Dinesh Lad: The burnisher behind the scenes

But there is one quality both Ghosh and Lad share in common: unreasonable love for the game. Lad says, "I have associated myself with Vivekananda School in an honorary capacity. I don't want to take up coaching as profession. I lived in a 10 x 10 sq. ft area. Cricket gave me a job with the Western Railways. Today I own a flat without borrowing money.

"Yes, I too need a bit of wealth to shelter raw talents of the calibre of Shardul. But I do not want its corrupting influence to thwart mission. I want to give back something to cricket that has given me so much."

A staggering year

Swami Vivekananda International School's golden run, under Lad, started in 2006 when it became the first team in suburbs (in 104 years) to win the Giles Shield.

This year the Vivekananda School won three major tournaments: the Harris Shield, the Khichadia Cup and the Boost Cricket Cup. What makes this feat even more special is that Vivekananda became the first team in the suburbs to win the Harris Shield that started in 1896.

Lad's countenance lights up at the mention of middle-order batsmen Shivam Mishra, and all-rounder Pratik Gawli who is also part of the Mumbai under-17 squad.

Dilip Vengsarkar, who watched the Giles Shield finals two years ago, was lavish in praise of Gawli. "I have never seen anybody bat so straight at this level," the chairman of selectors beamed.

Siddesh Lad, Lad's sixteen-year-old son, is making ripples in school cricket. In the final of the Boost Cricket Cup, he plundered the Anjuman-I-Islam High School bowlers to hit a match-winning 135 off 81 balls.

He smashed 11 sixes in his knock clearing Police Gymkhana's 64-yard boundary effortlessly. We are told six of them landed on the railway tracks.

Lad is understandably restrained in talking about Siddesh but not when the conversation veers towards Rohit. "People often say without thought that Rohit is laidback. I tell them that the lazy do not score runs. Mark my words, he (Rohit) will soon make it to the Test side."

Previous articles:

Manabendra Ghosh: From coach to mentor

Achrekar 'Sir': Champion maker at dusk

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