Syed Abid Ali: 'Lion-hearted cricketer who always put team first'

'He was a thorough gentleman with impeccable manners who spoke professorially.'

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar paid tribute to his former team-mate Syed Abid Ali, who passed away on Wednesday.

Gavaskar, who played 15 Tests alongside Abid Ali, described him as a 'lion-hearted cricketer'.

'Very sad news, he was a lion-hearted cricketer who did anything the team needed. Despite being an all-rounder who batted in the middle order he opened the batting when needed,' said Gavaskar.

'Took some incredible catches in the leg cordon adding an even sharper edge to our wonderful spin quartet. As a new ball bowler he has the unique record of getting a wicket with the first ball of a Test match twice if memory serves me right.'

Born in Hyderabad, Abid Ali represented India in 29 Test matches between 1967 and 1974. In a rare and remarkable feat, Abid Ali opened both the batting and bowling for India in seven Tests -- twice in New Zealand (1968), three times at home against the same opposition (1969), and twice more in the West Indies (1971).

'He loved the tip and run and when promoted up the order in my debut Test match this tactic resulted in some overthrows which reduced the pressure considerably. He was a thorough gentleman with impeccable manners who spoke professorially,' added Gavaskar.