Name Hindi: चंदू सरवटे / Gender Man
Chandu Sarwate: An Icon of Indian Cricket
Chandrashekhar Thakur ‘Chandu’ Sarwate, born on May 14, 1920, in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh was a renowned all-rounder cricketer from India. Sarwate had made remarkable contributions to the Indian cricket scenario with his bowling and batting skills during his tenure.
Early Life and Career Beginning
Sarwate commenced his first-class career at Holkar team under the leadership of Col CK Nayudu. He showed exceptional prowess both as a right-hand batsman and leg-break bowler that crowned him as an incredibly multi-skilled player early in his career life.
Career Highlight
The crowning achievement of Sarwate’s cricketing career was when he along with his teammate Shute Banerjee managed to put together a ninth-wicket partnership of 249 runs playing for Indians against Surrey in England way back in 1946. This exceptional performance by the duo is still celebrated and remains inscribed in golden letters in the annals of cricket history:
- Highest Partnership: This lengthy partnership stands shiny even today as the highest ninth-wicket association in First-Class cricket worldwide.
- A Century Each: Fascinatingly, both these players scored centuries each, becoming the only pair anywhere across any wicket to manage this feet till date.
International Career
Sarwate’s international test journey procured him 106 runs aggregate off nine innings and 12 wickets over six Tests. In fact, he has been one among just ten competent players who nabbed five or more wickets in an innings and sketched a 50 or higher score both on their debut tests.
Contribution to Indian Cricket
Sarwate has not just contributed by his bat and ball but also with his intelligence, enriching decision strategies, match reading capabilities which paved ways for himself being selected as the National Selector post-retirement. Sarwate continued extending his inputs towards cricket after retirement was over, including various administrative roles within the BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India).
The End of An Era
Chandu Sarwate died on August 28, 2003 at Indore leaving behind him scores of memories related with glorious strokes and wicket-fall spells that always rekindled hopes among thousands of budding cricketers nurturing dreams to make it big someday like ‘Chandu’ Sarwate did!
