Test Match Special - Death, Disaster and Redemption: England in India 84-85 part 3

Episode Date: March 3, 2024

In the third of a three episode mini-series, Daniel Norcross is alongside Vic Marks, Prakash Wakankar and Jonathan Agnew to look back at England's turbulent tour of India in 1984/85.This episode begins in Chennai (formerly Madras) with the test series between England and India finely poised at 1-1 with two to play. Can England complete the turnaround and go down in history as the first side to come from behind to win a test series in India? With Vic and Aggers with the England squad, they relive the moments of watching on as the David Gower-lead side attempt the feat.Plus, they all look back on the legacy of this England squad and what comes next for them.

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Hello I'm Daniel Norcross Welcome to the Test Mat special podcast And to what I think we can call a mini-series A three-episode special Looking back at England's Tour of India in 1984-85 Now you can be forgiven for thinking That this is a typical nostalgic Look back to yesteryear

But this wasn't a typical test series There was not a typical backdrop To the two and a half, three months of cricket In fact there wasn't anything too typical about any of it. Mrs. Gandhi is assassinated. Her son takes over. As he now goes on to the backwood

and pushes the belt with the father and that will have been. Already tonight, the tensions between the majority Hindus and the Sikh community are spilling over into violence. Buses have been burned and Sikhs attacked

and many have gone into hiding. Listen now. In India, more than 600 people are now known to have been killed by the escape of poison gas, and it's feared the final figure maybe over 1,000. There's goals again to Fowler and Fowler. Edge is this one, a thick outside edge, it is along the ground, the card man, and that is Fowler's double hundred. That thing raises his battle off and acknowledges the cheers of the crowd, and their generous cheers, And once again, a nice touch.

Al-Anna comes across and shakes hands with Mike Gathing. Just hours after the England team arrived in India on Wednesday, the 31st of October, 1984, the Indian Prime Minister Indiraigandi was assassinated, sending the country into riots and ethnic violence. Then, some weeks later, 24 hours before the first test in Bombay, Percy Norris, a UK's deputy high commissioner who had just entertained the team at his apartment, was also assassinated. And one of the worst industrial accidents struck in vote.

at least 3,800 people were killed and thousands more suffered morbidity and premature death. We're going to hear firsthand what it was like to be in the country at that time, close to these events and involved in the occasional game of cricket across a few months at England toured India in the winter of 1984 and 85. Joining me to help tell the story is TMS regular and member of the England tour party on that tour of 8485. Vic Marks, hello Vic. Hello, Dan. The BBC's cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew Good to talk to you, Dan. And test match special commendator, Prakash Watankar.

Hello, Prakash. Hi there, Dan. Now, just to remind you at the end of the second episode, England, having lost the first test match have pulled it back to one all. There's been all sorts going on off the field, but on the field, England are in a position to do what no side had done before,

come from behind and win a five-macked series in India. We're going to pick up this story now in Chennai, as he's. now but Madras as was then the location for the fourth test with the series finally poised at one all with two to play Jonathan you're now

part of the party you've actually played you did take a fifer yes the most expensive fife in the history of cricket I think because it's the first time I'd bowled since September or over it was and there was a game in Hyderabad between Calcutta

and Madras and I played in it and so did Chris Sreekanth who again I saw the other day or during the World Cup who was a bit like a 1980s bas-baller who just smashed the ball everywhere.

It was a surprisingly green pitch and so I bowled some good balls I bowled to rubbish and I got about five for a hundred off to enjoy it was I think he used to bet in plim soles it was a great man and it's lovely seeing him again. I've had a good laugh actually about that game but it was the

interesting thing about that was because the pitch and Chennai in those days, unlike today, actually the ball carried and it actually went through quite nicely for quicker bowlers. And so it's clear there's going to be a bit of a change to the England lineup. And that probably Neil Foster, who I didn't really know, but who I was now rooming with. So again, the changes had happened was probably going to play. And I'm sure Fossey won't mind me saying that he was pretty aghast that I come in and get five wickets because suddenly it looked, you know, well, he was certainly concerned that there was a chance that I might

play instead of him, which is ridiculous because I was completely out of, you know, I had had any practice. But I know Fossey was a little bit anxious about this, and we got to change. And of course, I did make the change, and it was an heroic one as far as as Neil was concerned. He bowed brilliantly there.

