Tiger Pataudi dies at 70

New Delhi, Sept 22 (IBNS) Former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi passed away here on Thursday evening after battling lung infection for a month.

He was 70 and is survived by wife, veteran actress Sharmila Tagore, and three children - daughters Soha and Saba and son Saif.

Pataudi was admitted at the Sir Gangaram Hospital here earlier this month and was in the intensive care unit (ICU)

"He died at 5.55 p.m.. His lungs were were not functioning at all," a senior doctor said.

Pataudi was born on Jan 5, 1941, played 46 Test matches for India between 1961 and 1975. He captained 40 of 46 Tests out which India won nine.

He was born in 1941 in Bhopal, to former India captain and the eighth Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan, who also played for England, and Sajida Sultan, second daughter of the last ruling nawab of Bhopal. Cricket was always in Pataudi´s blood.

He spent his formative years at Welham Boys´ School in Dehradun and then went to England like his father to study at Lockers Park Prep School in Hertfordshire, Winchester College and Balliol College, Oxford.

A car accident permanently damaged vision in his right eye when he was only 20. This, however, did not affect his widely acclaimed playing skills and few month later he made his international debut.

But limited eyesight was never a handicap for him.

He made his debut against England in 1961 and scored his maiden ton, a classy 103, in his third Test against England to set-up a 128-run win in Chennai. The innings earned him a berth for the Caribbean tour.

A nasty injury to Nari Contractor, who had to undergo a brain operation after being hit by a Charlie Griffith bouncer, changed Pataudi´s fortunes, who had to miss the first two Tests against the West Indies.

Pataudi, on March 23, 1962, at the age of 21 years and 79 days, became the youngest cricketer to captain any country in a Test match.

Pataudi´s highest, 203 not out, was against against one of the finest fast bowling attacks of Colin Cowdrey´s England at the Ferozeshah Kotla here in his 10th Test match in 1964.

Pataudi retired from international cricket in 1975 after playing 46 Test matches and scored 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91.

BCCI president N.Srinivasan said Pataudi was an exemplary individual, who guided Indian cricket to unprecedented heights, as batsman, fielder and captain.

"He revolutionised fielding standards in the Indian team, and across the country. In an age wherein a draw was considered as good as a win, Tiger Pataudi encouraged his players to go flat out for victory," said Srinivasan.

"He was an aggressive batsman who excelled in crisis situations, and showed the nation how to combat adversity. I join my colleagues in the BCCI to express my condolences at his passing away. His services to Indian cricket will never be forgotten," said Srinivasan.