Remembering Aunshuman Gaekwad: A story of grit and charm

Aunshuman Gaekwad devoted his life to cricket. His closing days usually had been a testomony to his resilience. He confronted the fiercest quick bowlers on the pitch and probably the most dreaded opponent off it – most cancers. Regardless of the challenges, he by no means backed down and bravely bowed out.

What set Aunshuman Gaekwad aside was his selflessness and reliability. He was a person of few critics, identified for his honesty and caring nature. He was the pal who by no means stated ‘No ‘, all the time there once you wanted him. His presence was a treasured reward to cherish.

Mohinder Amarnath and Kapil Dev had been his closest pals from the cricketing fraternity. He adored Sunil Gavaskar and GR Vishwanath. Anshu remained in awe of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, his first Check captain. He doted on Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar. He hardly ever talked about himself.

Pataudi was a “pleasant terror.” When requested to report back to Pataudi at Calcutta for the Check towards the West Indies in 1974, Anshu promptly introduced himself to the captain. “I rang his doorbell and requested him what I ought to do.” Pataudi’s reply floored him. `Discover out for your self. Nobody instructed me once I made my debut.’ As Anshu found, it was a prank by Pataudi, who needed the younger cricketer from Baroda to again himself.

ALSO READ | Indian cricket legend Aunshuman Gaekwad passes away at 71

When Pataudi handed away in 2011, Anshu, who acquired the information late at night time, took an early morning flight to achieve Pataudi’s house village to attend the ultimate rites. His respect for the enduring cricketer was very excessive. Anshu loved smoking, however he by no means did so in Pataudi’s presence. Anshu belonged to the old-fashioned, the place a captain, guru, or instructor had been figures to be revered.

His title all the time rekindled recollections of a dogged and fearless particular person. Though he was not probably the most enticing batsman to look at, he was the captain’s first selection due to his potential to blunt an assault. He liked dropping the ball lifeless at his toes and checking the bowler’s expressions. “It was my favorite time move to convey to the bowler that his finest effort to get me out was futile,” he instructed Sportstar as soon as.

One such gesture to the bowler almost proved deadly for Anshu.

Sabina Park, 1976. The West Indies had been on a vengeful journey to hurt the Indians. “It was within the air. The West Indian aggression was to not be missed,” Anshu had remembered. One ball from Michael Holding hit him on the fingers, and he was in excruciating ache. Anshu angered the bowler with an inappropriate gesture together with his finger. The following ball, bowled from around the stump and dug quick and quick, struck him behind the ear, smashed his spectacles, and despatched him to a hospital. “I assumed my cricket and life had been over.”

Anshu fought again. His first six Exams had been towards the West Indies. Six months after the damage, he was again in his place as Gavaskar’s opening associate towards New Zealand in Bombay. He featured in 40 Exams and was a gross under-achiever for a batsman with a first-class profession that spanned 22 years.

His debut got here in 1970 towards a Maharashtra group that included Chandu Borde, Chetan Chauhan, and Hemant Kanitkar. In 1992, his farewell sport towards Gujarat took him to his beloved Moti Bagh Stadium in Baroda. At 40, he celebrated with knocks of 143 and 10, unbeaten on each events. He quickly stepped into a brand new position as a Nationwide selector and did a positive job.

A few of my favorite recollections with Anshu got here throughout his stint as group coach. The Desert Storm episode at Sharjah in 1998 stands out. He instructed Sachin Tendulkar, “I need the trophy”, and the maestro didn’t let him down with two back-to-back centuries. Sachin held Anshu in excessive esteem.

Sachin Tendulkar and Aunshuman Gaekwad assessing the efficiency of the gamers throughout the follow session on the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
| Picture Credit score:
V.V. Krishnan/ The Hindu

A yr later, on the 1999 World Cup in England, Anshu confessed to going through the “greatest problem” of his cricketing profession—breaking his father’s demise to Sachin. On receiving the information, Anshu took Sachin’s spouse, Anjali, into comfort to convey the dreaded growth. Sachin broke down in Anshu’s arms earlier than leaving for his father’s cremation however returned to serve the group.

