New Delhi: Anshuman Gaekwad, who epitomised gutsy batting in the pre-helmet era and stood up to one particularly vicious pace barrage led by Michael Holding on the 1976 Test tour of the West Indies, died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 71.

A second generation India Test cricketer – his father Dattajirao Gaekwad played 11 Tests between 1952 and 1961 – he made 40 appearances in a decade (1974-1984), a rare sight in his early years as a spectacled opening batter. Gaekwad scored 1985 runs with two centuries and 10 fifties, with a highest score of 201* made against Pakistan at Jalandhar in 1982-83, the 671-minute marathon then the slowest first-class double century.

Partnering Sunil Gavaskar in a batting line-up that also included Gundappa Viswanath, Mohinder Amarnath, Dilip Vengsarkar and Brijesh Patel – all known stroke-players – Gaekwad’s strength was his immense concentration level, patience and a doggedness to hold one end up.

And those qualities shone in that eventful tour of the West Indies in 1976 that saw India cover themselves in glory by chasing down a then world record fourth-innings Test target of 403 – India finished on 406/4 – to win the third Test at Port-of-Spain.

The mastery of Indian batters over spin and the craft of their own tweakers against the home batters led an angry Windies skipper Clive Lloyd to unleash an all-pace attack in the fourth Test at Kingston, Jamaica. The quartet led by Holding bowled around the wicket, targetting the body of the batter with bouncers and the occasional beamer, reviving memories of England’s bowling tactics on the 1932-33 Ashes tour of Australia – the Bodyline series.

In a Test that was dubbed “Bloodbath in Jamaica” for Lloyd’s hostile bowling tactics, Gaekwad, on his first overseas Test tour, wore several blows on his body in a 450-minute innings of courage while top-scoring with 81, when a Holding snorter struck him on the side of the head – his eardrum was punctured and he needed surgery – and he had to retire hurt. Skipper Bishan Bedi, enraged by Lloyd’s tactics, declared the first innings at 306/6, to protect his lower-order batters as well as send a strong message of protest.

Five batters were absent hurt as India’s second innings ended at 97.

After a Test career that ended as it started, at Eden Gardens – Gaekwad also played 15 ODIs – he continued to play first-class cricket till 1991-92, aggregating 12,136 runs @ 41.56 with 34 centuries – he returned for two fresh stints with the Indian team as coach.

His first stint from 1997 to 1999 saw him take on the responsibility during a transitional phase under Sachin Tendulkar’s captaincy. It included the early 1999 home series against Pakistan, famously drawn after Anil Kumble’s historic 10-wicket innings haul for victory at Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla ground. It ended with India’s failure at the ODI World Cup in England.

Gaekwad’s second was in 2000, after Kapil Dev quit the post and with the match-fixing having rocked the game that year. It was temporary as the Indian board appointed the first foreign national coach in New Zealand’s John Wright.

Articulate and friendly, Gaekwad also held some administrative roles. He was diagnosed with blood cancer early this year and was under treatment in a London hospital. Many former India stalwarts, led by Kapil , appealed to the cricket board and fans to help raise funds for his expensive treatment.

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