Ajit Wadekar
Ajit WadekarReuters

Former India cricket captain Ajit Wadekar passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. He was 77.

Wadekar had played 37 Tests and led India to historic triumphs in the West Indies and England in the 1970s.

Under him, India had won five matches in the West Indies in the early 1970s before beating England in a three-match series.

Wadekar, who scored 2,113 Test runs with 14 half-centuries and a century, had led India to a third successive series victory, beating England once again in 1972-73.

He also appeared in two One-day Internationals.

An aggressive left-handed batsman, Wadekar had made his first-class debut in 1958-59 before making his India debut in 1966-67.

After retirement, he had also served as the manager of the team led by Mohammed Azharuddin in the 1990s.