This day, 50 years ago: When Brabourne stadium burned
Updated On: 08 November, 2019 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Clayton Murzello
Today marks 50 years for the riot that broke out during the 1969 India v Australia Test at the CCI after umpire Shambu Pan declared Venkat caught behind when most - except radio commentator Devraj Puri -believed he hadn't hit it
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Smoke envelopes the Brabourne Stadium on Day Four of the first India v Australia Test on November 8, 1969. Pic courtesy: Dust jacket of The Wildest Tests by Ray Robinson
The Saturday crowd at the Brabourne Stadium was not a happy bunch. The Indian team under MAK Pataudi were not promising much in their second innings response to Australia's 74-run first innings lead. Srinivas Venkataraghavan, who had walked in at the fall of S Abid Ali's wicket with the scoreboard reading 89 for seven, was building a partnership with Ajit Wadekar 40 minutes before stumps on the fourth day of the opening Test of the 1969-70 series.
One run before he could get into double figures, Venkat reportedly tried to square cut paceman Alan Connolly, missed it and the ball was collected by wicketkeeper Brian Taber. Second slipper Keith Stackpole was the one most convinced that Venkat had hit it and went up in appeal. Taber's appeal was less emphatic but that did not stop umpire Shambu Pan from raising his finger.
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