Mumbai: More than three decades ago, Sachin Tendulkar was a young impish character who had not Ricky Ponting but Ricky Couto in his side. Ricky was Sachin’s classmate at Shardashram Vidyamandir in Dadar.
Today, 42-year-old Ricky is a state level umpire with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and is also a Limca Book record holder for the youngest umpire in India to pass a cricket exam at the age of 16 years and 116 days.
So how did they meet?
Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli and Ricky Couto. (Photo: Ricky Couto)
I was studying at St Joseph’s Wadala, Sachin at IES King George in Bandra and Kambli was in Our Lady of Dolours in Marine Lines. Kambli used to travel from Kanjur Marg to Marine Lines. We all used to practice with Achrekar sir (Ramakant Achrekar) at Shivaji Park. And sir told us, if you all want to play good cricket, you will have to join Shardashram high school. That very day we all took a decision and joined Shardashram. This was in 1986/87 when we were in the seventh standard and from there began our friendship,” said Ricky, who holds the Limca Book record for the youngest umpire to pass a cricket umpire’s exam in India at 16 years and 116 days.
Ricky, who also holds another Limca Book record for the most number of cricket neck ties (547), spoke about a mischievous Sachin, full of mirth.
While in school, Ricky and Sachin were the bad boys and part of a ‘deadly gang’.
Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Couto and Vinod Kambli used to chat a lot at Shardashram Vidyamandir in Dadar. (Photo: Ricky Couto)
We were backbenchers in class. Sachin was very mischievous and academically was like an average student, not too brilliant. We used to always get punished by teachers. They used to make us stand on the bench, sometimes outside the class and sometimes near the blackboard also,” he said.
If not in class, during recess the boys would be even naughtier.
During recess we used to all be together, we used to play mischief with everybody and people used to get frightened of us. Sachin loved his vada pav.”
In class, the competition got tougher. Call it fate but Sachin was a champ during his younger days too.
Vinod Kambli, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Couto standing infront of their school bus outside Shardashram Vidyamandir in Dadar. (Photo: Ricky Couto)
Sachin used to play panja (arm wrestling) game. Till today nobody has been able to beat him from our group. Kambli also stood no chance. Sachin used to play with me opingo-betingo (a fistful children’s game). I might have had fights with Sachin more than the runs he has scored while playing opingo-betingo. He used to really give a hard punch,” he added.
The game has still not stopped between Ricky and Sachin.
Few years ago, I had been to Wankhede for a Ranji trophy game and I went to meet him. He started hitting me and the whole team was stunned, ‘Ye kya ho raha hai,’ (what’s going on?) they were saying. And I told them, ‘Haa aamcha game aahe opingo-betingo’ (this is our game).”
Greatness beckoned Tendulkar at a young age when he went to England with Star Cricket Club under Kailash Gattani in 1988.
He had just come back from that tour with a big kit bag. It was something new for me to see such a big kit bag. One of our friends told Sachin that the kit bag is so big that you can easily fit Ricky in the bag. Like always he was ready for the challenge. After a period was over, he emptied the bag, he put me in and zipped it and showed that I’ve won this also,” Ricky said.
Ricky and Sachin used to visit each other’s homes and continue from they left off in class.
Sometimes I used to go to his place and we used to play with a soft ball. He also used to come to my mine and eat his favourite dish, Mutton Vindaloo while Kambli’s was pork sorpotel.”
Ricky says the legend in the making had a habit of signing on paper.
Sachin had a peculiar habit of signing on any piece of paper in school. Any piece of paper he would get, he would sign on it, I don’t know why, whether he was practicing for the future,” Ricky guffawed.
The friendship reached its pinnacle when the Master Blaster raised a toast at Ricky’s wedding in 2005.
When my date was fixed, Marcus told him the date and he was ready to come for the nuptials also at Gorai. We told him to come for the reception and he said that he will raise the toast for me. He was there before time,” he added.
And does he still keep in touch with him?
We are in touch with him. He has not changed at all. He is the same like what he was in school. I met him at Bandra-Kurla Complex last before he went for Cricket All Stars. We meet him on and off,” Ricky explained.
