
India’s longest-serving Test cricketer and former captain, Dattajirao Krishnarao Gaekwad, passed away at his home in Baroda on Tuesday at the age of 95.
Gaekwad debuted for India during the 1952 tour to England and went on to represent his country in 11 Test matches, with his final appearance against Pakistan in Chennai in 1961. In 1959, six years after his initial stint in the national team, Gaekwad returned as the captain during India’s tour to England. Despite his commendable performance on the tour, where he scored over 1100 runs, England secured a decisive 5-0 victory.
While Gaekwad found success at the domestic level, particularly with Baroda, leading them to their first Ranji Trophy triumph in nearly a decade during the 1957-58 season, where his century (132) played a pivotal role in the final against Services. Across his First-Class career spanning 110 matches, Gaekwad accumulated 5788 runs, including 17 centuries, with a highest score of 249.
Notably, Gaekwad, who held the distinction of being India’s oldest-living Test cricketer since mid-2016, is also the father of former Indian cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad, who later served as the coach of the national team in two separate periods.