Published: Sep 02, 2013, 05:11 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 02, 2013, 05:11 PM (IST)
Madhav Mantri (right) served as a player, selector and manager for the Indian cricket team. He is pictured here with Dilip Vengsarkar. Photo: MCA
Sep 2, 2013
Madhav Mantri is India’s oldest living Test cricketer and he celebrated his 92nd birthday on Sunday. Despite his age he has a sharp memory and is socially active.
He follows the game through the television and newspapers. He even takes runs inside his Mumbai home. From Sunday onwards, the veteran of four Tests, has received a lot of wishes from family and close friends. Mantri’s family had come to his apartment and he cut a cake to celebrate.
“I am first class, no problem. I was born on September 1, 1921. So I have completed 92 years and the 93rd has started,” said Mantri in an upbeat mood to Mail Today.
His niece Arti said that his memory is quite strong. “He remembers his birthday; we didn’t have to tell him that. That way, memory-wise, he his pretty fine,” she said.
Not many might know, but Mantri is the maternal uncle of Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar.
Gavaskar said that his uncle was in good shape. “He is well and we had a great hour or so of reminiscing about some old games. He is looking good — touch wood — and looks as slim as he was when he was playing,” said Gavaskar to Mail Today.
Mantri was a wicketkeeper during his playing days. But he could only manage 67 runs in the four Tests that he played from 1951 to 1955. His highest score was 39.
In First-Class cricket, he played in 95 matches and scored 4,403 runs at an average of 33.86. He scored seven centuries and 26 half-centuries and his highest score was 200. He took 136 catches and affected 56 stumpings. His First-Class career lasted from 1941 to 1968.
Mantri passes time by reading and watching India matches and soap operas on the television. Arti, who lives with Mantri and her father, said, “His memory is still sharp. And he is fit physically, too. He walks from the balcony to the kitchen and he says it is like taking a run as the distance is about 22 yards. He walks for 30 minutes in the mornings and 30 minutes in the afternoons.”
He also follows a strict diet as his timings for breakfast, lunch and dinner are fixed.
Mantri’s relative Hemant Kenkre, who was a former Cricket Club of India captain, said, “He remains very punctual; in fact, much more than that. When someone invites him to a function or a cricket event and sends a car to pick him up, he gets ready before the appointed time for the cab to arrive, and starts looking down from the balcony for the vehicle.”
Arti added: “He is a director with the Saraswat Co-operative Bank Ltd — of which he was earlier the chairman — and still attends their meetings. He regularly attends cricketing events and, at times, matches.”
In May 2013, Mantri presented the prizes to the winners of the annual Under-25 Madhav Mantri Trophy organized by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).
“He is still very social. He even attended some matches of the Madhav Mantri Trophy this year, besides presenting the trophy to the winners,” concluded Arti.
Apart from being a cricketer, mantra was a national selector from 1964 to 1968. He was also the team manager during India’s tour of England in 1990 — the same series Sachin Tendulkar scored his first international century.
