Hall had come to the ground to present his autobiography to Kohli and coach Rahul Dravid and it became quite an occasion for all those who were around, trying to record a beautiful moment.
The legendary pacer of the 1950s and 60s had played only 48 Tests during his playing days over 16 years. “It amazes me how much more these boys play,” the octogenarian said, trying to go back in time. When asked to compare his bowling days and whether he would have enjoyed the situation here, Hall thought for a minute. “I don’t like the fact that when batters can bat for 20 overs, why should there be a restriction on bowlers? That’s one thing I really don’t like about modern-day cricket,” Hall said.
The fact that bowlers are cutting their careers short is one thing that bothers him a little bit as well. It’s the money that has come in and Hall feels “if there is money for the proletariat, there will be a change of mindset… They are earning millions in such a short time, so sometimes they are not playing for too long,” Hall said.
It’s the change in the Indian team that has also fascinated the legend, who could create a sense of fear with this pace in his playing days. When he was playing, there weren’t too many pacers who were plying their trade.
“Over the years, the only good pacer that we could think of from India was Kapil Dev…But all that has changed. Look at the Indian bowling attack of the day. I absolutely love Jasprit Bumrah. But there are a few more as well who can be really good… Indian cricket has really come a long way.”
As Hall was wrapping up his interaction, Dravid came in and the paceman had a few words with him. “What a fantastic team you guys have. You’ve the best batter in the business, then you have the best bowler. It’s such a wonderful team,” Hall said.
Dravid acknowledged it, only to add: “I don’t want to say them that just yet. The tournament is on, and you know what happens, right.”
The two legends shared a laugh and we all soaked it in under the hot Barbados sun.
