South Africa, with the packed Eden rooting for the home team, Sachin Tendulkar came on to bowl the last over with six runs needed. South Africa got only three and Tendulkar shared the credit with Yadav. It was Yadav’s suggestion to skipper Mohammad Azharuddin that saw Tendulkar bowl the final over and not Kapil, who had walked up to take the ball. “I just said that Sachin has the variation and his change of pace could prove vital.” It was the turning point in Tendulkar’s career because he was on the verge of being dropped in that tournament for poor form.
Yadav, now 48, suffered due to some poor investments post retirement. “It was bad. I was struggling to make ends meet. I had to sell off my cars and my restaurant. It was tough. It was a low period for me. I decided to fight and started an academy. The plunge into coaching changed my life.” The Vijay Yadav Residential Academy in Faridabad, with support from former Board president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, is a model training place in the region. India seamer Mohit Sharma is a fine brand ambassador for Yadav’s academy.
(Vijay Yadav played 1 Test (30 runs, 1 catch, 2 stumpings), 89 First Class matches (237 catches, 46 stumpings; 3988 runs, 7 centuries, 23 fifties). Career span: 1987-88 1998-99.
