'He was always an asset': Ajit Agarkar’s first India coach Aunshuman Gaekwad

Ajit Agarkar (sitting, extreme left) with coach Aunshuman Gaekwad (standing, extreme left) ahead of the India U-19 team’s Sri Lanka tour at the Wankhede Stadium in 1997. Batsman Amit Pagnis is seated (fourth from left) . Pic/mid-day archives

New chief selector Ajit Agarkar's first India coach, Aunshuman Gaekwad has no doubt over the Mumbai man's ability to do justice to his new appointment.

And there is more than one reason for that. Agarkar provided ample proof of his cricketing wisdom on the 1996-97 India U-19 tour of Sri Lanka, where Gaekwad was coach. He followed it up with some good performances when Gaekwad was promoted to guide the India senior team.

Recalling that junior tour to the Emerald Isles, where the Indian team also had future Test player SS Das, a current national selector, Gaekwad told mid-day: "Ajit was a thinking cricketer, who used to plan his batting and bowling very well. I hardly needed to tell him anything. He would bowl his best according to the situation.

"He had a lot more discipline than many of the other boys. He played an important part in our 2-0 ‘Test' series win over the Lankans. Even in the senior team, he was always an asset, never a liability. You could have him bowl or use him with the bat anytime during the innings. He'd deliver most of the time."

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Agarkar made his India U-19 debut along with Das in the first Test against Sri Lanka U-19 at Kandy and led India to a three-wicket win with five wickets in the match.

In the second ‘Test' at Kurunegala, Agarkar scored 107 in the first innings and picked up two wickets in a drawn match. In the third and final Test at Matara, Agarkar's 5-43 in the first innings helped India win by six wickets.

Agarkar played a good hand for Mohammed Azharuddin's Indians in stopping Sri Lanka from ruling in the 1998 Akai-Nidahas Trophy triangular. He dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya twice in the tournament which India won 25 years ago.

Gaekwad, an ex-selector himself, emphasised that a selection committee must have members who are deep thinkers of the game like Agarkar. "You must have that foresight - what you are expecting, what you are looking at. There is a huge difference between domestic and international cricket. So to understand that difference, selectors should have played at that level," said Gaekwad, adding, "If some cricketer has scored a lot of runs at the domestic level, selectors should have that vision - whether this batsman will be able to perform well at the international level or not. This vision/judgment is very important and that's where Ajit will play a big role.