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| Full name | Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1928-10-27)27 October 1928 Baroda,Baroda State,India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 13 February 2024(2024-02-13) (aged 95) Baroda,Gujarat, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium, legbreak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Anshuman Gaekwad (son) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 60) | 5 June 1952 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 13 January 1961 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1948–1963 | Baroda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:ESPNcricinfo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwadpronunciationⓘ (27 October 1928 – 13 February 2024), known asDatta Gaekwad, was an Indiancricketer. He appeared in 11 Test matches, touredEngland in 1952 and 1959 andWest Indies in 1952–53. He captained the Indian team on the 1959 tour. As a batsman Gaekwad "possessed a sure defence and delightfully crisp shots especially through the covers".[1] He was also an occasionalleg spin bowler. Until his death, he was India's oldest living Test cricketer.[2][3]
Gaekwad played his early cricket forBombay University and the Maharaja Sayaji University inBaroda. He made his Test debut in the first Test of1952 tour of England, inLeeds. He opened the innings for India despite never having done so before the tour. He was one among four victims dismissed for no score in the second innings of the Test.[4] His West Indies tour in the next year was terminated during the second Test when he collided withVijay Hazare while going for a catch and dislocated his shoulder.[5]
In 1957–58, he captainedBaroda to their firstRanji Trophy title in nine years, scoring a century in the final againstServices.[6] He scored 218 against the defending championsBombay during the course of the season.[7] He was recalled to the Indian team for the final Test againstWest Indies in 1958–59. His 52 in the second innings was the only Test fifty of his career and went some way towards India earning a draw.[8]
India had had four captains in the series against West Indies, and withHemu Adhikari, the captain in the Fifth Test, being unavailable, Gaekwad was appointed to lead the Indian team on the tour ofEngland in 1959. Between his selection and the beginning of the tour, he contractedtyphoid, and was never fully fit during the tour.[9] He still played in 23 of the 33 first-class matches and was one of the team's leading scorers, with 1174 runs at an average of 34.52. He played in four of the five Tests, but scored only 128 runs at an average of 16.00. India lost all five Tests, and Gaekwad appeared in only one more Test.Wisden's summary of the tour said that he appeared not to have "the verve and personality" for the task, and that a "more active approach", especially in field placing, might have been more successful. It added: "There were times when his cover fielding was brilliant, and his innings of 176 againstYorkshire atSheffield made many wonder why he was not more successful."[10]
In the Ranji Trophy he scored 3,139 runs with 14 centuries and a highest of 249 againstMaharashtra in 1959–60.[11]
Gaekwad was the father of the Indian openerAnshuman Gaekwad. He was distantly related to the Baroda royal family and served as the Deputy comptroller to theBaroda state. On the death ofDeepak Shodhan in May 2016 he became India's oldest living Test cricketer.[3] He died in Baroda,Gujarat on 13 February 2024, at the age of 95.[12]
| Preceded by | Indian National Test Cricket Captain 1959(1 Match) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Indian National Test Cricket Captain 1959 | Succeeded by |