SJS
Hall of Fame Member
Sathasivam was. according to many, an even better batsman than De Saram. However, unlike De Saram (3 years his senior), Satha (as he was known to cricketers and friends) did not get the early opportunities to play first class cricket and his first game at the top level was only in November 1944, in the Pentangular in India. Satha was in his 30th year.
He played only 10 more first class games, four of them in 1950, when he was clearly past his prime though he still managed the odd great innings as against the Commonwealth side in February 1950 and against a full strength Pakistan side next month in his last first class game.
So the data available on him is limited but, as I said earlier, by all accounts he was a devastating batsman who was unlucky to be born in a time and place that did not allow for many opportunities to display his obvious gifts and skils.
Ghulam Ahmed, Indian captain, off spinner, selector and cricket administrator of great repute is quoted by Rajan Bala in his book as saying ....
"I have bowled at Bradman, Harvey, Hutton, Dennis Compton, Keith Miller, The Terrible W’s -Weekes, Worrel and Walcott. If you ask me a question, who is the most difficult batsman that I have ever bowled, I will mention a name that some times you will not know. He is M. Sathasivam of Ceylon. I will never forget how he thrashed me in Chennai."
However reluctant we are today to consider bracketting Satha with the great names in that short list Ghulam Ahmed mentions, there is no doubt that he must have been some batsman to deserve such high praise from a highly respected cricketer. More importantly, Ghulam said this many decades after the event and not in the flush of a recent "thrashing".So lets try and track his limited career.
- Nov. 1944 - Brabourne Stadium Bombay
- For Rest versus Muslims
- Pentangular Semi Finals
The Muslims had a very strong side which included as many as eight current and future Test players of India and Pakistan viz. Mushtaq Ali, Amir Ilahi, Gul Mohammad, Ibrahim, Ghazali, Abdul Hafeez, Nazar Mohammad and ES Maka.
The Rest had lost three wickets for 60 odd when the debutant joined his skipper, the great Vijay Hazare, at the crease. They put on 171 runs for the fifth wicket of which the brilliant Ceylonese batsman scored 101 to top score for his side.
He scored a duck in the second innings to have a FC average of 50.5 at the end of his first game.
The Rest had lost three wickets for 60 odd when the debutant joined his skipper, the great Vijay Hazare, at the crease. They put on 171 runs for the fifth wicket of which the brilliant Ceylonese batsman scored 101 to top score for his side.
He scored a duck in the second innings to have a FC average of 50.5 at the end of his first game.
In his second FC game, Satha faced another set of fine cricketers. English Test stars Compton and Hardstaff were accompanied by Indian current and future Test players in Hindlekar, Chandu Sarwate, PK Sen and Nirode Chowdhary.
- Jan 1945 - Eden Gardens Calcutta
- For the Bengal Governor's XI v Major-General Stewart's XII
- First Class Match
Amarnath and CS Nayudud ran through the opposition for 136 but his side was in serious strife once again at 55 for 3 when Satha once again joined his skipper, another legendary Indian batsman, Babasaheb Nimbalker (who was to score a quadruple century four years later). They put on 99 runs together before Satha was out for 56. He did not bat in the second innings of the drawn game.
At the end of his second FC game he had an average of 52.3 in 3 innings with a century and a fifty.
Three months later, in his 3rd FC game, Satha got to play the equivalent of today's Test matches.
- April 1945 - P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo
- For Ceylon versus India
- FC Match (International)
Ten of the Indian eleven for the match are Test players and read like a Who's Who of Indian greats with Merchant, Mankad, Hazare, Amarnath, Mushtaq Ali and Rusi Modi. All the five bowlers who faced Ceylon were India bowlers. It was a Test in every sense of the word and the Ceylonese side failed at the first hurdle. They were bowled out for 107 Mankad taking 8 for 35. Satha managed ten on what I would like to call his international debut.
After restricting the Indian lead to 72, the Celonese were again in trouble losing the two for 16 when Satha joined opener de Soysa. They took the score to 50 when Soysa fell for 18. Two more batsmen fell scoring just 12 between them before Satha in the company of the lower order took Ceylon to the safety of a draw. He had scored 111 (out of 225) in a match in which no other batsman from either side managed a to touch fifty.
At the end of his 3rd FC game he now had 278 runs in 5 innings and his average hadn't once dropped below fifty.After restricting the Indian lead to 72, the Celonese were again in trouble losing the two for 16 when Satha joined opener de Soysa. They took the score to 50 when Soysa fell for 18. Two more batsmen fell scoring just 12 between them before Satha in the company of the lower order took Ceylon to the safety of a draw. He had scored 111 (out of 225) in a match in which no other batsman from either side managed a to touch fifty.
