A look at India's oldest living Test cricketer Dattajirao Gaekwad ahead of India's historic 500th Test

DK Gaekwad
DK Gaekwad played in 11 Test matches (Pic Courtesy- The Hindu)

All eyes will be fixed on Virat Kohli and his men as they walk out into the ground at Kanpur against New Zealand on September 22 for India’s 500th Test match.Yes, the match has been the talk of the town ever since it made headlines for being the 500th Test for India. It drew further attention when The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to strike down ICC from the list of invitees.

However, the BCCI has been making a huge effort to make it a gala affair as they have extended invitations to former captains including the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev for the game.

Also Read: BCCI invites Mohammad Azharuddin for India's 500th Test

They have also sent an invitation to the controversial Mohammad Azharuddin who has reportedly accepted the proposal. To make the event more memorable Kohli has also knifed a customized cake.

While the fans are waiting in anticipation for the Test to begin we take a look at India’s oldest surviving Test cricketer Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad who will turn 88 on October 27. D.K Gaekwad as he is popularly known was born on October 27,1928 in Vadodara.

He made his Test debut against England at Leeds on June 5th 1952 which was India’s 26th Test match. He then went onto play in 10 more games managing a total of 350 runs at an average of 18.42. His last match was against Pakistan which was staged in January 1961.

Gaekwad’s son Anshuman also played for India representing the country in 15 One-Day Internationals and 40 Test matches. Even his grandson Shatrunjay Anshuman Gaekwad is quite a cricketer having represented Baroda and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

When DK Gaekwad started playing he was handed Rs. 50 for each game he featured in. He also was the first ever batsman to face the legendary Fred Trueman in Test cricket, a thing he did in Leeds 1952 when he opened the innings. Incidentally it was the same Test where both men made their debuts.

When questioned how he felt after being selected for the tour, Gaekwad told The Hindu, “When I got the Test cap in 1952, I was very young, I would always put on the cap and the blazer, and look at myself in the mirror.”

Gaekwad also skippered the side on the 1959 tour to England. It was quite an astonishing decision taken by the management then as the home series which happened just before the tour against West Indies witnessed India having as many as four captains: Polly Umrigar, Ghulam Ahmed, Vinoo Mankad and Hemu Adhikari.

Gaekwad was given the captaincy against England in 1959

Hemu did not want to travel to England and withdrew from the trip, the national selection committee which was then headed by Lala Amarnath appointed Gaekwad reportedly because he skippered Baroda to a Ranji Trophy win in 1957-58.

“I never thought I would be named the captain,” Gaekwad said. “All I wanted was to play the game, enjoy it and score runs and be happy. I have always heard of rivalries in the Indian team, right from C. K Nayudu’s time, and how players did not cooperate with each other. But I never had any issues with the players.”

India lost the series 5-0 and Gaekwad was sacked as captain of the side. He was brought into the side two years later in 1961 and played one Test. He never made it back into the team again. His highest Test score was 52 which he had collected against a deadly West Indies side in 1959 which boasted of the likes of Wes Hall and Roy Gilchrist.

Gaekwad was an excellent first class cricketer too who was initially influenced by the likes of C.S. Nayadu and Vijay Hazare. He was later inspired by Vijay Merchant, C.K Nayadu and Lala Amarnath.

From 110 First-class matches Gaekwad had scored 5788 runs at an average of 36.40 with a highest score of 249 not out.He had made his first class debut in March 1944 when he played for D.B. Deodhar’s XI against C.K. Nayudu’s XI at the Maharaja Pratapsingh Coronation Gymkhana Ground in Baroda.

Years after his retirement Gaekwad is still an avid cricket follower including T20s which he watches on his television from time to time. “It is entertainment for the public, not for people like me,” he said. “Today cricket has become a profession. It is a good thing that cricketers are getting more money now. (But) the injuries have increased (as well) with so much cricket played.”

Not many know ‘DK’ as he was lovingly called was a slow right-arm bowler too. Though he did not have international success he had bagged 25 first class wickets with best figures of 4/117.

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Edited by Staff Editor