It was a perfect, perfect pitch for him. Tall, hit the pitch and in those days, unlike today, actually went through very nicely. Well, there were changes for both sides. You know, Foster's going to go on to play an important part in these last two matches, but Prakash for India, after the controversy really of the dreadful performance in Kolkata

where the game limped to a tedious draw, there are two very notable inclusions. Srikant, as Jonathan has just mentioned there, and of course, Capaldev has come back? So has the Capul wing won the argument after he was dropped for the Calcutta test match following his rash shot in Delhi? Well, I can't imagine that he wouldn't have been brought back into the side.

I think Sonny might have had to wear armor in Chennai or Madras, as it was, as rightly say. And he went on to get a 50 in that first inning as well, I remember. So he'd sort of shut up his detractors or the anti-Cupil lobby. I don't think it was a question of whether, it was just a question of how quickly he'll be back because I remember the board precedent at that time also then coming back and saying that there was no way

that Cappel was not going to play. So it's just right that he was back in the squad. Vic, that first innings, yet again, India, a batting first. Not perhaps ideal, but lose wickets really, really quickly to Foster and to Cowans, 45 for three at one point. First ball of a new over from Foster to Ammanat and he's caught behind an outside edge which left the right hander and a marvellous catch taken there by a downturn. So Ammanat is out of 78 and India are 155.

There is a partnership between Armandath and Azaruddin who just scores mountains of runs in this series but It's 21st century stuff I can tell you Well they go at it I mean they're scoring very very quickly It's a lovely wicket

There's pace in it and you can play your shots And they played a lot of shots But they also kept getting out And Foster When it clicks he just could get a little bit of swing But he was tall Made it bounce the Knicks were carrying It was highly entertaining

I think they were bowled out way before the end of the day, which doesn't usually happen in the first day of a test match in India in that era. Well, 67 overs is all they lasted. Yeah. You know, what strikes me is the extraordinary contrast with the previous game. Did you feel they were sort of on orders to entertain or what? I'm not sure anyone tells Sunu Gavaskar what to do too much in India. But I think it had been a dire game in Calcutta.

And the selections are interesting. I mean, Srikanth is a wonderfully entertaining, unusual one-off opening batsman who is going to go for it, again, in a sort of modern way. And the return of Cappell, Capul's 53, I don't know how many balls he faced, but I suspect he didn't face many more than 50 for it. And he played some big shots right from the start as if to say, look, I don't change for anyone. So maybe they had had a rethink.

And they were still, they weren't ahead in the series, too. But it was a weird day of test cricket Given India's reputation at that time Of, you know, grinding out victories perhaps They played with great abandon And the catches came and Foster got the wickets Well, because they went so quickly It meant there's plenty of time left in the match

And England capitalised in historic fashion In actual fact Two of their top three, Graham Fowler and Mike Gatting Putting on for the second wicket 241, both of them getting double hundreds. The first time for England in test history that two people had got double hundreds. Vic, Jonathan, your recollections of that partnership

because that's really what gets England into the position from which they can dream of winning the series. Well, my recollections were of Fisherman's Cove because Bruce French and I were actually given the day off. It was the one day we were allowed off on the tour since we had no prospect of playing. We went off to Fisherman's Cove,

much happened there did it it's about half an hour maybe an hour's drive away and it was a bit rough and Bruce and I went into the water and was swimming around and there were big waves and some some young lads suddenly came running down the beach shouting and we thought what's this and they were gesturing further up the beach so we got out and they're pointing out to see and there were a couple of young girls in there who were clearly who were clearly struggling and so So in we went, we pulled them out, got them back on the shore. And, yeah, they weren't in great shape, but we sort of did what we had to do. And then, you know, bear in mind, very traditional Tamil Nadu, there was sort of a crowd gathered a bit.

