Legendary Wadekar from a Lankan perspective
It was in 1965, my first tour with the Sri Lanka Cricket team under Michael Tissera, when we beat India in an unofficial Test match, that I first encountered Ajit Wadekar. I was the youngest member of the squad, having just completed my school Cricket career. I was the reserve wicketkeeper and harboured very little hopes of making the Test XI, with the legendary H.I.K. Fernando, considered the best glove-man in Asia, being No 1. I eagerly looked forward to whatever opportunities that came my way.
After a rather long wait in this tightly packed schedule, I was picked to play against Bombay at the Braborne. We were quickly bundled out for 169 on a pitch which had some early life, but picked up 2 early Bombay wickets. Then Ajit Wadekar joined Vasu Paranjpe (who went on to be a legendary Coach) and strung together a mammoth partnership, with Wadekar making 116 and Paranjpe 111. The only consolation was that I stumped Wadekar off skipper Tissera, and caught Paranjpe off Neil Chanmugam. Despite the toil, keeping wickets to these 2 left-handers and watching them from behind, masterly using their feet to spin, was an education in itself. At the same time, when Ajit was at the crease, his friendly demeanor made me feel quite relaxed and enjoyed my task, and took an instant liking to him.
The star-studded State Bank of India team, with a host of Indian caps, toured Sri Lanka in 1966 and 1968, and played a series of games against Board teams. It was during these tours that I came to know Ajit better and cemented our friendship. We had since remained very close friends, staying in touch regularly.
Wadekar, with his exploits, had certainly been arousing the attention of the selectors and before long, was awarded his National cap. He was a stalwart and captain of Bombay, playing in those all-conquering teams.
He ensured his place in the Indian side by making valuable contributions with the bat and with his brilliant slip catching. He was, at the same time, making an impression on those who mattered, showing he was a studious reader of the game and possessed leadership qualities. He was extremely positive with all he did when it came to cricket, and was prepared to take calculated risks to win matches.
In the eyes of the great Vijay Merchant, Ajit Wadekar was good enough to take Indian Cricket forward, when he cast the Chairman’s vote to make him Captain, over the incumbent Pataudi who was a legend in his own right. It was a decision that raised many eyebrows, but Ajit took it in his stride, managing all situations in his own inimitable way, and justified his appointment by winning two tough, away Series wins against the mighty Windies and England. India set a new high with their close catching, with Ajit at slip and Eknath Solkar at short-leg, backing their spinners.
He came across as a Captain in the old fashion mould, showing very little emotions on the field. He was always prepared to do the difficult jobs for his team, setting the example. During his tenure, there were tough decisions to take such as opting for freak spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar against England, instead of the tried and tested Erapalli Prasanna, which paid off. The word “Night Watchman” was not in his vocabulary, and whenever the need arose, he donned hise pads and went in.
He was known to be a disciplinarian but, at the same time, a “Player’s Captain” who knew how to be ‘one of the boys’ when required. The younger players in the team such as Sunil Gavaskar, Eknath Solkar and Ashok Mankad thrived under Skipper Wadekar’s watch. He earned the respect of every member of the team, handling each in the way it demanded, and there was instant response. Ajit did it his way.
Ajit was brilliant at managing the press and I haven’t seen anyone doing this better than him. He had many friends in that fraternity and their respect at all times, because he treated them like professionals.
He toured Sri Lanka once again as Captain of India in 1974, to play 2 unofficial Tests, when Anura Tennekoon led us. India won the Series 1-0, winning the 2nd Test by 6 wickets, but it was Tennekoon’s 2 centuries one in each Test, that stole the show, for which Skipper Wadekar showered generous praise on him.
Ajit Wadekar was a true lover of Sri Lanka and I personally know how close he was to the late Shelly Wickremasinghe and Leo Wijesinghe, whom he counted amongst his closest friends. In fact, in the 70′s, an unofficial Indian team comprising Ranji Trophy Players, organised by Wadekar, and approved by the Indian Board of Control, played 6 matches in Sri Lanka. This was sponsored by the Bloomfield C&AC to celebrate the opening of their new ground and pavilion.
His father wanted him to be an Engineer but, as the story goes, young Ajit, a Science student at Elphinstone College, while travelling to school one day, met College Senior, Leg-spinner Baloo Gupte in the bus. Baloo asked him whether he could be the 12th man for the team for a fee of Rs 3 per match. Ajit liked the idea and Engineering went out of the window. The rest is history.
I recall an anecdote related by Sunil Gavaskar, relating to his Captain Ajit. “Sunny” who made a record pile of runs during the tour of the West Indies, was missed a couple of times in the slips by Sir Gary, and the West Indian legend viewed him as “Lucky”. Sobers usually visited the Indian dressing room at the end of day’s play and, in order to connect with some of the ‘Luck’, would just touch Sunny, and he made big runs. When the decisive Test came along, Wadekar realised that, if Garry got runs, India would risk having the series drawn. Hence, to jinx Sir Gary, Ajit had Gavaskar locked up in the closet in the dressing room, so that, the West Indian Skipper could not go through his ‘lucky’ ritual. Gary did not make any runs.
As a person, you couldn’t find a more wonderful human being, always ready to help. He served Indian Cricket with passion and, after his playing days, was Chairman of Selectors and also Team Manager, where he bonded well with skipper M. Azharuddin. In the 90′s, when he visited Sri Lanka and was in charge, Wadekar brought the entire Indian team home to dinner. Then, I saw for myself, the respect and adulation the players had for him. He was a father figure to them and they looked up to him. What was striking was his caring and loving attitude. The younger players such as Tendulkar, Kambli and Sidhu were given the space and opportunity to develop. He had a fine sense of humor and enjoyed a joke even at his expense.
He was the driving force of the Residential Apartment project in Mumbai for sportsmen in the state, who had represented the country, and saw it to a finish. Many have benefited from this brilliant Initiative.
Ajit Wadekar was a wonderful family man and his demise is an irreparable loss to his wife Rekha, and children Prasad, Vinod and Kashmeri. The likeable Ajit Wadekar will be dearly missed by all who knew him, and India has lost a fine servant of the game. May the turf lie lightly over our dear friend.