Former legends mourn the loss of India’s “Lucky Captain”


Sabyasachi Bagchi:
India’s “Lucky-charm” Captain Ajit Laxman Wadekar passed away on Wednesday, on India’s 72nd Independence Day. He was suffering from a chronic illness for a long time. He breathed his last in Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital. At the time of his death, he was 77 years old.




Wadekar was Born on April 1st, 1941 in Mumbai. Right from his childhood, Ajit was a skilled mathematician. So naturally, his family wanted him to become an engineer. But people expect to become one thing but end up being completely different. As a kid he always had his mind set in sports. As a result, instead of inside the classroom, he started to get more success in the playground. Therefore, his father didn’t stop him from playing. He made his debut in the Ranji Trophy for Bombay in the 1958-59 season. Just eight years later, in December 1966, he got a chance to represent the national team at home against the West Indies. He made his Test debut at his childhood Brabourne stadium. Later, Ajit started batting at number three after cementing his place in the Indian squad. He was also known as a very good slip fielder.




Within a few years of being a cap holder of the national team, he was elected as the captain of the Bombay team. Wadekar has 2,113 runs in 37 Tests up his belt for the country. His highest score in Test is 143. He scored 73 runs in just two ODI matches he played. His highest being in the format is an unbeaten 67 knock.




But outside his decent stats, Ajit Wadekar will also be known as the ‘Lucky Captain’ in Indian cricket. He was elected to lead the Indian team that toured West Indies in 1971. That team comprised of with the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanath, Farooq Engineer and Bishen Singh Bedi who all made history by winning the series against the Windies. It was India’s second ever Test series triumph on foreign soil. Soon after that India also won the England Test series under his leadership later on.




In 1974, he was again elected as the captain of the team in India’s tour of England. But after the series defeat, Wadekar retired from all forms of cricket. Although he announced his retirement as a player, he was subsequently appointed as the chief of the national selector’s board and also the coach of the national team. This is something which Lala Amarnath and Chandu Borde has done apart from him. Under Mohammed Azharuddin and Ajit Wadekar’s captain-coach duo, India was very much successful in Tests in the 90s. The strategy of blowing up the opponent by unleashing the ‘spin poker’ came from his head.




Bishan Singh Bedi: I am blessed that I got the opportunity to play under the captaincy of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Ajit Wadekar. I never ever thought that I could get so hurt on a day like the Independence Day. Even he was suffering for a long time but he was always a happy-go-lucky person. Something which you don’t get to see as you age. But Ajit was an exception. Although my relationship with Captain Ajit always remained acid-sweet. And maybe I was thought of Nawab Pataudi’s “Follower” according to him. Although he never questioned me about that face to face, but Ajit raised questions directly for my dismal performance in the 1974 tour of England. At that time in England I got involved in a heated conversation in a ceremony which led to a confusion amongst us.The board didn’t take my misconduct of fighting with the captain of the team. So, when I returned home, I was dropped from the Test series against the West Indies at home. Today I was recollecting those memories. But now he is no more among us, so there is no point of discussing bitterness of the past. Wherever you are now, Ajit stay well. May your soul rest in peace.




Erapalli Prasanna: Bedi, Chandra, Prasanna and Venkata Raghavan. This was our bowling lineup before the Kapil Dev era began in Indian cricket. Although there were three spinners playing in the country, there were also many spinners playing abroad at that time. In the meantime, among our four, there was a strong rivalry. Captain Ajit gave us the opportunity to turn us around. Many said that he had an ‘Ego problem’ with Junior Pataudi. But that is not entirely true. Ajit, however, learned many good things from his captain. So in his captaincy, we defeated the teams like West Indies and England in their country. But in addition to a captain and a skilled left-hander batsman, people will also remember him as a great slip fielder. Even though new technologies are in use in modern cricket, the catches taken by Ajit was literally studied.




Mohammed Azharuddin: I feel like I have lost a father once again. Along with the captain-coach relationship, I had a different relationship with him. It can not be expressed in words. In order defeat a foreign team at home, it was on his suggestion, a ‘spinning track’ was set and always opted to field with three spinners. It clicked really well against England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the ’90s. Personally, he has always helped me. My personal life was going through a very bad time before and after the 96 World Cup. At that time I got very valuable advice from Ajit Sir. So today as I bid him farewell, all these memories will be forever etched in my mind.




Sambaran Banerjee: When I was the national selector of the Indian team, Ajit Wadekar was the then manager. After falling short to Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens, Ajit was completely devasted and couldn’t accept the defeat. So as early as 4 in the morning, the next day myself, the then Chairman of the Selection Committee Gundappa Viswanath, coach Angshuman Gaekwad along with Ajit Wadekar, we four held a meeting to discuss how to lift the team up from the current situation. Later on after two years, when Wadekar was made the chairman of the Selection Committee, we pushed forward and shaped the team as much as we can so that we can succeed. As a batsman, even though he had only one century in Test Cricket, he was a firm leader and was popularly known for his acrobatics as a slip fielder. Apart from his sports background, he was also equally good in academics as well. Cricketers of our time used to look upto him as an idol for his all-round dexterity and quite obviously he also got a respected post in State Bank of India as well. Like everyone, I am deeply saddened by his demise. I convey all my thoughts and concerns to his family.