Former Indian legendary captain Sunil Gavaskar showed tribute to his longest-serving opening partner Chetan Chauhan. who passed away on Sunday due to COVID-19.
“Aaja, aaja, gale mil, after all, we are in the mandatory overs of life,” Sunil Gavaskar emotionally said this was his usual meeting with his opening partner Chetan Chauhan. Chetan and Sunil shared a lot of memories both on and off the field.
Chetan Chauhan was suffering from COVID-19 and died on Sunday after suffering a cardiac arrest at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The 73-year-old was tested positive from COVID-19 back in July and after that, the deadly Chinese virus had grown apart in his body and developed multiple complications as well. He was put on the ventilator support last week after his kidney failure.
Chetan Chauhan has been a BJP candidate from Amroha Lok Sabha 1991 and 1998. His political career was also at a peak in the late 1990s. Along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many other leaders from the political spectrum also showed their condolences on the death of the veteran BJP member.
Chetan Chauhan has played 40 Test matches for India and scored 2084 runs he has been one of the biggest contributors of Indian cricket between 1969 to 1978. He is the Gavaskar’s longest-serving opening partner in the longest format of the game. The duo shared 10 hundred partnerships for the opening wicket.
Gavaskar penned a moving tribute on remembering Chauhan and said, “The meetings were invariably at his beloved Ferozeshah Kotla ground where he was in charge of the pitch preparation. As we hugged I would say to him that “no, no we must have another century partnership” and he would laugh and then say “Arre baba you are the century-maker, not me”.
“Never in my wildest nightmares could I believe that his words about being in the mandatory overs of life would come true so soon. It’s so hard to believe that his laughter and cheerful banter won’t be there the next time I go to Delhi,” Gavaskar wrote for ESPNCricinfo.
Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan scored 3,010 runs for the opening wicket for India in 59 innings at an average of 53.75 runs per innings. Chauhan went on scoring 16 half-centuries in his international cricket journey at an average of 31.57. He never reached the three-figure mark for the team Indian team, his highest score was 97.
“Talking of centuries, I firmly believe that I was responsible for him missing out on two occasions, both in Australia in the 1980/81 series Down under,” Gavaskar added.
“In the second Test in Adelaide, he was on 97 when my teammates pulled me out of my chair in front of the TV and dragged me to the players’ balcony saying I must get there to cheer my partner. I was a bit superstitious about watching from the players’ enclosure as then the batsman would get out and so would always watch on the dressing room TV.
“Once the landmark was reached, then I would rush to the players’ balcony and join in the cheers. However, here I was in the Adelaide balcony when Dennis Lillee came into bowl, and would you believe Chetan was caught behind the first ball. The second occasion that I believe I was responsible for Chetan missing a hundred was when I lost my head after being abused by the Australians as I was leaving the pitch after a terrible decision. Trying to drag Chetan off the field with me must have disrupted his concentration and he was again out short of a century a little later,” Gavaskar wrote.
