Anshuman Gaekwad: A gritty batter who dedicated his life to cricket

Anshuman Gaekwad faced some of the fearsome fast bowlers of his time when he opened the batting for India, and that too without proper protective gear. He was known for his gritty knocks, and was a proper Test batter, who had a solid defensive technique.

On Wednesday (July 31), Gaekwad passed away at the age of 71 in Vadodara after a long battle with cancer. He was undergoing treatment for blood cancer in London before returning back to India last month.

When Holding's beamer hit Gaekwad

Gaekwad’s international career spanned over a decade, during which he represented India in 40 Test matches and 15 ODIs.

As a batter at the highest level, right-hand batsman Gaekwad, who was known as ‘Charlie’, is best remembered for his brave 81 at Jamaica in 1976, where he weathered the storm against a ferocious bowling attack on a tough pitch, and his gritty 201 against Pakistan at Jalandhar in 1983, where he batted for 671 minutes. That double hundred was the slowest in first-class cricket at the time.

Between 1974 and 1984, he was involved in the game of musical chairs with Chetan Chauhan for the role of second opener to partner Sunil Gavaskar in the Indian team.

A bespectacled opener, Gaekwad’s finest hour came while facing a young Michael Holding and Wayne Daniel at Sabina Park in Jamaica in 1976.

Holding’s beamer hit him on the ear and as he lay smeared in blood, home team supporters were shouting from the tree top “Kill him Maaan.. Kill him Mikey”, something batting legend Gavaskar termed as Barbarism.

Gavaskar describes Gaekwad as 'one of the 3 bravest' in Indian cricket

Gavaskar, in his book Sunny Days, has recalled that match. He wrote, “On the dot of lunch, Anshuman, who had taken many blows on the body and his hands, was hit just behind the left ear. It was yet another short ball and it went like a guided missile knocking Anshuman’s spectacles off… Anshuman Gaekwad represented the splendid fighting spirit of our team. When he was forced to retire, much against his wish, our will to fight also got knocked out.”

Gaekwad also had a stellar domestic record, having featured in over 200 first-class games in which he scored over 12,000 runs, including 34 centuries and 47 fifties.

Gavaskar described him as “one of the three bravest cricketers” in Indian cricket.

“I was privileged to play with three of the bravest cricketers in Indian cricket. Eknath Solkar, Jimmy (Mohinder) Amarnath and Anshuman Gaekwad. We had heard about the bravery and guts of Nari Contractor playing with a broken rib and going on to score 81 at Lord’s. That was inspirational to budding cricketers that when it comes to playing for your country you must take all the blows and keep fighting for your team. That’s exactly what Ekki, Jimmy and Charlie as Anshuman was known, did when they donned the India cap. Very depressing news but Charlie showed here again that he wasn’t going to give his life’s wicket easily and fought right till the end. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying in Times of India on Thursday (August 1).

Anshuman Gaekwad's father Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad too had played for India in 11 Tests between 1952 and 1961 and captained the side in England. Anshuman's son Shatrunjay played 23 first-class matches for Baroda.

Serving Indian cricket after retirement

After his playing days, Gaekwad continued to serve Indian cricket with distinction. He was appointed head coach in 1997 and steered the team to notable successes during his tenure. Under his guidance, India famously triumphed in a tri-nation tournament in Sharjah in 1998 and witnessed Anil Kumble’s historic 10-74 against Pakistan in a Test in New Delhi in 1999.

Young Harbhajan Singh made his Test debut under him and always spoke with reverence about ‘Angshu sir’ for the manner in which he carried himself.

His strategic acumen and deep understanding of the game earned him immense respect from players and peers alike. Never hesitant to take up challenges, he donned different hats and seized every opportunity to serve Indian cricket.

He was also a national selector and a member of the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), an Apex Council Member of the Board, President of the Indian Cricketers’ Association, headed the Baroda Cricket Association, and a commentator and TV expert. To celebrate his five-decade-long association with the game, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) honoured him with the CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

For his teammates, friends, and fans, Gaekwad will always be remembered as a courageous batter who dedicated his life to cricket.