And it wasn't hostile, but it was a bit uncomfortable. And so French and I agree that we just slip away. So they're obviously okay. We got away. And we promised that we would never, we weren't going to say a word to anybody. We weren't going to tell the management or just not tell anybody about this. So he got back and I didn't, I was with Fossey, wasn't I? And I didn't say anything to him.

But next thing, Chris Lander from the Daily Mirror is knocking on the door because Bruce French couldn't restrain himself. And he went and told Chris Lander all about it. And it's actually, it was the front page of the Daily Mirror the next day, which was ridiculous. But the nicest memory for me was actually a woman wrote to me from Tamil Nadu, and I thought I'd lost it. and I found it in an old jacket not that blazer sadly but in another jacket it was a really lovely letter that was my recollection of I'm afraid

dear old Foxy and Gat putting on their heroic part of him meanwhile I was trotting out at every drink interval telling them that they were all doing frightfully well I mean Foxy played with you know considerable restraint to start with

he had sort of a couple modes of playing but he was quite a mature cricketer now he played quite a lot for England and he bided his time, he didn't play too many exotic shots, scoring square the wicket, not playing any big shots against the spinners. And gradually, Siva in particular, sort of started to wonder where another wicket was going to come from. And I always remember, I think it must have been the end of the second day when Foxy would be well into three figures, and he's batted now for a day and a bit,

and it got to the right to the end of the day. there's another over to go perhaps and Gat might be on strike for the last over and he hits the ball deep you know for an easy single and he says no not running because he knows that Foxy is

pretty exhausted and is battered heroically any old pro wants to get away from the strike right at the end of the day to avoid the possibility of getting out but Gat said no you know you've done your you've done your stuff here again I'll take the last five balls, you stay there.

Well, Foxy told me, Vic, and I don't know whether this is natural Foxy hyperbole, but he said that he actually fell asleep standing up at the non-striker's end. We're talking Madras here, Chennai, incredibly hot, incredible humidity. And he basically batted all day.

At the end of that second day, England had 293 for one. Foxy's on 149 not out. And his claim, or his recollection of it, is that he actually dozed off, Gatting played out the last over as a maiden. Oh, right. Oh, yeah, well, is it possible to fall asleep?

I suppose you can fall asleep standing up. I mean, whatever the truth is, it was, you know, there were some scoreboards here that we've never really seen. At one point, you know, 400, England were 419 for one, two double centurions. Foxy, I mean, I remember him, as I say, he'd become quite an old pro, really, at the wicket, until later on he is he hit a few aerial boundaries off the spinners

but he bided his time before he did that but it would have been hugely sapping me you know what chenna is like it's it's hot it's pretty humid and it's we weren't perhaps quite as fit generally as the modern player maybe I don't know but he was still there and Agers has bumped him off the front page

yeah but you know having tried desperately hard not to be there let's face it Now, you mentioned in passing, Shiva Ramakrishnan, you'll recall 18 wickets in the first two test matches. Didn't have a great return at Codcutta, but nobody did. At this point, he takes one for 145, and in a way, he's never quite the same threat again.

And was that the players working him out, or were the services different? Was there a lot of chat about how you handled Shiva-Ramakrishnan? I don't think there was I mean I don't think we didn't dissect things quite so minutely then as people do now I think people got used to him

I mean wrist spinners are special and it makes a huge difference whether you've after a bit of time you can start to pick the wrong one, the Googly and I'm sure by now Foxy knows which way it's going to spin and I think they recognise

I mean it's been a long series He bowled a lot of overs, and I think Siva was sort of starting to lose that spark. And England knew that you could wait. If you waited long enough, you would get some free runs by that stage. Whereas back in Mumbai, he was fresh, he was new, he didn't quite know what to expect. You sometimes think, well, we'll attack this man to put him out of the game early on because he might be a nervous youngster, but he got through that very easily, picked up a few cheap wickets along the way, like his very first one,

when Foxy hit a high full toss back at Mummer. Mumbai straight back at him. So I think he'd been worn down. And I do remember actually Norman Gifford after that Mumbai test, the first test, saying something like, you know, I'm not sure you'll, even though he's got all these wigs, I'm not sure he'll last a series.

