CRICKETNEXT

CHANGE LANGUAGE
English
हिन्दी বাংলা मराठी ગુજરાતી ಕನ್ನಡ தமிழ் മലയാളം తెలుగు ਪੰਜਾਬੀ اردو অসমীয়া ଓଡ଼ିଆ
Follow Us On
Back to News18
Home » Cricket Home » News » Ajit Wadekar Birth Anniversary: Lesser-Known Facts About the Former Indian Test Captain

Ajit Wadekar Birth Anniversary: Lesser-Known Facts About the Former Indian Test Captain

Wadekar made his first-class debut for Bombay in 1958-59, he had to wait eight years before playing for the national side in 1966-67

Ajit Wadekar Birth Anniversary: Lesser-Known Facts About the Former Indian Test Captain

Considered as one the best captains in the history of Indian cricket, Ajit Laxman Wadekar, popularly known as Ajit Wadekar was the player who made India cricketers believe in themselves after leading them to memorable wins against the best sides in the world during his career. Born on this day in 1941 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, he went on to become India’s best captain in the longest format of the game.

Wadekar made his first-class debut for Bombay in 1958-59, he had to wait eight years before playing for the national side in 1966-67 against the mighty West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium in Bombay. Despite playing in just 37 Tests, he emerged as a tower of strength to the Indian batting for seven long years. He scored 2,113 runs at an average of 31.07 and also played in two ODI’s. Wadekar captained the Indian side which won the series in West Indies and England. It was also under his captaincy, where India won five matches in the Caribbean in the early 1970s and also recorded successive series wins over England.

On his birth anniversary, we take a look at some lesser-known facts about the legendary skipper:

1. In the history of Indian cricket, he is considered as one of the best No. 3 batsmen and one of the finest slip fielders.

2. He was handed over the reins of the Indian cricket team in 1971.

3. It was under his leadership when India created history by registering their first ever Test series wins against England and the West Indies in 1971.

4. Other than the historic wins, Wadekar had the ability to draw Test matches from perilous situations and following it with series wins was something he could manage easily.

5. He honed the skills of legends such as Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Vishwanathan, Farokh Engineer and Bishen Bedi among others who made their debut for India under his captaincy.

6. He was also the captain of India’s first-ever ODI game and scored 67 runs.

7. Wadekar is also among the three compatriots to represent the country as a Test player, captain, coach/manager and the Chairman of Selectors. He was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1967 and the Padma Shri in 1972.

Team Rankings

RankTeamPointsRating
1 Australia 3028 116
2 New Zealand 2406 115
3 India 3085 114
4 England 4326 106
5 Sri Lanka 2454 91
FULL Ranking
RankTeamPointsRating
1 England 5405 123
2 India 6102 117
3 New Zealand 3716 116
4 Australia 4344 111
5 South Africa 3345 108
FULL Ranking
RankTeamPointsRating
1 England 6877 275
2 Australia 6800 272
3 India 10186 268
4 Pakistan 7516 259
5 South Africa 5047 252
FULL Ranking

Upcoming Matches