Gavaskar’s son follows in father’s footsteps

Press, 19 October 1987, Page 27

Gavaskar’s son follows in father’s footsteps

NZPA-Reuter Bombay Two Gavaskars helped India beat Zimbabwe in the World Cup match at Bombay on Saturday, Sunil, aged 38, and his son, aged 11. Not that the slightlybuilt Rohan Jaisimha Gavaskar actually played. But he did figure prominently in the practice before the game when he was the centre of attention. Dressed in spotless whites, he aocompanied his father to the stadium and kept the batsmen on their toes with his bowling and fielding. Joining the national team on occasions such as these has become a regular treat for the young Gavaskar, who attends the Scottish Church school in Bombay where he is considered a promising cricketer. Whether keeping an immaculate length to his father, test cricket’s most prolific run-getter, and the rest of the team or giving catching practice,

Rohan is considered an asset by the players. Rohan’s mother, Marshnell, insists no pressure is being put on her son to play cricket “We want him to play any sport. We are not pushing him into cricket. Let him do what he wants.” But he is already showing signs of living up to the great cricketers after whom his father named him. His first name is in honour of the West Indian, Rohan Kanhai, his second after the former Indian test star, M. L. Jaisimha. Unlike his father, he is a left-handed batsman and medium-pace bowler. He gave a glimpse of his batting form in a charity match in Bombay last year, 46 runs with 10 fours. • England comfortably defeated Sri Lanka by 108 runs in the World Cup group B match at Peshawar, Pakistan, on Saturday but police had slightly greater trouble dispersing a crowd of

student demonstrators. The opener, Graham Gooch, with 84 laid the foundation for England’s score of 296 for four in 50 overs. With their innings reduced to 45 overs because of bad light and rain, Sri Lanka needed to pass 266 to win but managed only 158 for eight. The police found the going tougher. The students fought back with stones after they had been driven from the gates where they attempted to demonstrate for the release from detention of some of their leaders, Sporadic charges by cane-wielding police kept the demonstrators away from the heavily guarded Shahi Bagh stadium which can seat 20,000 spectators but attracted only about 3000. Victory took England into second place in their section with eight points, four behind Pakistan who have won their first three matches. West Indies are third with four points and Sri Lanka last with none.