Dependability Was His Bulwark

Sardesai, one of the fulcrums around which the Indian batting revolved,played 30 Tests between 1960 and 1973 at an average of 39.23, with five hundredsto his credit, and played in the middle order mostly. He also opened at times.

A right-handed batsman possessing good defence, the stocky player was a verygood driver of the ball and notched over 10,000 runs in his first-class careerspanning nearly 12 years at a healthy average of 41.75, inclusive of 25centuries.

Sardesai first came to national attention while scoring a superb 87 forCombined Universities against the visiting Pakistan team in 1960-61 on his firstclass debut.

The golden phase of Sardesai's career came during the 1970-71 Test series inthe West Indies when India, under Ajit Wadekar, chalked up its first series winin the Caribbean.

Sardesai's aggregate of 642 runs was only next to that of debutant SunilGavaskar who had made 774 from three Tests.

Sardesai toured the West Indies twice in 1961-62 and in 1970-71, England in1967 and 1971 and Australia in 1967-68.

A prolific scorer in domestic cricket and one of the golden boys of Mumbaicricket in its hey deys, Sardesai played at home against England (1961-62,1963-64 and 1972-73), Australia (1964-65, 1969-70), New Zealand (1964-65) andthe West Indies (1966-67).

His last Test was at home against England in 1972-73.

Born on August 8, 1940 at Margao, Goa, Sardesai made his Test debut againstEngland at Kanpur in December 1961 and played his last Test against the sameteam at Delhi in December 1972.

During a career spanning 11 years, Sardesai played 30 Tests and scored 2001runs in 55 innings with an average of 39.23 helped by a double century and fourcenturies.

However, he is most remembered for his stellar performance during the tour ofthe West Indies in 1970-71, when Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut, by hittingup a double century and two centuries that powered India to a historicfirst-ever series victory in the Caribbean.

His selection for the tour of the West Indies came when his internationalcareer had appeared to be virtually over.

Sardesai also played a key role in India's Oval Test victory in the summer of1971.

Sardesai was known for his immaculate footwork, especially against thespinners and a sound defence that was a model for many aspiring cricketers.

Though predominantly a defensive batsman, Sardesai could also go into theattacking mode when needed and fine example of this came when he scored one ofIndia's fastest centuries against New Zealand in 1964-65.

BCCI president Sharad Pawar and Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee condoledSardesai's death.

So far the lone Goa-born cricketer to play Test cricket, Sardesai aggregated642 runs, the second highest after Gavaskar's 774, in the 1970-71 series in theWest Indies.

During the 15 years he played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy, the team never losta single match in the premier domestic competition.

Sardesai showed his liking for Caribbean pitches when he notched up 60against the fiery West Indian attack led by the redoubtable Wes Hall in 1961-62,the first series played by the hosts after their unforgettable Test series inAustralia that contained the famous tied Test at Brisbane.

In that match, he opened the innings and the worth of his knock becameevident when compared with the Indian total of 187 in that innings.

Sardesai came into his own at home against Mike Smith's England in the1963-64 series by compiling 449 runs at an average of 44.90, five times crossing50.

He failed against the Bob Simpson-led Australia in the next season, but wasin his elements against New Zealand soon afterwards with a tally of 359 runs(topping the averages with 119.66).

This was the series in which he made his first double century (200 not out)in the second innings of the Test match in Mumbai after the Indian team wereshot out for 88 and followed on.

India not only saved the match but very nearly won it too and later went onto clinch the series with a victory at Delhi's Ferozshah Kotla ground.

Sardesai made a spectacular comeback to the national team for the 1971 tourof West Indies after he appeared to be out of the reckoning. His Test best scoreof 212 at Kingston, Jamaica, in a total of 387 came in this series.

He also notched up 112 at Port of Spain and 150 at Bridgetown to emerge asone of the two star batsmen of the historic Test series victory with 642 runs(av. 80.25).

He also stitched together vital partnerships with late Eknath Solkar lower inthe order but for which India could have lost the first, second and fourthTests.