OTD | Anshuman Gaekwad was born in 1952

Anshuman Gaekwad, the late former India cricketer, was born on this day, September 23, in 1952. Gaekwad was a right-handed opening batsman who, after his playing days, went on to serve as a national selector and a two-time India head coach. He coached the Indian team that reached the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2000.

Gaekwad was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, into a cricketing family. His father, Datta Gaekwad, played Test cricket for India. Notably, before his passing in February 2024, Anshuman’s father was the oldest living Indian Test cricketer.

As India searched for an opening partner for Sunil Gavaskar throughout the 70s, they turned to Anshuman Gaekwad. He made his India debut against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the third Test of a five-match series in 1975.

Gaekwad scored 36 runs in his first game while batting in the middle order. He was later promoted to open the innings alongside Gavaskar.

In a Test career spanning a decade, Gaekwad played 40 matches, scoring 1985 runs at an average of 30.07, with 10 half-centuries and two centuries. His highest score of 201 came against Pakistan at Jalandhar, where he batted for 671 minutes to record what was then the slowest double-century in first-class cricket.

He also featured in 15 ODIs, scoring 269 runs with one half-century and a highest score of 78*. His final Test appearance came against England in Kolkata in 1984. He continued playing domestic cricket until 1987, finishing his first-class career with 12,136 runs in 206 matches, including 34 centuries and 47 fifties, with a best of 225 and an average of 41.56.

After retirement, Gaekwad ventured into coaching and was appointed India’s head coach for the first time in 1997, serving until 1999, when he was removed following a disappointing World Cup campaign. He returned for a second stint in 2000, succeeding Kapil Dev, and remained in charge until John Wright’s appointment.

In 2018, he received the C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour conferred by the BCCI on a former player. Gaekwad was married to Jyoti Gaekwad, a painter. The couple had two sons, Anirudha and Shatrunjay Gaekwad, both of whom played cricket, with Shatrunjay representing Baroda in the Ranji Trophy.

Gaekwad battled blood cancer and was undergoing treatment in London, with the BCCI and several former and current Indian cricketers contributing funds for his care. However, he lost his battle with cancer at the age of 71, passing away on July 31, 2024.

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