In his first international he had scored a century on debut as he had in his first FC game.
Earlier that year, Satha had played in another 3 day game with players of real pedigree. I suspect if the names of the sides were something like those of his second FC game, this one too would have been classified as first class. Surely the strength of the opposing sides would suggest that. Another issue could have been that it was a 12 a side match.
- Jan 1945 - Calcutta
- For JN Basu's XI v CK Nayudu's XI
- NOT first Class
Batting first Satha's side piled up 437. The stars were two Ceylonese, Satha and another of his talented countrymen, Sargo Jayawickreme. Satha scored 80 and Sargo 123 against an attack that included Chandu Sarwate, the Nayudu brothers and Nimbalkar. CS took 8 wickets in the innings.
With a lead of over a 100, Basu XI were looking to consolidate but CS Nayudu took another 168. Satha top scored with 42.
With a lead of over a 100, Basu XI were looking to consolidate but CS Nayudu took another 168. Satha top scored with 42.
The strong Nayudu side won the match by ten wickets and then batted on for the pleasure of the crowd I suppose :-)
- Dec 1945 - P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo
- For Ceylon v Australian Services
- FC Match
Hassett led Australian Services side toured India and Ceylon. They turned out to be too strong for the Ceylones, bundling them out for 103 and 159 to win by an innings. Miller scored a hundred in his side's only knock.
Ceylon's star batsmen all failed to get going.
It was Satha's first failure with the bat in both innings. He now had 292 runs in 7 innings and his FC average was now 41.7.Ceylon's star batsmen all failed to get going.
- De Saram 3 and 23
- Satha 10 and 4
- Jayawickreme 31 and 23
It was to be more than a year before he would play another FC game.
- Feb 1947 - Chepauk Madras
- For Ceylon CA vs Southern India
- FC Match
South India's opening bowler was MJ Gopalan (after whom the Gopalan Trophy between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka is named) who was already played a Test for India in the inaugural home series in 1933-34. He did not play more because of the presence of Nissar and Amar Singh.
His bowling partner was Rangachari, genuinely fast and to play 4 Tests for India. The off spinner was Ghulam Ahmed who played 22 Tests for India and who was quoted at the start of this post. So the attack was a very good one that faced the Ceylon Cricket Association on Chepauk's pacy wicket.
Ranga clean bowled one of the openers at 4 and then De Saram (42) put on 119 with Salih before the former was run out. From 227, when he came to the crease, he and Salih took the score to 369 before Salih fell for 98. Of the 104 runs they had put on, Satha had scored almost 80 !
Then with Jayawickreme (52) he put on another 142 runs before the former fell with the total at 369. Then after another wicket fell cheaply, he put on 106 for the sixth wicket. Then he fell for a magnificent 212 !
Southern India were completely demoralised by the onslaught (Ghulam's words are a clear indication of that) and they collapsed in both innings to lose the match by innings and plenty.
Satha now had 504 runs in just 8 FC innings and these included scores three centuries, including a double hundred with an average of 63.0. He was now in his 33rd year. and this was to be his only first class game for the season !His bowling partner was Rangachari, genuinely fast and to play 4 Tests for India. The off spinner was Ghulam Ahmed who played 22 Tests for India and who was quoted at the start of this post. So the attack was a very good one that faced the Ceylon Cricket Association on Chepauk's pacy wicket.
Ranga clean bowled one of the openers at 4 and then De Saram (42) put on 119 with Salih before the former was run out. From 227, when he came to the crease, he and Salih took the score to 369 before Salih fell for 98. Of the 104 runs they had put on, Satha had scored almost 80 !
Then with Jayawickreme (52) he put on another 142 runs before the former fell with the total at 369. Then after another wicket fell cheaply, he put on 106 for the sixth wicket. Then he fell for a magnificent 212 !
Southern India were completely demoralised by the onslaught (Ghulam's words are a clear indication of that) and they collapsed in both innings to lose the match by innings and plenty.
- April 1948 - P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo
- For Ceylon CA vs Holkar
- First Class Match
This was only his second FC game in two years. Against the strong Holkar side The home side more than held their own. Satha was run out for 11 in thier only innings. The low scoring game was drawn.
Satha now had 515 in ten FC innings.
It was again to be another year before he played another first class game. This time against the visiting West Indians touring India, Pakistan and Ceylon. The touring side was a powerful one and included really big names. Have a look
- George Headley
- Everton Weekes
- Clyde Walcott
- Bob Christiani
- John Goddard
- Gerry Gomez
- Alan Rae
- Jeff Stollmeyer
- Dennis Atkinson
- Prior Jones
The West Indies side played two first class games against Ceylon - 3 day affairs styled Ceylon versus West Indies. The Ceylonese lost the first game by an innings although they put up a decent second innings score after being bundled out for 122 in the first. Satha wasn't in the side. De Saram was but failed in both innings.
