Aunshuman Gaekwad dedicated his life to cricket. His final days were a testament to his resilience. He faced the fiercest fast bowlers on the pitch and the most dreaded opponent off it – cancer. Despite the challenges, he never backed down and bravely bowed out.
What set Aunshuman Gaekwad apart was his selflessness and reliability. He was a man of few critics, known for his honesty and caring nature. He was the friend who never said ‘No’, always there when you needed him. His presence was a precious gift to cherish. Mohinder Amarnath and Kapil Dev were his closest friends from the cricketing fraternity. He adored Sunil Gavaskar and GR Vishwanath. Anshu remained in awe of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, his first Test captain. He doted on Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar.
He rarely talked about himself. Pataudi was a “friendly terror.” When asked to report to Pataudi at Calcutta for the Test against the West Indies in 1974, Anshu promptly presented himself to the captain. “I rang his doorbell and asked him what I should do.” Pataudi’s reply floored him. `Find out for yourself. No one told me when I made my debut.’ As Anshu discovered, it was a prank by Pataudi, who wanted the young cricketer from Baroda to back himself. When Pataudi passed away in 2011, Anshu, who received the news late at night, took an early morning flight to reach Pataudi’s home village to attend the final rites. His respect for the iconic cricketer was very high. Anshu enjoyed smoking, but he never did so in Pataudi’s presence. Anshu belonged to the old school, where a captain, guru, or teacher were figures to be revered.
His name always rekindled memories of a dogged and fearless individual. Although he was not the most attractive batsman to watch, he was the captain’s first choice because of his ability to blunt an attack. He loved dropping the ball dead at his feet and checking the bowler’s expressions. “It was my favourite time pass to convey to the bowler that his best effort to get me out was futile,” he told once. One such gesture to the bowler nearly proved fatal for Anshu.
Sabina Park, 1976. The West Indies were on a vengeful trip to harm the Indians. “It was in the air. The West Indian aggression was not to be missed,” Anshu had remembered. One ball from Michael Holding hit him on the fingers, and he was in excruciating pain. Anshu angered the bowler with an inappropriate gesture with his finger. The next ball, bowled from round the stump and dug short and fast, struck him behind the ear, smashed his spectacles, and sent him to a hospital. “I thought my cricket and life were over.”
Anshu fought back. His first six Tests were against the West Indies. Six months after the injury, he was back in his position as Gavaskar’s opening partner against New Zealand in Bombay. He featured in 40 Tests and was a gross under-achiever for a batsman with a first-class career that spanned 22 years. His debut came in 1970 against a Maharashtra team that included Chandu Borde, Chetan Chauhan, and Hemant Kanitkar. In 1992, his farewell game against Gujarat took him to his beloved Moti Bagh Stadium in Baroda. At 40, he celebrated with knocks of 143 and 10, unbeaten on both occasions. He soon stepped into a new role as a National selector and did a fine job.
Some of my favourite memories with Anshu came during his stint as team coach. The Desert Storm episode at Sharjah in 1998 stands out. He told Sachin Tendulkar, “I want the trophy”, and the maestro did not let him down with two back-to-back centuries. Sachin held Anshu in high esteem. A year later, at the 1999 World Cup in England, Anshu confessed to facing the “biggest challenge” of his cricketing career—breaking his father’s demise to Sachin. On receiving the news, Anshu took Sachin’s wife, Anjali, into convenience to convey the dreaded development. Sachin broke down in Anshu’s arms before leaving for his father’s cremation but returned to serve the team. Anshu had a special relationship with Sachin and Azharuddin. He was a fan of their batting styles. They both added to Anshu’s hobby of collecting wristwatches as a tribute to his guidance. “I don’t wear them. They sit in my drawing room,” Anshu had revealed when I visited his home in Baroda.
Anshu’s tastefully decorated residence reflects his persona. “It is all the work of (wife) Jyoti,” he insists. “My job is to take care of the garden. All my vegetables are homegrown.” He also pointed out proudly to a peacock, which would strut into his kitchen every morning and leave after what Anshu called a “pitch inspection.”
After serving as a player, selector, and coach for the Board, Anshu took up assignments with the Gujarat Cricket Association and later became a BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee member. However, he was dissatisfied with these roles and eventually found a way to share his views as a media expert. His honest analysis and straightforward approach earned him respect in the industry.
My last two meetings with Anshu were in Mumbai—in May 2023, at his book launch at the Cricket Club of India and two months later, at an event organised by my journalist friend Dwarkanath Sanzgiri to celebrate Sachin’s 50th birthday. A galaxy of cricketers turned up for his book launch. Kapil, Dilip Vengsarkar, Gavaskar, Roger Binny, Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Vishwanath, Karsan Ghavri, Abey Kuruvilla, Nayan Mongia and Yajurvindra Singh lent their support to Anshu. “He has given Indian cricket everything as a player, coach, administrator, selector… you name it, and he has done everything. That he is not only liked by players from his time but also after his time as a cricketer is a tribute to how well-liked Aunshu is,” Gavaskar said. “He was my opening partner; we had some interesting times. Between the two of us, we never got each other run out. That’s why we are on talking terms and can pull each other’s legs.”
Tendulkar had recalled Gaekwad’s preference for spicy food. “I remember during our 1998-99 tour to New Zealand, we went to a restaurant, and I said, ‘Let’s order pasta or chicken.’ He said he does not like bland food at all. So Aunshu bhai asks the chef for the spiciest chilli sauce. The chef says: ‘Would you be able to handle it? It’s extremely spicy.’ He says: ‘Make it as spicy as possible and get it.” He brought the sauce, which I tasted a little bit. It was so spicy that I could barely finish a quarter of a spoon with my entire meal. Aunshu bhai had finished two bowls of the sauce. The chef couldn’t believe it. That’s when I realised it wasn’t just the fiery bowling he could handle, but also the food.”
Anshu appeared unwell in July, and his tired look did not go well with his personality. Anshu was always a fit man, and only a routine check revealed the dreaded disease that was to consume him. Anshu was advised to go to London for treatment but returned home disappointed. His long-time friend, Mohinder Amarnath, visited Anshu and took it upon himself to raise funds for the treatment with help from Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, and Kapil. Amarnath described Anshu as “a great batsman, dear friend, and a lovely human being.”
Throughout his life, Aunshu experienced hurt and disappointment from the cricketing community at various points. Still, his kind-hearted nature prevented him from holding any grudges, even against the man who nearly ended his life on the pitch. Aunshu affectionately referred to Holding as “Mikey” and considered him a friend. That was Aunshuman Dattajirao Gaekwad, an unflinching batsman and a trusted friend; He was 71.
