Sunil Gavaskar: Bapuji always emphasised the need to be gritty

Sunil Gavaskar

He came as assistant manager for quite a number of our tours. He was very encouraging. His favourite term from where we all learnt from was, 'chhodo matt' [hang in there].

He was gritty despite playing in the days when gloves and thigh pads were not very good, not much protective equipment as you would get hit, but still hang in there as he believed in choddo matt. You are playing for India. That thing we learnt from him.

Every time he was on a tour he was very, very helpful in terms of strategy. At lunch time or tea time, he would say, try this if you were a fielding captain. He would say, bring this bowler, or ask this bowler to bowl round the wicket. He was fantastic. Indian cricket has lost a real champion. He was probably the main guy instrumental in having Sandeep Patil come back after a blow on his head [in Sydney 1981].

He was the one who kept urging Sandeep that, 'it doesn't matter, you are here and you should go out and bat again'.

Bapuji was the assistant manager on the tour. It was only because of him that Sandeep went on to score that 174 in the next Test match because Bapuji was constantly there with him.

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