Legendary India batsman Gundappa Viswanath on Saturday (June 27) expressed his disappointment at being dropped from the national team following a poor Test series against Pakistan in 1982-83.

During the 1970s, Viswanath was one of India’s leading batsmen and scored runs against some of the toughest bowling attack of that era.

However, a poor outing in a six-Test series against the arch-rivals brought his career to an abrupt end.

“I was very, very hurt when I was dropped. At that time, in all the three times [innings] I took wrong decisions. It is part of the game. But in that [situation] in two innings, if I had scored well, they would not have removed me,” Viswanath said on Star Sports 1 Kannada show Diggajara Danthakathe.

“Kapil’s captaincy was not announced but it was almost known to everyone. He told, ‘Probably I [Kapil] think they won’t select you, is it ok?’ How do you expect me to say no I am not ok?” he added.

Viswanath, the first star batsman from Karnataka to play for India, was instrumental in the team’s Ranji Trophy triumphs.

The stylish right-hander quickly rose from domestic to international cricket because of his batting talent. Then Karnataka captain Erapalli Prasanna and India skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi also played a key role in shaping his career.

“Thanks to Prasanna who pushed for me initially. It helped me play for the state. Pataudi was playing for Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy. As a part of Karnataka team, we had to play against him. He (Pataudi) saw me closely there.

“For a match playing for President’s XI, New Zealand had come in 1968 and I got a chance to play. Chandu Borde was the captain and we had a good partnership,” he said.

“He (Chandu Borde) recommended me to Pataudi and that’s how I came into prominence much earlier than what I expected,” the 71-year-old Viswanath recalled.

Gundappa Viswanath represented India in 91 Tests, scoring 6080 runs at an average of 41.93 with 14 hundreds and 35 half-centuries.