Anshu had a particular relationship with Sachin and Azharuddin. He was a fan of their batting types. They each added to Anshu’s interest of gathering wristwatches as a tribute to his steering. “I don’t put on them. They sit in my drawing room,” Anshu had revealed once I visited his house in Baroda.

Anshu’s tastefully embellished residence displays his persona. “It’s all the work of (spouse) Jyoti,” he insists. My job is to deal with the backyard. All my greens are homegrown.” He additionally identified proudly to a peacock, which might strut into his kitchen each morning and go away after what Anshu known as a “pitch inspection.’

FILE PHOTO: Cricket advisory committee members Kapil Dev with Anshuman Geakwad and Shanta Rangaswamy addressing a press convention after choosing coach for the Indian cricket group in Mumbai on August 16, 2019.
Picture: Vivek Bendre
| Picture Credit score:
VIVEK BENDRE

After serving as a participant, selector, and coach for the Board, Anshu took up assignments with the Gujarat Cricket Affiliation and later grew to become a BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee member. Nonetheless, he was dissatisfied with these roles and finally discovered a technique to share his views as a media skilled. His sincere evaluation and simple method earned him respect within the trade.

My final two conferences with Anshu had been in Mumbai—in Might 2023, at his e book launch on the Cricket Membership of India and two months later, at an occasion organised by my journalist pal Dwarkanath Sanzgiri to have fun Sachin’s fiftieth birthday.

A galaxy of cricketers turned up for his e book launch. Kapil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Gavaskar, Roger Binny, Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Vishwanath, Karsan Ghavri, Abey Kuruvilla, Nayan Mongia and Yajurvindra Singh lent their help to Anshu.

“He has given Indian cricket all the things as a participant, coach, administrator, selector… you title it, and he has performed all the things. That he’s not solely appreciated by gamers from his time but in addition after his time as a cricketer is a tribute to how well-liked Aunshu is,” Gavaskar stated. “He was my opening associate; we had some fascinating occasions. Between the 2 of us, we by no means bought one another run out. That’s why we’re on speaking phrases and may pull one another’s legs.”

ALSO READ | Remembering Aunshuman Gaekwad: an epitome of braveness, empathy and laughter

Tendulkar had recalled Gaekwad’s desire for spicy meals. “I keep in mind throughout our 1998-99 tour to New Zealand, we went to a restaurant, and I stated, ‘Let’s order pasta or hen.’ He stated he doesn’t like bland meals in any respect. So Aunshu bhai asks the chef for the spiciest chilli sauce. The chef says: ‘Would you be capable of deal with it? It’s extraordinarily spicy.’ He says: ‘Make it as spicy as potential and get it.” He introduced the sauce, which I tasted a bit of bit. It was so spicy that I might barely end 1 / 4 of a spoon with my total meal. Aunshu bhai had completed two bowls of the sauce. The chef couldn’t consider it. That’s once I realised it wasn’t simply the fiery bowling he might deal with, but in addition the meals.”

Anshu appeared unwell in July, and his drained look didn’t go nicely together with his persona. Anshu was all the time a match man, and solely a routine test revealed the dreaded illness that was to eat him.

Anshu was suggested to go to London for remedy however returned house upset. His long-time pal, Mohinder Amarnath, visited Anshu and took it upon himself to lift funds for the remedy with assist from Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, and Kapil. Amarnath described Anshu as “an ideal batsman, pricey pal, and a stunning human being.”

All through his life, Aunshu skilled damage and disappointment from the cricketing group at numerous factors. Nonetheless, his kind-hearted nature prevented him from holding any grudges, even towards the person who almost ended his life on the pitch. Aunshu affectionately referred to Holding as “Mikey” and thought of him a pal. That was Aunshuman Dattajirao Gaekwad, an unflinching batsman and a trusted pal; He was 71.