Former India captain Ajit Wadekar passed away in Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai late on Independence Day after fighting a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 77.
Rated as one of the finest left-handers to have ever played for India, Wadekar was a captain par excellence. He was the pioneer of India’s overseas Test wins. It was under his captaincy that India beat England in England in 1971 followed by West Indies in their own backyard later that year.
Wadekar made his Test debut in 1966 against the West Indies and went to represent India in 37 Test matches, scoring 2113 runs at a healthy average of 31.07.
Apart from being a gritty batsman and an inspiring leader, Wadekar left his mark on the cricket field with his fielding skills. He was one of the safest fielders of his time and has 46 catches to his name.
In his 237 First-class matches Wadekar has whopping 15380 runs to his name at a staggering average of 47.03.
Wadekar was one of the rare cricketers who served the Indian team first as a player and captain then became the manager and coach and later on the selector of the team.