The ‘Great Wall’ of Indian cricket passes away

Former Indian cricketer and legendary coach Anshuman Gaekwad passed away at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with blood cancer on Wednesday (July 31) at the Bhailal Amin General Hospital in Vadodara.

Recently, the BCCI had announced to release INR 1 crore to support Gaekwad’s cancer treatment when it had come to light that he and his family had been struggling financially to cope with the treatment costs in London. Subsequently, he was shifted to India where the treatments continued in Vadodara.

Nicknamed the ‘Great Wall’, Gaekwad represented India in 40 Tests with two centuries and ten fifties, at a career average of 32. His overall first-class numbers were even better, tallying over 12000 runs at an average above 40. This included 34 centuries and 47 fifties over a distinguished career.

Known for his grit and defiance against pacers, Gaekwad was a reliable middle order batter during his heyday. His career-best innings 201 against Pakistan was a marathon knock where he spent more than 11 hours at the crease, symbolising his powers of concentration and patience.

After his retirement in 1982, Gaekwad stepped into the coaching arena and soon took charge of the men’s national team during the two-year period between 1997-99. It wasn’t a period of considerable success for the national side and he subsequently stepped down to be replaced by Kapil Dev.

Subsequently, Gaekwad had a brief stint with the Kenyan men’s national team and was also offered a full time role in 2009, which he declined due to personal reasons. In 2018, he was conferred with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI.