'Mushtaq was a crowd-puller'

Former India players Polly Umrigar and Madhav Mantri condoled the demise of former Test great Mushtaq Ali, who passed away on Saturday morning at his hometown, Indore.

"His entry on the ground used to be greeted with huge applause. Tall and upright, he was an unorthodox opener who felt attack was the best form of defence," said former India stumper Mantri, who played with Mushtaq during the Commonwealth team's visit in the early 1950s.

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"Mushtaq was a real crowd-puller whose double century partnership with Vijay Merchant for the first wicket in 1936 at Old Trafford, Manchester, England is still remembered," added the maternal uncle of cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar.

"During that century knock when he was in the 90s England great Walter Hammond walked up to him and told him to be a bit more cautious as centuries don't come that easily. He was that sort of a batsman," recalled Mantri.

"Though we were part of the Commonwealth squad we never played together in the playing eleven as when I was in the reserves he was in the eleven and vice-versa," he said.

Mantri said Mushtaq was "a soft-spoken man, very amiable on the field and had no airs about himself".

"He was a thorough gentleman and we had excellent rapport even after our playing days."

Umrigar, who as a youngster played with Mushtaq during the Commonwealth series of the early 1950s, recalled an innings by the great opener against Ben Barnett's SJOC team (also known as the third Commonwealth team) in the 1954 series at Lucknow.

"Sam Loxton (the Australian all-rounder who opened the bowling with Peter Loader) was so impressed with his knock of 70 not out (Mushtaq made 58 in the first innings) at one down that he said if he can bat like this consistently he must be the best opener in the world," recalled the former India skipper.

Mushtaq, in fact, was not chosen for the first four Test of the series against the Silver Jubilee Overseas Cricketers' squad, before impressing with his two half centuries in the fifth and final unofficial Test at Lucknow.

"He was a fearless hooker of the ball, one of the finest to play the shot, and used to step out and play the shot against the fast bowlers. He was an attacking batsman right from the word go. He was also a thorough gentleman," said Umrigar.