Oldest Indian Test player Deepak Shodhan died yesterday at the age of 87 in his house in Ahmedabad. He was suffering from lung cancer.
Left handed batsman Shodhan played three tests for India between 1952 and 1953 and scored 181 runs with an average of 60.33. He became the first Indian batsman to hit a century in his debut innings. He scored his knock against Pakistan in Kolkata when India had lost 6 wickets at 179. He was 25 years old then. His innings 110 helped India gain a lead of 140 in the match. The match ended in a draw though.
He played Ranji for Gujarat and Baroda. He remained active in the 1st class cricket even after retirement.
He discovered the lung cancer in February last year. He was cremated at around 11 am yesterday.
The father of former India allrounder and coach Anshuman Gaekwad, Datta Gaekwad has now become India’s oldest living Test cricketer at 87 years and 202 days.