What started off as a robust batting partnership on the cricket field evolved over time into a friendship for the ages. Gundappa Viswanath and Anshuman Gaekwad weren’t just long-time India teammates; they shared a bond that transcended the boundaries of the cricket field.
Viswanath, emotionally shaken, recounts, “I returned from Aunshu’s house just now, and I still can’t reconcile myself to the fact that I won’t see him ever again. To go to his home when he is no longer with us, I never thought I’d see that day…,” his voice quivered with melancholy over the phone from Vadodara.
The deep friendship between these two cricketers began on New Year’s Day, 1975, when Gaekwad made his Test debut against the West Indies at Eden Gardens. Viswanath was at the non-striker’s end, providing moral support as Gaekwad faced the ferocious West Indian attack. “There was blood on the pitch,” Viswanath recalls to Cricbuzz. “What a way to welcome a youngster to Test cricket. The blood was very visible from where he took guard and there was no hiding from it. But if he was affected by its sight, there were definitely no signs of it.”
The blood on the pitch was from the injury Andy Roberts inflicted on Indian skipper MAK ‘Tiger’ Pataudi. Despite the daunting scenario, Gaekwad, merely 21 at the time, exhibited remarkable composure. “Within no time, I knew that Aunshu wouldn’t give his wicket away, it had to be earned. And that’s how he played his cricket for the rest of his career,” said Viswanath.
Their partnership of 75 runs for the fifth wicket significantly contributed to India’s 85-run victory, with Viswanath scoring a sublime 139 in the second innings, a knock he ranks among his best. Gaekwad, too, played solidly though he succumbed to spin twice, a rare event in a game involving the West Indies in those days.
Viswanath fondly remembers Gaekwad’s grit and determination at the crease. “Everyone has spoken about how courageous and gutsy Aunshu was with the bat,” he notes. “When it came to opening the batting for India, Sunil [Gavaskar] was of course head and shoulders above everyone else. But Aunshu, he was something else. You could try every trick in the book, and he wouldn’t be moved.”
The 1976 ‘Bloodbath of Kingston,’ a Test in which West Indies sought vengeance after their defeat in Port of Spain, remains etched in Viswanath’s memory. “Michael Holding was the leader of the attack, and they bowled not just many bouncers an over, but also more than the odd beamer,” Viswanath remembers. Despite the constant onslaught, Gaekwad stood firm for over seven and a half hours, only leaving the field after a blow to his left ear. “That 81 not out, it was comfortably worth more than a century. I haven’t seen a more courageous knock in my entire association with cricket,” Viswanath asserts.
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However, their bond was not limited to cricket. Off the field, Viswanath and Gaekwad were more than teammates; they were close friends. “We got close, really close,” Viswanath says, his voice breaking with emotion. “He was an absolute gentleman, wonderful manners, a great host, excellent listener and had a terrific sense of humour.”
Their families intertwined seamlessly. “We got along like a house on fire, especially our wives, Jyoti and Kavita. In fact, Kavita has never been this affected by a loss. She considered Aunshu her dada (older brother). To go to their home and to see Jyoti without her best mate Aunshu beside her was a feeling hard to accept and that words can’t describe,” he shares.
Their last meeting was at the annual BCCI awards function in Hyderabad in January, a fleeting encounter now cherished. “Aunshu said he felt a little tired, he wanted to get back to his room. We were supposed to catch up the following morning but unfortunately, that didn’t happen either. I never thought he would leave us like this and go so soon. It’s a great loss to the cricketing fraternity, of course, but a deep personal loss for me. I am still to come to terms with his sudden departure,” Viswanath admits.
Tributes and messages of solidarity have poured in from around the world, revealing the profound impact Gaekwad had on the cricketing community. “I know there was a heartfelt message from Mikey [Holding], among others,” Viswanath says, beaming with pride. “There have been wonderful words from so many bowlers from England, from Australia, from Pakistan, bowlers against whom he did battle without taking a backward step. It just goes to show what a wonderful human being he was. The world knows plenty about Anshuman Gaekwad, the batter. But I feel fortunate that I got to know the person extremely well.”
In conclusion, Viswanath reflects on Gaekwad’s endearing qualities beyond cricket. “Aunshu was warm, generous, eternally giving and always looking at the positives. Never did he think of what might have been. He was forever grateful for whatever life gave him, which is why he was able to meet every adversity with a broad smile. He was born to cricket, and for cricket; his man-management and tactical skills are well documented, but he wasn’t just about cricket. He could hold his own in any setting – remember that he was an aristocrat by birth – and was as much at home in the midst of royalty as with the rest of us. He was, and will always remain, a very special part of my life.”
“Rest well, my friend, and be assured that the family bond and friendship we share will always continue,” he concludes warmly.