MUMBAI (India): Former India cricket all-rounder Bapu Nadkarni died on Friday following old-age related illness. He was 86.
Nadkarni played 41 Test matches in which he scored 1414 runs and grabbed 88 wickets with 6/43 as his best bowling figures.
But he was best known for his left-arm spin bowling and ability to get maiden overs at will, including 21 consecutive ones against England in a Test match in Chennai.
Nadkarni was a Mumbai stalwart having played 191 first-class matches and taken 500 wickets and scored 8880 runs.
The Nashik-born cricketer made his Test debut against New Zealand in Delhi in 1955 and played his last Test at Auckland against the same opponents in 1968 under MAK Pataudi’s captaincy.
Legends Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar on Friday offered their condolences on the former India all-rounder’s death.
“Very sad to hear about the demise of Shri Bapu Nadkarni. I grew up hearing about the record of him bowling 21 consecutive maiden overs in a Test. My condolences to his family and dear ones,” Tendulkar tweeted.
For Gavaskar, it was more of a personal loss as he fondly recollected Nadkarni’s pro-active role as an assistant manager who doubled up as a tactician during India’s tour of Australia in 1980-81.
“He came as an assistant manager for quite a number of our tours. He was very encouraging. His favourite term was “chhoddo matt” (hang in there). He was a gritty cricketer despite playing in the days when gloves and thigh pads were not very good. But still hang in there as he believed in “chhoddo matt”,’ Gavaskar told reporters in Rajkot on Friday.
