Deepak Shodhan: 10 facts you need to know about India's oldest Test cricketer

Deepak Shodhan, India's oldest Test cricket cricketer, passed away on Monday in Ahmedabad aged 87, after a battle with lung cancer. Shodhan is known for hitting a century in his debut Test innings at the Eden Gardens against Pakistan in 1952 and was the first Indian to do so.

However, his career, unfortunately, came to a halt after three matches during India's tour of West Indies in 1962 due to unknown reasons. The oldest living cricketer now is Dattajirao Gaekwad, who also captained the Indian team in 1959.

Here are the 10 things you need to know about the veteran cricketer:

1. His full name is Roshan Harshadlal Shodhan, but was known in the cricketing circuit as Deepak. He was a left-handed batsman who was also a left-arm medium pacer.

2. He was selected in the Indian cricket team after he scored 89* for the West Zone against Pakistan earlier in the tour. He was the 12^th man for the 1952 Calcutta Test and came to the field after skipper Vijay Hazare did not play.

3. During his debut match, the Indian team was struggling against Pakistan after being reduced to 179/6. Shodhan stepped in at number eight and smashed a century (110), hitting two boundaries to get to his ton. The match ended in a draw and India won the series 2-1.

4. Shodhan was subsequently picked for the India's tour of West Indies that winter. He made 45 and 11 in the first test at Queen's Park Oval and could not play the next three Tests due to an injury.

5. The versatile batsman made his domestic career debut in 1946-47, in the same match his older brother Jyotindra Shodhan had scored his first century. Deepak took four wickets in the first innings and three in the second.

6. Shodhan played for Gujarat and Baroda in the Ranji Trophy and was also a part of the title-winning team in 1957-58. In the 43 first class games he has played, he amassed 1802 runs with four tons and seven half-centuries. He also clinched 73 wickets at an average of 34.05.

7. He was the first Gujarat player to score a century (119) and take a five-wicket haul (5/98) in a match, a feat which was subsequently emulated by Dhiraj Parsana and Bharat Mistry.

8. The left-handed batsman had a batting average of 60.33 when he finished his career. The reasons for his exclusion from the international team were unconvincing. Many say that he was a victim of selection injustice and he had once said during an interview that the selectors then never preferred players from states like Gujarat.

9. Shodhan was never in good terms with the Indian stalwarts Vijay Hazare and Vinoo Mankad. He once told ESPNCricinfo, "Vijay Hazare, a great batsman, but not fit for the captaincy - he was too mild, defensive and would not talk to the players." It is also said that the rift between them could have been the reason behind Shodhan's omission from the national side.

10. As a youngster, Shodhan was competent in hockey, football, tennis, badminton. He had a hockey stick specially designed for him as he was a left-hander.