Which fielder who has held at least fifty catches has the highest catches to matches ratio in the entire 125 odd year history of Test cricket?

Eknath Solkar, of course. "Ekki" as he was popularly known, snagged 53 catches in 27 matches, including 48 off the famed Indian Spin Quartet of Bedi, Chandrasekhar, Prasanna and Venkataraghvan.

The interesting thing about his nearly 2 catches per match average is that he rarely fielded in the slips or in the gully, unlike the other fielders who have ratios above 1.5 catches per match.

India didn't even have a pace attack worthy of much slip fielding during Solkar's playing days. He was instead India's secret weapon during the early to mid 1970s when India won back to back Test series in West Indies, England and India, adding a razor sharp catching edge to India's already formidable spin attack. Solkar led other superb catchers such as Ajit Wadekar, Abid Ali and Venkatraghavan, in picking up half chances or even quarter chances. He and the others epitomized the much repeated cliche that catches win matches.

But it was not just his AMAZING catching at the short leg position, but also his dependable batting in the lower order as well, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Dependable." Of slim build Solkar partnered the rotund Dilip Sardesai in so many a rescue acts in the West Indies in 1971 that theirs soon became known as the "Laurel and Hardy Act" among West Indian fans.

Of humble origins, Solkar was the son of the groundsman (Mali) at the P.J. Hindu Gymkhana in Bombay. He shared a dingy one-room/kitchen quarter behind the grounds with five other siblings and his parents. Forced to spend most of his time on the grounds itself, where his talent was spotted by Gymkhana members, he was coached by stalwarts like Vinoo Mankad and Ramnath Kenny in the Nets at the ground. With innate talent and hard work he became that rare Test cricketer, picked in a team for his fielding alone, with his dogged batting and regulation left arm medium pace bowling as added bonus.

Fielding at backward or forward short leg, Solkar's anticipation, lightening quick reflexes, and superb concentration, all without the protection of a helmet, arm-guards and shin-guards is difficult to describe. Photos capture some of the magic, but even they cannot do justice to his supreme skill at this very dangerous position.

The best way is to let Solkar himself describe his best catches as reported in the Illustrated Weekly of India in 1979.

"Great or not, there were two catches I held in the second innings of the August 1971 Oval Test that I'll always remember since they led to our first victory over England in England....As Fletcher stabbed at Chandra, I was a good seven yards away, I had therefore, to dive forward in the style of a goalkeeper and only just managed to reach the catch. As I got my hands to it, I could scarcely conceal my triumph, as Fletcher was England's best player of spin and could have held us up. He now left without scoring, but within the hour came another stern test. This time from Knott, another who had frustrated our spin more than once after we'd cut through the top half of the English batting. I was therefore extra alert, ready to hold not just the half-chance but even the quarter-chance! And a quarter-chance is what one critic called the catch that now came, with Knott barely off the mark."

Solkar continues, "The moment he got a bat-pad edge I'd moved forward in anticipation, for the wicket of Knott mattered like nothing else on earth at that time. Even so I could see I was going to be late - the ball was barely a yard or so off Knott's bat. I went into the dive of my life and somehow got there! For an agonizing moment the ball rested on the finger-tips of my "cupped" hands and could have dropped off. But I somehow pulled it back into the two handed "hollow" of my hands and Venkat had given India the wicket she needed most!"

Another amazing catch Solkar mentions is that off Tony Lewis, the England Captain,this time in the Calcutta Test of 1972-73. Solkar describes how "Bedi and Chandra had the English on such a tight rein that Lewis lost his cool. He was stampeded by Bedi into playing a wild heave. Now Lewis had powerful shoulders and when he went for the heave, my first instinct was to shield myself by turning my back on the ball. Even as I did so, Farokh Engineer shouted: "Hold it, Ekki!!" I whipped round to sight the ball dropping, presumably off bat and pad, a good seven-eight yards from where I was. There seemed little hope of reaching it even with a full dive. But I dived all the same and was pleasantly surprised to get my left hand under the ball! So great was my elation that even as I held it, I was up on my toes and gratefully throwing the ball up."

With the heavier bats used by batsmen and equally daunting protective gear worn by short leg fielders today, it is unlikely we will ever see a pure short leg specialist the likes of Eknath Solkar again. Thus those who saw him live or even on TV, with its rudimentary coverage, will always consider themselves privileged.

Gaurang
© Indian Cricket Fever

Cricinfo database on Eknath Solkar

Indian Cricket Fever Hall of Fame

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