Australia and India were playing the second Test match of Australia’s tour of India in 1979-80 in Bangalore. The first Test was drawn and this one also was going at a regular pace with lots of interruption due to rain. It was already monsoon in parts of India and it was taking it’s toll. Australia posted 333 in their first innings and India also replied strongly, thanks to centuries from Dilip Vengsarkar and Gundappa Viswanath. One of Australia’s leading bowlers was Rodney Hogg who had a memorable match for all the wrong reasons.
On 23rd September, 1979, the fourth day of the Test match Hogg lost his rhythm and his run-up was messed up. The umpire Kasturi Ramaswami called him for No-Ball for 11 occasions. Hogg was frustrated and at that point, he thought that those No-Ball calls were not correct. He pointed this out to his captain Kim Hughes who convinced him to continue with bowling. Hogg was not happy; he kicked the stumps towards the umpire Ramaswami and stormed off to his bowling mark.
His mood did not lift and neither his control. It could have been just a bad day for Hogg. He was called No-Ball three more times in the next over and finally ended up bowling a beamer to the bemused batsman. It was a head-high full toss and landed behind the wicket. Immediately it was called a wide by umpire Ramaswami and Hughes had enough. He instructed Hogg to leave the field right then. The crowd did not like Hogg’s attitude either and was barracking him throughout the time he made his way back to the dressing room.
Kim Hughes was a sensible man and believed in playing the game in a fair manner. After the day’s play was over he had a chat with Hogg and convinced him for an apology to the umpire. Hughes and Hogg submitted a joint apology to the umpires. Their team manager Bob Merriman also confirmed that they did not believe that there was any issue with the umpiring.
India went on to score 457 but ultimately the Test match ended in a draw, thanks to nature’s intervention. Five years later Hogg again had an altercation with his captain in the Caribbean and remained a fiery character throughout his career.
