When Azharuddin played the helicopter shot

Mohammad Azharuddin played the helicopter shot against England in a Test match at Eden Gardens in the 1992-93 season and got out after a graceful innings of 182 runs, which he collected by driving, cutting, pulling and flicking the ball to different directions of the ground.

The helicopter shot is to Mahendra Singh Dhoni as gravity is to Sir Isaac Newton. It’s not as if people were floating in the air before Newton. The English physicist merely defined gravity and made the rest understand it better.

Similarly, there might have been many who had played the helicopter shot before it was given the name.

Abdul Razzaq played it against England in 2000.

Sachin Tendulkar played it against England in 2002.

But Dhoni defined the shot. His massive forearms, powerful bottom hand, coiling wrists and nonchalant look made him synonymous with the shot.

We found another Indian skipper attempting the shot, albeit unsuccessfully against England in 1992-93 at Eden Gardens.

The unorthodox stroke ended Azhar’s graceful innings of 182 runs, which he collected by driving, cutting, pulling and flicking the ball to different directions of the ground.