I don't know why that was being very old-proish, perhaps. But you're right. I don't think Siva had the same success as he did in the first couple test matches again. Now, you've talked a fair bit about Graham Fowler's double hundred there. But Mike Gatting, who began the tour, listeners to this podcast, we'll remember, in the first test with his maiden test hundred,

has picked up 100 along the way in the One Day International series, and he now gets 207. That partnership taking England way ahead of India, how were the contrast in styles between the two? Well, I think we sort of took it for granted that Gat was going to get more runs. He was, I mean, he was sort of a tone, for all those years coming into this tour

where he'd massively underperformed as an England player and it'd been a source of exasperation not only to him but selectors and everyone because he was obviously one of the best players on the county circuit but the runs hadn't come so it was almost like he was sort of voraciously cashing in and he loved being the Kingpin as I said earlier he loves being the main man and he was clearly in that batting line up he was the main man And David Gower actually led the side superbly all through the tour, but didn't score many runs at all.

Suddenly, he's our main man. And he feeds off that, for whatever better analogy. And so he was brimful of confidence, and he loved playing against spin. So it didn't surprise. Foxy, I mean, you know, Foxy was not particularly renowned as a great pair. But Foxy, as we all know, was a very sharp thinker. And he sort of analyzed how he was going to go about his business.

He knew exactly where he was going to score his runs. and probably not quite so sort of violently as Gat who had more shots available to him but so he's just growing match by match Gat so half century from Alan Lamb as well

and at the end of the third day and there's a rest day to come England is 611 they've got a massive lead we send in a night hawk actually did you well Phil Edmunds went in early on probably the third evening then

because Night Watchman didn't seem quite appropriate because we were in such a good position, but Garrow was next. And he'd been in such poor Nick by his standards that I don't think he fancied going in for 20 minutes, so they sent out the Lembrose. The TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. The Dakar Rally is the ultimate off-road challenge,

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As they build their new cars, we want to be so much further ahead. And face shocking headlines. Here's Lewis Hamilton, moving away from Mercedes. I'm Joseph Fines, and from BBC Radio 5 Live, this is F1, back at base. Listen on BBC's fans. In the end, India bowled out for 412, England win comfortably. 35 was their target, and they get there for the loss of just Graham Fowler, who goes for two. England are only two runs away from an epic victory in this test match.

In fact, Shiverama Krishna is just about to bowl now to. Tim Robinson. 31 for one is the total. He bowls. Robinson drives out through the covers. It's four runs and England have won this test match by nine wickets and handshakes all round out in the middle from the

Indian players. England now now two one up in the series. Suddenly this series has been turned around two one up one test match to play. There's still one day international series going on and can I ask you both Jonathan, how seriously were the one-day international's taken?

Because it seems that all the eyes are on these test matches, and yet there's one-day sprinkled in-between games. And obviously, that was the form of the game that the Indians loved so much because they were world champions. They got full stadia for that, not so much for the test matches. Yeah, well, they were taken very seriously by those of us who were playing, especially if you were like Victor and I

who were doing anything else. So, I mean, we absolutely it was my first one day international actually the one in Nagpur and yeah I mean it was just one of those moments you know and I remember

I think I've got Senor Gavasker out quite early he reminded me the other days and I think we lost that first game but the one I do remember was the one up in in Chandiga where it was a very shortened game wasn't it Victor and Yeah, I got picked for my batting. I think you got picked for your way.

Like a 10 over game. 15. 15 was it? And I remember playing in that. I remember Capald's every hit. It was off, Chris Cowdry, I think. It's an absolute monstrous guyer, million miles up. I thought, oh God, and of course the crowd was going about.

I did manage to cling on to it. But I suppose now we're so used to, you know, red ball players are there, and some go home and white ball players arrive. and there's a very obvious difference between the two series. But in those days, it was just the squad. And people played and people didn't play. I don't think we were given games just the sake of it, were we? I don't think it felt quite like that.

Well, no, I don't think so. Well, no, I certainly wasn't because I was sort of, I was better suited. I used to come in for Percy. Yes. Percy played in the test matches, Pat Pococ. And I probably offered a little bit more with the bat than Percy, if we're honest. Yes, you do. And also, I was more suited to it.

