Dilip Sardesai 212 against West Indies at Kingston 1971
In 1971 India’s tour of West Indies marked the beginning of a historical ear in Indian cricket. The series especially remember as the debut series of Sunil Gavaskar. But more than Gavaskar it was Dilip Sardesai’s outstanding batting showed India’s determination to play against the best side of that era. The West Indies team was led by Gary Sobers and India by Ajit Wadekar.
Nobody expected a good show from Indian side as West Indies were a formidable side and at home, they could humiliate any team of the of the world.
In the first Test, India batting first lost three quick wickets as usual. Opener Abid Ali and Kenia Jayantilal were dismissed by Grayson Shillingford. Vanburn Holder was the most successful bowler as he took four wickets.
Indian batsmen failed to throw a challenge to West Indies bowler besides two- Sardesai and Eknath Solkar.
Sardesai exhibiting his classic stroke play he frustrated West Indies bowlers. He was brilliant at the Sabina Park pitch. He got the going and sliced and thrashed the bowlers. With 17 boundaries and one six, Dilip Sardesai scored his double hundred. He was dismissed for 212 by Holder. Sardesai built an unlikely partnership with Eknath Solkar, who showed his grit and scored 61 off 198 balls. The partnership helped India to produce a shocker. The match was drawn. Solkar throughout the series showed his grit and played second fiddle in difficult conditions.