Anshuman Gaekwad, the former Indian batter and head coach, passed away at the age of 71, after a protracted fight with blood cancer. Gaekwad was in the ICU for a brief stay due to multiple health issues before taking his last breath.
From 1975 to 1987, Gaekwad participated in 40 Test matches and 15 One-Day Internationals for India. Subsequently, he took up the role of a selector and later became the coach of the team.
Gaekwad scored 1985 runs from 70 Test innings for India. His best score came in the 1982–1983 series against Pakistan, when he batted for 671 minutes to score 201 runs; this double century of his was the slowest double-century in first-class cricket history at the time.
He also produced a legendary knock of 81 in Jamaica against a West Indies team that included Michael Holding in their attack; this achievement was more remarkable by the fact that it took place during a time when neither bouncer limits nor helmets were in place.
Gaekwad’s eardrum was perforated by a bouncer of Michael Holding, necessitating surgery. It’s an episode he described in great detail in his autobiography, ‘Guts Amid Bloodbath,’ which was published in May 2023.
Between 1997 and 2000, Gaekwad served as the Indian team’s coach twice. First appointed during the Sachin Tendulkar era, he supervised a period of transition. Later, he returned for a brief amount of time during the match-fixing controversy, following Kapil Dev’s departure, while a permanent replacement was being chosen.
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The Independence Cup victory, a 2-1 home series victory over Australia, Anil Kumble’s 10-wicket haul against Pakistan to tie the Test series at home, and a tied ODI series in New Zealand were among India’s highlights of his first term.
At the behest of the then-BCCI president AC Muthiah, he returned to lead the team to the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy final, when they were defeated by New Zealand.
Following requests from Kapil and Sandeep Patil, the BCCI allocated INR 1 crore to fund Gaekwad’s medical care earlier this month. His death left a huge void to fill in the Indian cricket. Since Gaikwad took his last breath, not just the cricket fraternity but personalities like the BCCI secretary and Prime Minister himself have penned down condolence messages for his family.