So that became that pattern. And I'm sure you played, well, for two reasons. One is, it was a good idea. But also, I think they wanted to probably not give their new foster a too heavier burden after Madrasch. They wanted him for the last test as well. But we took, I mean, they were absolutely jam-packed in terms of spectators. I remember at Nagpur, there was a rickety old stand at Nagpur, which fell down during the match. and people were killed.

Well, I don't know if they were, but there was, there was. They were ferried away in Ambrances. Yeah, yeah, it was a serious sort of suddenly a stand no longer there. In Shandigar, you would never have played normally, but there was been, the ground was full from about 9 o'clock in the morning when it was raining and no one went away. And conditions weren't really fit for first-class cricket, but we played because everyone was hanging on.

and, I mean, I enjoyed, well, A, I enjoyed your catch, actually, because it went up so long, so far, and I was miles away from wherever you were filming. So I had a lot of time to sort of anticipate, well, I wonder whether the old boy's going to catch this or not. I don't think I would be able to catch that. It was off-embrance, actually. And I thought, I wouldn't like to be under that.

And you had so much time to consider all possibilities, and then blow me down, you caught it. No, that's astonishing. as well one contribution to the trip well I mean actually you do yourself down there ragas you did take three for 38 in the fourth one day international albeit in a losing cause

you did get Gavisket but not early on because weirdly he was coming in at number five which does seem so strange I mean that's a whole new world well the other thing I remember about that is that Gavasker and Capaldive had a partnership a significant partnership of about 70 or 80

and my recollectionally is although it may be a mischievous one that obviously It was a big moment for the snappers and everyone else. There's Gavaska and Kappeldev, after all the hullabaloo. And they made a big thing about having lots of midwicket conferences. It looked like they were getting on like a house on fire. But I'm pretty sure when I walked past, they weren't saying a word to one.

To come to you, Prakash, before we move on to the last test, the one-day international series would have been important, wouldn't it? That's where we were getting the large crowds for India, because we were slightly skirted over this. 1983, India win that World Cup against the West Indies an amazing fashion, not expected to do so. And then this tour comes up against England, five one-day internationals,

and they're packed out. The test match is not so much. So are we starting to see this is really the kind of big rise of Indian one-day cricket? Well, certainly. I mean, there's no question about it. Why just one-day cricket? I think cricket as a whole.

Remember that 83, the cricket board had gone ahead and promised $100,000 rupees prizes for the winning team, and they didn't have money in their bank. They had to get Lata Mangeshka to do two free concerts to raise money. So from all aspects, Indian cricket's revival certainly was the 83 World Cup win. So no surprise, really, that people now wanted to go and see this format, which otherwise simply wasn't part of India's sort of thinking, if you will. And so crowds were there. The Nagpur stand crash, I remember very, very well, because I had a cousin in that stand. I was born in Nagpur. My mother's family grew up in Nagpur, and he had sustained a very bad fracture on his right leg in that stand collapse. So it's in some ways very personal that stand collapse. And that led to a lot of improvements in the stands, dare say, not entirely delivered to this day, but some of them, certainly have become a lot better. So Natpur was remembered more for the stand falling down than

for the result. And of course, Chandigar was, you know, because Chandigar Ayas Bindra was just coming into his own as a major part of Indian cricket. And so no surprise that the game was played there in spite of conditions not being quite right. Now, that Chandigal match, England won it by seven runs. They completed a 4-1 ODI series win. And now you all make your first. final journey or at least your final internal journey I'm imagining Victor Jonathan you head off to Kunpur for the fifth and final test that starts

on the 31st of January which is exactly three months after you Victor had arrived in the country it would still have been about six, seven weeks after you arrived Jonathan. It's a long old tour how are England keeping this together here

