Kiran More recalls when the India and Pakistan teams had a ball on Holi
India-Pakistan encounters on the cricket field have always been full of passion but former India wicketkeeper Kiran More recalled how both teams displayed great camaraderie off the field. The former chairman of selectors remembers the 1986-87 series and how both teams engaged in some great fun and frolic on Holi during that tour fondly.
“We were really fighting hard for that whole series, but in that Test match, I’ll never forget that Holi we played on the rest day, with the Indian team and the Pakistani team,” Kiran More said on The Greatest Rivalry Podcast.
Pakistan visited India in 1986-87 for five Tests and six ODIs. After the first four Tests ended in a draw, the former stumper recalls that the players from both teams, except Pakistan captain Imran Khan, got together ahead of the final match in Bangalore and ‘painted the hotel red’.
“(It was) at Bangalore’s Westin hotel, I still remember. The whole hotel was painted red. The swimming pool, all the rooms, every corner of the hotel was painted red," Kiran More said.
“And we had a great time. We (both) Pakistani cricketers and Indian cricketers, we were trying to get Imran Khan out of his room. He was the captain, and he was a shy character. We were trying to get into his room from both sides, and trying to put colour on him,” Kiran More recalled fondly.
The festival of Holi was celebrated just days before the famous Bangalore Test, which was also Sunil Gavaskar’s final Test. Pakistan famously won that Test match by the smallest margin of 16 runs.
Chasing 221 to win on a treacherous final day pitch, Sunil Gavaskar batted magnificently for 96 but Iqbal Qasim (4/73) and Tauseef Ahmed (4/85) combined brilliantly to bowl out India for 204.
Kiran More revealed that Javed Miandad kept the party going
Kiran More also revealed how former Pakistan great Javed Miandad kept the party going even after the Holi celebrations were done with.
“He (Imran Khan) didn’t come out. Javed (Miandad) was instrumental in that Holi time, the whole day, we did Holi together, we had lunch together. Had bhangra music, there were a few friends of ours who joined that party. We had a great time, and next day, we were playing a Test match again,” Kiran More added.
“On the field, both teams wanted to win, and sledging was huge that time from both sides. Off the field, it was a great time that we had. I’ll never forget that Holi,” the 57-year-old former wicketkeeper added.