Dattajirao Gaekwad, the ex-India Test team leader and the oldest living Test cricket player from India when he passed away, has left us at the age of 95. He took his last breaths at a hospital in Baroda on a Tuesday morning due to health issues related to old age, as reported by PTI.
Gaekwad’s Anshuman also played for India, participated in 11 Test matches from 1952 to 1961 and served as captain during the England tour in 1959. He batted right-handed, scoring 350 runs in Tests with an average of 18.42. His highest score of 52 runs was against West Indies in New Delhi in 1959.
He was knows for his solid defense and skillful drives, and was also an amazing versatile fielder. He made his debut under Vijay Hazare’s leadership in Leeds in 1952 during India’s first tour of England after gaining independence. Even though he began as an opener, Gaekwad eventually settled into the middle-order, making occasional appearances during his decade-long international career. His last game was against Pakistan at home in 1961.
However, Gaekwad truly emerged as a star in the Ranji Trophy, where he was a key player for Baroda from 1947 to 1961. Throughout his first-class cricket career, he accumulated 5788 runs with an average of 36.40, including 17 centuries.
His highest score was an unbeaten 249 against Maharashtra in 1959-60, one of three double-centuries in his first-class journey. Under his leadership, Baroda clinched the Ranji Trophy in the 1957-58 season by defeating Services in the final.
In 2016, Gaekwad became India’s oldest living Test cricketer following the passing of former batter Deepak Shodhan at 87 years old. Currently, the title of the oldest living Test cricketer from India belongs to Chingleput Gopinath, hailing from Madras, who is 93 years and 349 days old.