Victor because they know they can taste history well they yeah I mean to come back from 1-0 down to two one up was sort of beyond anyone's expectations for a relatively young team our expectations in Kampur logically was

well they're going to make this thing misbehaved they're going to make it turn surely they picked an extra spinner I think however to our amazement certainly after play started and perhaps beforehand

this wicket was no so-called result wicket. It was dry flat. It was a road. Yeah, a road, which was really puzzled us. And I'm not sure the Indian captain would have been entirely happy with that,

but that's what we got. And in a sense, in an era where you could still, you know, get a draw for, you know, it was not impossible to sort of bat in such a way that the game lasted more than five days. So it was a bit of a bonus to turn up

and a surprise that the pitch was not what we would expect in that situation we were convinced it's going to be a stitch up yeah yeah it wasn't there was a rumour going around that the groundsman had some had a cousin

or someone who'd been it was quite a good cricketer who Sunil had never taken any notice of and never selected something like that and this was his his was his vengeance he was going to produce a flat wicket the practice is it is it any truth in that

what at all? Or what have you heard? Because it does seem to be kind of strange. Dan, you have to remember that Kanpur is where Sunny's wife comes from. So Sunnil's in-laws are from Kanpur. And I dare say that they might have been just a little bit of truth in that because very surprising. Remember, this is the Green Park Oval in Kanpur where Jesu Patel famously bowled out the Aussies. And therefore, Kanpur always had the reputation of being a pitch that offered turn and bounce. and to have this kind of a pitch laid out, I remember it wasn't analysed as much as things are today, of course, but certainly there was a lot of talk about what might have caused it,

and who knows maybe the groundsman did get back at Sunil Gaviska, if indeed there's any truth to be had in that. But certainly in his own sort of in-laws town to have a pitch made against his wishes, Sonny wouldn't have been pleased with that. Well, Polly Runs have scored, India batting first yet again, rack up 553, and yet again, Muhammad Azaruddin, is now coming in. at number three, picks up another 100.

Vengsaker 137, everyone contributing a long old time in the field. Two for Norman Cowens, three for Foster, but the spinners are really struggling on this. They made 553, and that did put a bit of pressure on England, who at one stage were in more than a spot of bother at 286 for 6. They were some way off, avoiding the follow-on, still needing another 60-odd,

but then a partnership of 100 between David Gower and Phil Edmonds, who made 49, an uncharacteristically slow 78 from Gower but a captain's knock at just the right time Vic he'd had a fairly lean time of it but just as you were in sight of a victory but also potential calamity he managed is to turn things around

yeah I mean he'd he'd underperformed by his standards in the earlier test he'd actually I mean he had a terrific tour as captain this was his team for the first time really he was the one who brought back Phil Edmonds who you know Bob Willis didn't countenance in the team for a long time and he had a good rapport with Edmonds

who bowled a lot of overs and got enough wickets to win the series so it was quite fitting that Gower at the very end played us pretty un-Garer-like innings but it got us over the line Edmund's got runs actually we haven't mentioned Paul Downton got a lot of runs

in that series earlier on in which we haven't really touched on so that middle sex pair actually contributed a lot but it was I mean I don't suppose David minded too much because that was

an unprecedented victory no one saw that win coming especially after the first test in Bombay and all the other problems and issues that arose during that tour can't have made it

I'm sure even for David without many runs a real highlight to his career certainly as as England captain it was the peak of I think that matches the Ashes win in England

in 1985 which was to come the following summer for a while this England captaincy wasn't so tricky for David it just got a little bit trickier later on Well you're right to allude to it Just to finish off on the details of the match England by replying with 417

meant that India just could not force the pace And England had to bat out 36 overs in their second inning So they didn't lose a wicket And drew the match comfortably to take the series to one. Gathing goes across to have a word and everyone seems to be in a state of suspended animation as if not sure of what the rules and regulations

of the series are, but I think Jack that they could now go off and leave the game as a draw. I can't believe that Rameshah is unaware of any rule. He's been on top of his job all through and it's simply a matter of confirming with both England players if they have done at the end of the game

the crowd has finally realised it but I'll say anti-climax it may be to them but certainly not to any England players or support is out here now you mentioned there that things didn't get easier later this series

this India tour this remarkable win and then that very well known famous 3-1 victory in the ashes in 1985 are sandwiched between well two blackwashes as they were known