Satha came in for the second game. He was now in his 35th year and his last four FC games (including this one) were spread over four years !
- Feb 1949 - P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo
- Ceylon v West Indians
- FC Match (International)
Guyanese fast bowler trim dismissed the first two batsmen with just 16 on the scoreboard when Satha joined De Saram. They put on 52 of which Satha scored 32 before he was caught off Trim. De Saram went on to top score with 94. Jayawickreme also back in the side, scored 29. After a huge West Indies innings, Ceylon managed to hold out for a draw thanks to a fifty by Jayawickreme. Satha got 12 and De Saram 13.
Age was catching up with him and the limited opportunities of playing top class cricket wasn't of great help either. He now had 559 in 12 FC innings at 46.6.
Frank Worrell was not able to come to India etc on that tour with the West Indies but he was to lead a Commonwealth side to the region next year. Satha got his opportunity to play against the great Worrell and his band of merry and serious cricketers from the Commonwealth. Of course he was now in his 36th year and this was his fifth Fc game in a row that was separated from the previous one by a full year ! This also turned out to be his last FC season. Fortunately he got to play four FC games in this season. A bit late for him to get more than one game per season. The last time he had been able to play more than one was in the year of his FC debut !!
It was a fairly decent side in which besides Worrell there was Holt from the West Indian Test side, George Pope, Norman Oldfield and Winston Place from England's Test ranks and Tribe and Freer from Australia's. As I said a decent side with professional and first class cricketers like Bill Alley, Wally Langdon and Jock Livingstone providing strength even though they never played for their country sides.
Feb 1950 - P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo
For Ceylon v Commonwealth XI
FC Match
Everyone in Worrell's side made contributions as they declared at 355 for 5. Ceylon lost their customary early wicket, FJ De Saram for a duck, and Satha walked in, this time at number three. Ceylonese wickets continued to fall to Freer Lambert and Pope while Satha watched from the other end. Its interesting to see what these batsmen scored. Have a look...
There were 3 extras besides. It is not known when Satha got out but it must have been towards the end of the innings. He did not get a hundred but the 98 he scored out of 153 was better than most hundreds one would imagine.
Ceylon collapsed for an even lower score in the second knock to lose by innings. There was no repeat for Satha as he scored 22 in the second innings.
Code:
[B]Batsman Score[/B]
Salih 1
de Saram 0
Rodrigo 0
Gunasekera 9
Coomaraswamy 11
Burton 9
Wijesinha 7
Jayasinghe 17
Navaratane 0
de Zoysa 0*Ceylon collapsed for an even lower score in the second knock to lose by innings. There was no repeat for Satha as he scored 22 in the second innings.
He now averaged 48.5 with 679 runs in just 14 FC innings in just 8 games spread over six seasons. I have absolutely no doubt that had he played more regularly in his youth he would have scored big runs. It is amazing how these cricketers kept up the passion with so few opportunities.
Satha played three more first class games in this last season of his.
First came the game against the same Commonwealth side, this time for a combined India, Pakistan, Ceylon side. In a rain affected low scoring draw satha scored 1 in the Combined side's only innings of 75 all out. The side was really not representative of the Sub continent with eight of the eleven being Ceylonese.
Then came his only tour to a country other than India when he went to Pakistan in what was Ceylon's first ever tour of the new nation of Pakistan.
After a double falure against Sind (3 and 4) Satha played in the first international game between Ceylon and Pakistan at Lahore.
25th Mar 1950 - Bagh-e-Jinnah Lahore
For Ceylon vs Pakistan
4 day FC match (International)
Pakistan played a strong side with Test players...
Following on Ceylon lost four wickets for 43 when young Jayasinghe jined Satha in the latter's last FC innings. The veteran and the youngster put on 69 runs before Satha was out for 56. Jayasinghe was run out for 33 and Ceylon lost by an innings.
- Nazar Mohammad(Pakistani Test opener and father of Muddassar Nazar)
- Imtiaz Ahmed (Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman and future Test captain)
- Maqsood Ahmed(Pafistani Test batsman)
- Fazal Mehmood (great medium pacer and future Test captain)
- Khan Mohammad (Pakistani Test fast bowler of repute)
Following on Ceylon lost four wickets for 43 when young Jayasinghe jined Satha in the latter's last FC innings. The veteran and the youngster put on 69 runs before Satha was out for 56. Jayasinghe was run out for 33 and Ceylon lost by an innings.
That was the last time Satha played in a FC game.
