 Gaekwad in 2005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Anshuman Dattajirao Gaekwad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1952-09-23)23 September 1952 Bombay,Bombay State, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 31 July 2024(2024-07-31) (aged 71) Vadodara,Gujarat, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm offbreak | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Datta Gaekwad (father), Jyoti Gaekwad (wife),Shatrunjay Gaekwad (son) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 135) | 27 December 1974 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 31 December 1984 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 15) | 7 June 1975 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 23 December 1987 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999; 2000 | India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Source:ESPNcricinfo,31 December 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anshuman Dattajirao Gaekwadpronunciationⓘ (23 September 1952 – 31 July 2024) was an Indian cricketer and two-time Indian national cricket coach. In a career spanning over a decade, he played 40Test matches and 15One Day Internationals between 1974 and 1984. His father,Datta Gaekwad was also an Indian test cricketer. Gaekwad was the coach of the Indian team that finishedrunners-up at the2000 ICC Champions Trophy.
Gaekwad was a recipient of theC. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, Indian cricket's highest honour, in 2018.
Gaekwad was born on 23 September 1952 inBombay (present day Mumbai) in the Indian state of Maharashtra, to Ushadevi andDatta Gaekwad, an Indian cricketer, who played 11 tests in the 1950s.[1] The senior Gaekwad held the title of the oldest living Indian test cricketer before his death in February 2024. Gaekwad was also related to theGaekwad royal family in Gujarat.[2][3][4]
He studied at the Maharani Chimnabai High School and later at theMaharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda. During this time, he played forBaroda andWest Zone in the Indian domestic cricket circuit.[1]
Gaekwad made his debut in the third test of the1974 West Indies tour of India inCalcutta (present day Kolkata) scoring 36 runs. He started out in the middle order, but, was moved up the order in the next test, where he opened withSunil Gavaskar. He batted right handed and bowled right-armoff spin.[1]
His test career lasted through 1984, when he played his last international test innings in the third test inEngland's tour of India in Calcutta, a ground where he had also made his debut in.[1][5] He continued to play in the domestic circuit playing his last game for West Zone against North Zone in 1987, a game in which he scored a double century.[1]
Along his international career, Gaekwad scored 1985 runs from 40 Tests at an average of 30.07 with 2 centuries and 10 half centuries to his credit. He scored his highest Test score of 201 againstPakistan at Jalandhar in 1982–83. This innings, where he spent 671 minutes, was noted as an example for his patient style and concentration.[6]
Gaekwad was nicknamedThe Great Wall and was known for his defensive play, particularly against the fast bowlers led by theWest Indian pace bowlers who dominated world cricket at the time. Recounting a strike on his face and his ear in the 1976 test against West Indies inKingston, Jamaica by the West Indian fast bowlerMichael Holding, who was nicknamedWhispering Death, Gaekwad recalled, "My glasses flew all over the place and there was blood all around."[7][8] Gaekwad had to undergo two surgeries and was left with hearing damage.[7] Earlier in the same test Gaekwad had batted for seven hours seeing a hostile spell by Holding andWayne Daniel, to score 81 runs, India's top score in that innings.[1]
Gaekwad was involved in Indian cricketer as a team selector and a coach after his playing days. His first role as a coach lasted from 1997 to 1999. During this time, the team had a poor showing in the World cup and achieved limited success.[7]
His second role as a coach was in 2000, where he picked up afterKapil Dev, and coached the team untilJohn Wright's tenure. This period saw the debut of players likeHarbhajan Singh,Zaheer Khan andYuvraj Singh.[7] The team was runners-up in the2000 Champions Trophy during his tenure as a coach.[7] He also served as a coach for the Kenyan cricket team for a brief period.[1]
Gaekwad worked for theGujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals after his retirement. He was also the president of the Indian Cricketers' Association.[1] He was awarded theC. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour conferred byBCCI on a former player, in 2018.[9][10]
Gaekwad was married to Jyoti Gaekwad, a painter. The couple had two sons, Annirudha andShatrunjay Gaekwad, both of whom were cricketers, with the latter having represented Baroda in Ranji trophy.[11][12]
Gaekwad died fromleukemia, a type of blood cancer, inVadodara on 31 July 2024, at the age of 71.[13] Gaekwad had been suffering from cancer for a while and had even sought treatment at Kings College Hospital, London. The BCCI and his fellow India teammates had come forward to provide financial help for his treatment after an appeal from the likes ofKapil Dev.[14]
| Preceded by | Indian National Cricket Coach October 1997 – September 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Indian National Cricket Coach August 2000 – October 2000 | Succeeded by |
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