Kapil Dev fondly recalls being scolded by skipper Bishan Singh Bedi for not fulfulling nightwatchman's role properly

Bishan Singh Bedi is one of the most fearsome captains Indian cricket has seen. Kapil Dev is someone who learnt his traits as a skipper from Bedi and eventually took Indian cricket to greater heights by winning the World Cup in 1983. On the occasion of Bedi’s 75th birthday, Dev shared a story from the time when he was the captain. 

Dev recalled the Test match when he was sent in as a nightwatchman when Bedi was the skipper. The former Indian all-rounder revealed that he didn’t know what a nightwatchman does. The Haryana hurricane who was known for scoring runs quickly did exactly that on that evening. 

“Bishan Singh Bedi who was the captain told me to go out to bat and perform the role of nightwatchman. I had heard this term for the first time and I did not know what a night watchman does. I went and scored around 22 or 25 runs from 16 balls and then I got out,” Dev was quoted by Dainik Jagran. 

You will not go ever for night watchman now: Bishan Singh Bedi to Kapil Dev later

Now, a nightwatchman’s job is to see out of a day’s play without too much hassle. He/She is a batter who is sent out of his/her original batting position, towards the end of a day’s play. This is done to ensure that the stronger batters stay fresh for the next morning and don’t get out at the stroke of stumps. It was one of the strangest concepts in cricket, considering the fact that time is always more difficult for batting, but we see tailenders going to bat. 

Kapil further narrated what happened when he returned to the dressing room after his cameo. “I was so happy that the captain will appreciate me but when I reached the dressing room he yelled at me and said ‘Hanuman what were you doing, you don’t even know what’s the meaning of nightwatchman don’t you know how to block, you will not go ever for night watchman now,” he added after which everybody in the room started laughing out loud,” Dev said. 

Kapil also played under Bedi for one tour of Pakistan in 1978, and it seems this instance was from that tour itself. Later on, Dev himself led India in 34 Tests.