CHENNAI: As soon as the news of the death of India's oldest Test cricketer and former captain Dattajirao Gaekwad started circulating, ex-India all-rounder Irfan Pathan posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, extending his deep condolences. "Under the shade of the banyan tree at the Motibag cricket ground, from his blue Maruti car, Indian captain D.K. Gaekwad sir tirelessly scouted young talent for Baroda cricket, shaping the future of our team. His absence will be deeply felt. A great loss for cricketing community. #RIP #DKGaekwad @gaeky," was Pathan's message.
The heartfelt message was proof of the immense respect Pathan has for Dattajirao, who was the father of former India opener and national coach Anshuman Gaekwad. In fact, it was under his wings that Pathan, who played 29 Tests for India scoring 1105 runs and claiming 100 wickets, started playing for Baroda in the under-14 age group. "He used to work hard, imparting coaching to youngsters for 4-5 hours every day. When we were first selected for the under-14 Baroda team, he was the coach. So it was a perfect opportunity for us to meet him," Pathan told this daily.
Dattajirao, 95, breathed his last early on Tuesday morning after battling for life in the ICU of a Baroda hospital for the past 12 days, a source in the family told a news agency. The right-hand batter played 11 Tests for India between 1952 and 1961, captaining the national team in 1959 when it toured England.
His international returns might not have been impressive but he was a stalwart as far as domestic cricket is concerned. He played 110 First-Class matches, scoring 5788 runs that included 17 centuries and 23 half-centuries. His highest FC score was 249 not out, which he slammed for Baroda against Maharashtra in 1959-60.
Speaking on the loss, Pathan said, "DK sir was a very sharp person. Baroda cricket has lost a cricketing diamond with his demise. He has been a hero for all of us. He has given a lot to Baroda cricket as a player and as a coach. His contributions will be remembered for decades."
The former talented swing and seam bowler reminisced the days when he learnt the nuances of the game from 'DK sir'. "Every day after the practice session, he used to spend at least half an hour with all of us. He used to apprise us with a lot of technical details of the game which helped us learn a lot. It's an irreparable loss for all of us," Pathan signed off.
