Syed Abid Ali, a former all-rounder and a vital player for the Indian cricket team, passed away in the United States on Wednesday at the age of 83. He was instrumental in securing two unforgettable Test victories abroad that left a lasting impact beyond the cricket field.

Hailing from Hyderabad, Abid Ali played 29 Tests and five ODIs, making significant contributions with both bat and ball. As a versatile cricketer, he filled various roles for India—opening the bowling with his medium pace and batting at the top order in seven of his Test matches. He was also an exceptional fielder, known for his ability to catch challenging balls at leg-slip against spin bowlers, and he was quick on his feet between the wickets.

In his first Test match against Australia during the 1967-68 series in Adelaide, Abid Ali claimed six wickets for just 55 runs. He also made impressive scores of 78 and 81 in Sydney during that same series. Over his seven-year career, which concluded in December 1974, he amassed 1,980 runs and took 47 wickets. He was also part of the inaugural World Cup in 1975.

Abid Ali was a member of the legendary Indian teams that achieved historic series victories in the West Indies and England in 1970-71 under Ajit Wadekar's captaincy. He notably scored the winning runs in the memorable Tests at Port-of-Spain and The Oval.

During the England series, his standout bowling performance came in the second Test at Old Trafford, where he took four wickets for 64 runs in a grueling spell of 32.4 overs.

Sunil Gavaskar, who played alongside him during the Windies and England series victories in 1970-71, shared a heartfelt tribute: “It’s really sad news. He was a courageous cricketer who always stepped up for the team. Even though he was an all-rounder batting in the middle order, he didn’t hesitate to open the innings when necessary. He also made some fantastic catches in the leg side, which added a sharp edge to our amazing spin attack.

“As a new ball bowler, he holds the rare achievement of taking a wicket with his very first ball in a Test match on two occasions, if I remember correctly. He had a knack for the tip and run strategy, and when he was moved up the order during my debut Test, it led to some overthrows that eased the pressure significantly. He was a true gentleman with excellent manners and spoke with great authority. My deepest condolences to his family.”

With his versatile skills, many experts thought he was an ideal player for one-day cricket, as demonstrated in the first-ever 1975 World Cup where he scored 70 runs batting at No. 7 and took 2/35 against New Zealand in his only innings of the tournament. Throughout his short ODI career, Abid Ali accumulated 187 runs and took 7 wickets.

A key player in first-class cricket, Abid Ali amassed 8,732 runs and took 397 wickets over 212 matches. He was part of the golden era of Hyderabad cricket, playing alongside legends like ML Jaisimha, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, and Abbas Ali Baig in the famous Fab Four of the 1960s and 1970s.

After hanging up his boots, he took on coaching roles with the Andhra Ranji team, as well as in the UAE and Maldives.

“I'm deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Syed Abid Ali Saheb. His impact on the game and his relentless love for cricket will always be cherished,” expressed former India and Hyderabad captain Mohammad Azharuddin.

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