Anshuman Gaekwad – A Study In Courage

Anshuman Gaekwad A Study In Courage (Image Source: Google)

Under pressure as a captain, Clive Lloyd was desperate to win the match and series. In this test, he put in place the first West Indies pace quartet. Julien and Michael Holding were joined by the debutant Wayne Daniel, with Vanburn Holder still around. And there seemed to be instructions from Lloyd to go all out, never mind the rules. The umpires were happy to look the other way. And in this scenario, Gaekwad opened the innings with Gavaskar. Here is what Vishwanath says of the innings in his book: “Within a matter of minutes, they (the Indian openers) were subjected to a barrage of bouncers and beamers from Holding and Daniel…to have four to five balls an over directed at your throat and head was definitely not the norm. Protection was basic, we had no helmets….Anshu sported numerous bruises on his body proudly, like a badge of honour, seeking to make light of pain with his inimitable humour.”

Gaekwad put on 136 with Gavaskar, 69 with Mohinder Amarnath, 11 with Vishwanath and was continuing in the same vein with Vengsarkar, when he was struck. This is what Vishy says,“…Anshu was struck on his left ear by Holding and went down in a heap. He was unconscious for a long time and we prayed hard for him. Even today, he says that from time to time, he can’t hear in his left ear. God forbid, had the ball struck him a couple of inches higher, somewhere near his temple…”

This is a comment by Gavaskar in his book, which was also quoted in a biography of Clive Lloyd, “On the dot of lunch (of the second day), Anshuman Gaekwad, who had taken many blows…was hit just behind the left ear. It was yet another short ball and it went like a guided missile, knocking Anshuman’s spectacles off…at this the crowd were stamping their legs, clapping and jumping for joy.

Gaekwad made 81 before retiring hurt (unconscious). He had batted through a storm for more than six hours. The test was lost, with five Indian batsmen not being fit in the second innings but Gaekwad’s courage would be remembered. When Anshuman Gaekwad was forced to retire, the will to fight got knocked out of us.”

And finally, here is what the protagonist bowler, Holding, said in his book: “Another guy who I value…is the former India Test batsman Aunshuman Gaekwad. I wouldn’t have blamed Aunshuman (sic) for not wanting to have anything to do with me following the infamous Jamaica Test of 1976. …I hit Aunshuman, who was as gutsy a batsman as there has ever been, with a nasty blow on the ear during that game and it turned out to be quite a serious injury. It punctured his ear drum and he required an operation. But he never held a grudge and we remain in contact today, sending emails and Christmas cards.”

That was Gaekwad all over – sending Christmas greetings to a bowler who sent him to the surgery table, with a potentially life threatening injury. The rest of his career was humdrum – there was a test century against the Windies at home in 1979, a double ton against the visiting Pakistanis in 1983. He was in and out of the side. His final test was against England – almost exactly ten years to the date since he made his debut and at the same ground, Eden Gardens in Calcutta. While he made 18 the only time he batted, the match was notable for two things – Mohammad Azharuddin’s debut with a century and Kapil Dev’s absence – the only time the great all rounder missed a test match in his career. Amidst this excitement and controversy, Gaekwad played his last test, never being selected again. 

Nearly thirteen years later, he returned to the Indian team as coach. Tendulkar was the captain. It was a roller coaster ride and the lasting image one recalls from that time was of an overjoyed Gaekwad rushing out of the pavilion to cheer Anil Kumble in the Delhi test against Pakistan in 1999 when he had accomplished the feat of taking all ten wickets in an innings, to win the match. Next year, the match fixing saga reared its ugly head and Gaekwad was requested by BCCI President AC Muthiah to come back as coach and restore order. This mess wasn’t unlike Kingston 1976, except that it emanated outside the ground. With him at the helm, the team reached the final of the ICC Knockout series in Nairobi. The era of Saurav Ganguly as captain also began in earnest. Gaekwad signed off in style! 

In the end, Gaekwad probably fought his battle with cancer with the same spirit that he faced fierce fast bowlers. And today, wherever he is, he must be looking upon the players with his same inimitable humour.

End note:

Anshuman Gaekwad was a second generation Indian cricketer, his father Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad having played 11 tests for India in the 1950s and 1960s, with little success. Gaekwad senior had led India to a tour of England in 1959. And at the time of his death, in early 2024, he was the oldest living Indian cricketer at 95.