New Delhi: Doughty, resilient, no-nonsense are words that come to mind when former India cricketer-coach Anshuman Gaekwad is talked about. He had them in plenty. The bespectacled Gaekwad batted without helmet and other modern-day extra layers of guards while facing fast bowlers like Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Wayne Daniel, Bernard Julien, and Vanburn Holder. And, that was an era when there were no restrictions on bouncers.
Typical of him, the 71-year-old Baroda cricketer battled leukaemia for a long time before he passed away Wednesday in Vadodara. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had recently released a financial aid of Rs 1 crore, after it was revealed that he and his family were facing financial difficulties in managing medical expenses in London.
Renowned for his defensive batting, Gaekwad played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987. As many as 22 of the Tests were against the dominant West Indies. In fact, he debuted against the same team in Eden Gardens at Kolkata in December 1974.
It was his exploits against the team from Caribbean that defined his career. On 22 February 1975, at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, he stepped on the pitch when India was reeling at 32/3. Captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi was left bleeding after a vicious bouncer from Andy Roberts. Undaunted, Gaekwad showed steely resolve, scoring a crucial 36 and forging a vital partnership with G. Vishwanath to steer India out of choppy waters.
If that was not enough, his defiant stand at Sabina Park, Jamaica during the 1976 series is the stuff of cricket lore. West Indies won the fourth and final Test against India by 10 wickets, but not before Gaekwad scored 81 runs in the face of hostile pace bowling backed by hostile viewers.
The crowd goaded West Indian bowlers: “Kill him, Maaan…Kill him, Mikey.” Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar was scathing about the experience in his memoirs ‘Sunny Days’. “To call the crowd a crowd in Kingston is a misnomer. It should be called a mob. The way they shrieked and howled every time Holding bowled was positively horrible,” he wrote.
A thunderbolt from Michael Holding struck Gaekwad on the ear after he had shown the finger to the bowling legend the previous delivery. “My glasses flew all over the place and there was blood all around,” he recalled.
He had to undergo two surgeries and was left with “a bit of problem with hearing”. Gaekwad later said that by then, he had already suffered swollen ribs and a cut in his middle finger during his time at the crease.
His best score came against traditional rival Pakistan at Jalandhar in 1983, when he posted 201 runs after batting for 11 hours and 15 minutes and facing 436 deliveries. No wonder, he had earned the sobriquet of ‘The Great Wall.’
After his retirement, Gaekwad continued to serve Indian cricket in his role as selector and coach. His coaching career was a rollercoaster ride, marked by highs and lows. His first stint at the helm of the Indian team, from 1997 to 1999, was a mixed bag. While he worked wonders with the ODI side, a disastrous tour of Australia in 1999 and a lacklustre World Cup campaign sealed his fate. Gaekwad’s contract was terminated.
His second stint came in 2000, replacing Kapil Dev as coach. However, his second tenure was short-lived, lasting only from August to October before John Wright took over the reins. It was under his coaching that Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan debuted for India.
During Gaekwad’s tenure as India’s coach, the team achieved notable successes, including finishing as runners-up in the 2000 Champions Trophy. Additionally, India recorded a historic moment in 1999 when Anil Kumble claimed all 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan in Delhi.
On Thursday, Kumble posted a heartfelt message in memory of Gaekwad, saying that the cricket fraternity would miss him.
Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Aunshu bhai. He was closely associated with my career as selector, coach but more importantly always had my back. A kind hearted person with a fierce competitive streak. Our fraternity is going to miss you Aunshubhai. May God give…
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) August 1, 2024
Gaekwad’s 22-year first-class career was marked by 12,000-plus runs at an average of 40-plus, featuring 34 hundreds and 47 fifties. He ended his domestic career on a high, scoring a ton in his last game.
His book ‘Guts amidst Bloodbath’ shed light on a remarkable yet overlooked aspect of his batting career. During the 1982-83 season, he produced a string of impressive scores, including 104, 225, 144, and 81 not out. Yet, the Indian selectors overlooked him. Gaekwad, in his prime years of 27 to 31 was not selected for a single match, a baffling omission that raised questions about the selection process at the time.
Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar fondly remembered his time under Anshuman Gaekwad’s coaching. “I was really fortunate to spend time with him (Gaekwad) when he was our coach. Possibly, I had better cricketing years of my life when he was our coach,” Tendulkar recalled at the launch of Gaekwad’s biography in May 2023.
He had added that anything he would share with Anshuman would remain confidential which is one of the biggest qualities in a coach.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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