Wadekar was captain of the Indian team that beat West Indies and England to record their first ever series wins away from home in 1971. (Source: BCCI)
The Indian team paid tribute to former captain Ajit Wadekar in Nottingham. Wadekar died on Monday at the age of 77 and wishes have been pouring in since. The BCCI tweeted a photo of The Indian team, who are in Nottinghamshire preparing for the third Test against England, holding a two-minute silence to condole his death.
READ: Ajit Wadekar, the man who taught India to win away from home
The BCCI also released a statement on Monday, calling Wadekar the “renaissance man” of Indian cricket. “His demise has left a big void. First as a batsman and then as captain, he took Indian cricket to new heights and then continued to contribute as a coach, manager, and chairman of selectors. The experience he gained during his playing days was used in man-management as coach and manager, overseeing a highly successful period,” BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary said in a statement.
#TeamIndia members observe a two minute silence to condole the sad demise of former India Captain Ajit Wadekar. pic.twitter.com/Ao69bXV10T
— BCCI (@BCCI) 16 August 2018
Wadekar was captain of the Indian team that beat West Indies and England to record their first ever series wins away from home in 1971. He played 37 Tests and scored 2113 runs. Apart from that, he amassed a staggering 15380 first-class runs from 237 matches. He was also India’s first ODI captain, although he played just two matches in the shorter format. His retirement from 50-over cricket was India losing both those matches.