Kapil Dev Recalls A Lesson From Bishan Singh Bedi On Being Sent As A Nightwatchman During Lahore Test

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev took a trip down memory lane when he narrated a funny incident between him and Bishan Singh Bedi. Dev made his Test debut under the captaincy of Bishan Singh Bedi.

Speaking to Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia on her chatshow, ‘No Filter Neha’, Kapil Dev remembered his first Test series in Pakistan. The all-rounder talked about the love and affection along with the scolding he got as a youngster from Bedi.

Since Bedi and Dev came from different cultures, they found it slightly uncomfortable to communicate at the beginning. Kapil hails from Haryana, while Bedi is from Punjab and had an English accent to make it difficult for the all-rounder to understand his skipper.

Kapil Dev said, “Oh, when I played my first series in Pakistan, he was a captain and he was a Punjabi. So two things were I remember the first shouting I got from him very important. He couldn’t understand my language. I couldn’t understand his language because he was half English man. He had an accent and he talked such a great finesse.”

I remember the first shouting I got from him: Kapil Dev

In the second innings of the second Test match in Lahore, India was in a fragile position and risked losing the game. It was the final few overs of the day, and Bedi sent in Kapil as a night watchman. Kapil, who normally came to bat as a lower-order batsman was sent ahead of the regular middle-order batters in order to preserve them for the next day.

However, Kapil being Kapil, started swinging for the fences and quickly moved to around 22 and remained not out. Bedi wasn’t impressed by the right-hander’s show of bravado.

Kapil Dev said, “Bishan paaji, I remember the first shouting I got from him, but a lot of love and affection we got from him as well. I mean, enormous. I can’t even express how much love and affection he’s given us as youngsters.

“But, in Lahore test, he sent me as a night watchman. Woh jo last ke 5 over hote hai na khelne ke liye. He said to me, ‘Okay, let Kapil go as the main batsman is out.’ I was number 9, 10 batting. So main jaake khela and in two overs, I made 22 not out and overnight I was very happy that I made so many runs.”

When Kapil came back in the dressing room, he was elated with his boundaries. However, his skipper scolded him as his role as a night watchman was to just see out the final few overs cautiously instead of taking on the bowlers.

Bedi furiously asked him whether he even knows the role of a night watchman, to which Kapil unsurely replied in a yes. Seeing Bedi in anger, Kapil said that the bowlers kept bowling in his arc, so he continued smashing them. Then Bedi explained to him the duty of a night watchman.

“I comeback to the dressing room, he got a hold of me, ‘He said, oye, pehelwan, terko night watchman ka matlab pata hai?’ And, I said pata nahi meri tareef kar rahe hai ya daat laga rahe hai, I said haanji paaji, yes paaji.

“Aaawaz hi nahi nikalti thi. Maine kahan paaji but woh mere idhar ball diye jaa rahe the toh main mare jaa raha tha, merko aata hi nahi rokna. Toh he said night watchman meaning samjho pehle,” Kapil Dev added.

The all-rounder led India to its maiden World Cup title in 1983 by defeating the mighty West Indies in the final. Dev made over 8000 international runs and snared 687 wickets in his illustrious career for India.

Also Read: It’s Ok Viru Is Pretty Outspoken With His Dislike Of Me: Glenn Maxwell Responds To Virender Sehwag’s ’10 Crore Cheerleader’ Jibe