C. T. SARWATE


🏏🏏
C. T. SARWATE
(22 Jul 1920 – 23 Dec 2003) 

Another outstanding domestic performer who failed to realize his full potential where it mattered most,  Chandrasekhar Trimbak "Chandu" Sarwate, originally from Sagar, M.P, was a right-handed all-rounder who played 9 Test matches for India predominantly as a lower-order batsman and a spin bowler...

An off-spinner and leg-spinner rolled into one, Sarwate was also a forceful batsman, good enough to open the Indian innings, which he did along with Vinoo Mankad in all the five Tests against Don Bradman's mighty team in Australia in 1947-48...

Sarwate's debut and final Tests were both against England, in July 1946 Old Trafford, Manchester and December 1951 Brabourne Stadium, Bombay respectively...

The 208 Test runs @13.00, with 37 as highest and 3 Test wickets, needless to say, hardly do any justice to Sarwate's cricketing abilities... 

In a first class career spanning over three decades (32 years - 1936/37 to 1968/69) Sarwate had the good fortune of representing several teams. Playing for Central Provinces and Berar, Maharashtra, Hindus, Bombay, Holkar, Madhya Bharat, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha in that order, he scored 7430 runs in 171 matches @32.73 with 14 hundreds and 38 fifties, 246 being his highest. He has 494 wickets to his name @23.54 a piece with a best of 9/61 and 91 catches...

Sarwate is best remembered for that one famous innings against Surrey at the Oval in May 1946. From 205/9, Sarwate (124*) and Shute Banerjee (121) stitched up a record 249 for the last wicket which still remains the highest partnership in first-class cricket between number ten and eleven batsmen...

Post retirement Sarwate was a national selector for three years in the early 1980s, and was one of the selectors who picked the Indian team that won the World Cup in England in 1983. Besides being the secretary of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, he was also the chairman of its selection committee on number of occasions...

Perhaps the only finger-print expert cricketer the game has seen, Sarwate who held degrees in both Arts and Law, passed away this day, 2003, in Indore, close on the heels of another stalwart, M. J. Gopalan. He was 83...

🙏🙏🌹💐    🇮🇳

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