Dilip Doshi obituary: Melbourne 1981 Test win against Australia was his ‘greatest cricketing moment'

Indian Express

6 hours ago

Former India spinner Dilip Doshi, who played 33 for India in a four-year span between 1979-1983 passed away on Monday aged 77 at London, Saurashtra Cricket Association confirmed. The former left-arm spinner's playing career like that of Padmakar Shivalkar and Rajinder Goel had coincided with India's spin quartet, restricting his appearance to just 33, but featured in 238 first-class fixtures including County stints in Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire. He also turned out for Bengal and Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy and ended up with 898 first-class wickets, which included 43 5-wicket hauls. In 33 Tests, he had 114 wickets to his name at an average of 30.71 which was nearly four more than his FC figures. He also featured in 15 ODIs, where he picked up 22 wickets.
Doshi's high point was helping India to a famous win in Melbourne in 1981, which he called it his great moment of his career. 'I would say that Karsan Ghavri and I set it up,' he once told The Indian Express. 'Kapil helped us to finish it. So I must give a lot of credit to him. I think that is my single greatest cricketing moment,' he had said in 2011.
While confirming Doshi's demise Saurashtra Cricket Association said Doshi is leaving behind a rich legacy of sportsmanship, commitment, and excellence. Thanks to India' strong spin attack, Doshi had to wait till he turned 32 to play his first Test against Australia at Chennai in September 1979, where he picked up 6/103 in the first innings before taking two more in the drawn outing. From there on, he remained a regular member of the squad, even touring New Zealand, Australia England and Pakistan. His final Test appearance came exactly four years after his debut in 1983 September against Pakistan at Bengaluru. Doshi is only the second bowler to end up with more than 100 Test wickets after making Test debut after turning 30 with Australia's Clarrie Grimmett being the other. In 2020, he was awarded a special award for his contribution at the BCCI annual awards. Doshi has been living in London for several years and died of heart-related issues. He is survived by wife Kalindi, son Nayan, who played for Surrey and Saurashtra, and daughter Vishakha.
Garfield Sobers, with whom Doshi shared the dressing room at Nottinghamshire, had said, 'Dilip Doshi has an immeasurable knowledge to pass on to those who want to follow his path into professional cricket. He has played at all levels over the world and there can be no one more qualified to talk about the art of spin bowling.'
Former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said, 'It is an extremely painful and personal loss for me. Dilip was not only one of the legendary cricketers, but also one of the finest human beings I have ever known. His noble heart, integrity, and priceless dedication to the game made him truly special.'