the West Indies in England in 1984 and again in 1985 6 and that was with the South African rebel tourists back in the fold amazing to think that Graham Fowler's last test innings there is double 100 and then is 69 in this match and he's not going to play

test cricket again for England England do go on to win the ashes in 85 but with a different side now with the likes of Graham Gouge back but it's all going to go horribly wrong when they go out to the West Indies when you look back on this tour both you Vic and you Jonathan this felt like a sort of high watermark

a real hopeful moment for English cricket but was the sort of specter of that dominant West Indies team always going to ensure that they'd come unstuck at that point Well it was a completely different proposition to go playing against the West Indies and they were by a huge margin

the best team in the world world and this and so it's hard to answer that question beyond that but things went wrong too when they they obviously went to the Caribbean and got absolutely slaughtered and just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong and the on that tour for example Tony Brown came out you know it's a heroic figure as our manager because he made it he got us to stay there when a lot of us thought we should be going home and it all worked really well. Well, the chemistry wasn't quite so good when they got to the Caribbean,

I think you'll find on that score. I don't know about that. All I do know is that everyone who went on that tour looks back on it, and this includes all the press corps as well, because so many things happened, it was a sort of throwback tour with the relationship between the press and the players,

they were all thrown into the same pot. The fact that we all got on really well, there was a lot of, as I say, first-time tourists. So we all remember that tour with an affection, even though many times during it, we thought, why the devil aren't we going home? Well, this is the point. Don't forget, because after this tour,

we went to Australia to go and play a series of won to internationals. I mean, it's absolutely bonkers. The people like you had been away for months, and we got there, the first thing David did was give everyone a week off from memory in Sydney, and every bit of sort of team spirit and the hard work. I mean, everyone was exhausted.

even those of us who'd carried the drinks for weeks, you know, he just wanted to get home. And so the tour fell apart. And it did fall apart quite spectacularly to the point that having beaten India away from home in a test series and created history, we then, within a few weeks, lost a New South Wales second 11 on Manley.

David reversed the batting order. Tony Brown, the manager, completely lost the plot. and it was a bit of a different feeling going back home but it was a crazy tour wasn't it from that it was a crazy tour we were there to celebrate

the Stooges really we were there to celebrate the opening of the Melbourne lights it's one of my crealing triumphs actually in that we ran out I know we ran out onto the field

at the old MCG there's one place you don't want a field was it Bay 13 is it yeah it's horrible and this is for the only time I showed more experience in Agers that I sprinted to the, because I knew both of us were

sort of guaranteed a sort of third man or long-legs slot one end or the other. I'll definitely be forgiven you for this. I sprinted to the members end to patrol the third man area there, and Agers was down at Bay 13. It dealt with it, dealt with it much better. Well, all I learned down there was that if an Australian hands you an amber fluid, it's not necessarily a beer, and we'll leave it at that. Well, as so often happens in English cricket, a great victory, a momentous and historic victory, is soon followed by a reversion to the norm of disappointment and failure. But at least we've had the opportunity over the last three episodes to revel in what was an extraordinary three months for English cricket and for Indian cricket, a series that will never be forgotten by the players who took part in it and the spectators who got to watch it.

But for now, it's time for us to say goodbye. Enormous thanks to Peter Baxter, who's been on previous episodes, to Prakash Wakanka, to Vic Marks, and to Jonathan Agnew. If you've missed any of the other episodes, are all available on BBC Sounds right now. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes, including No Balls with Alex Hartley and Kate Cross. Also, check out Stumped with Ali Mitchell for now.

Goodbye. Hi, my name's Eddie Hearn, and this is No Passion, No Point. I'm excited to be back with this new series. As always, I'll be talking to top performers about what drives them, how they gain an edge over competitors, and whether their dedication to constant improvement comes at a cost. I love golf, I play it until my hands deep. I just enjoy going out there playing with no fear.

What makes them feel fulfilled? It's not the money, it's not the trophies, it's the friendships and the memories I've got. And does that change as their career progresses? Just a girl who grew up playing football, and now I'm getting pats, like, without even seeing the camera. Like, it's crazy. from BBC Radio 5 live.

No passion, no point. Listen whenever you like on BBC Sounds.