Eknath Solkar: All heart and lots of soul

It was 1969 and the Ranji Trophy final against Bengal was only six days away. Suddenly, Eknath Solkar got to know that his father had slipped down the stairs at the PJ Hindu Gymkhana and was in a coma. Dhondu Solkar, the old groundsman of the gymkhana spent all his life working so that biggies could enjoy the game.
Twenty-year-old Eknath had to make the biggest decision of his life - to play or not to play the final.Days passed, but his father was not responding to treatment. The Ranji Trophy final was coming nearer. Mumbai needed Eknath's all-round capabilities . He hadn't slept for a week. Eventually he decided to play the match, not mentioning anything about his father's condition to anyone. Seeking sympathy wasn't his way of leading a life.
Chasing Bengal's 377, Mumbai lost Ajit Wadekar, Sudhir Naik, Ashok Mankad and Vijay Bhosle with 300 on the board. Wadekar was bowled by a beauty from Dilip Doshi and when Ramesh Bhatia sent back Ashok Mankad, Mumbai had only Solkar and Milind Rege left as recognised batsmen. Seventy seven runs were required to get the first innings lead which looked impossible with the two inexperienced 20-year olds.
At stumps, Solkar and Rege, hadn't even crossed double digits. Tension was very much evident. All they could do is hope that Solkar and Rege pull them through next day. Just then, news came through that Solkar Sr had passed away. Early morning, Eknath lit the funeral pyre with tears rolling down his cheeks. The demise of his father further reminded him of his team's plight.
As the entire Solkar family mourned, Eknath turned to his elders in the family in the crematorium and said that his team needed him. He had to go. His eyes were moist as he entered the CCI pavilion . But when he walked out with Rege, there was no trace of anything but determination .
He had left everything behind . With Rege, he batted with tremendous courage while facing the Bengal new ball attack. They played out the crucial period thus helping Mumbai gain the vital first-innings lead to win the Ranji Trophy.
A great close-in fielder, Eknath Solkar's blinders at forward short-leg made India's spin quartet look invincible. Out of his 53 Test catches, 48 came off the four great spinners .
Bishan Bedi remembers him catching Tony Lewis in the Kolkata Test in 1973. "Tony went for a big shot and Ekki standing at forward short-leg took a rare evasive action. He ducked, but then, hearing the bat not middle the ball, quickly turned around and dived to pick up an unbelievable catch. Tony took a while to leave, reluctantly acknowledging a superb feat. No one will forget Ekki catching Alan Knott in the Oval Test that we won in 1971".
Once, E A S Prasanna asked Solkar, "Don't you need an abdomen guard?' His reply was "For what?" "That summed up his confidence" , says Prasanna.
"Today, I see fielders at that position with protective gear and yet, they drop sitters. We spinners owe our success to Ekki, a great team man, outstanding fielder and an innocent boy. Against England in 1973 at Chepauk, I injured my spinning finger and having taped it, I was in the pavilion. Mike Denness was batting like a champion. Ekki kept on asking me from the ground to come back and bowl. He had observed something in Denness's footwork and when I went out, we discussed a ploy which worked. Denness jabbed and the ball flew sharply to the wrong side of Ekki who caught it brilliantly . I took 4-16 in 10 overs and we won the Test" .
Sunil Gavaskar considers Eknath as one of his closest friends. "On overseas tours, I have never seen any Indian have the confidence of Ekki. Like Kapil Dev, he was a natural sportsman and could have been in any other sport. I miss him and always remember him on his birthday. This year, the day India recorded a great win by beating Pakistan in the Asia Cup, it was Ekki's birthday. I wished he saw it. But I am sure from up there, wherever he is, Ekki would have cheered" .
Solkar passed away in 2005.
A groundsman's son, his hardwork and enthusiasm made him a Test player. Never forgetting humility and always concerned about the team more than himself. He was a reflection of an era that is long gone.
He will always be remembered not for what he made for himself, but for what he did for his team.