The spinner who battled fractured toe for India's glory at MCG 1981

Former India left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi, who famously bowled through a fractured toe to claim a five-wicket haul in India's memorable victory against Australia in the 1981 Melbourne Test, passed away in London following a cardiac arrest. He was 77.

- TRIDIB BAPARNASH

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar led the tributes to Doshi, as the Indian and England teams, currently competing in the first Test at Headingley, wore black armbands in his honour.

Recalling his first meeting with the "warm-hearted" Doshi during a tour of the UK in 1990, Tendulkar said, "He was really fond of me, and I reciprocated his feelings. A warm-hearted soul like Dilip-bhai will be deeply missed. I will miss those cricketing conversations which we invariably had."

Doshi, who followed in the footsteps of the famous spin quartet of the 1970s, and made his Test debut at the age of 32, with a classical left-arm spinner's action, took 114 Test wickets from 33 appearances, including six five-wicket hauls. He was exceptional at home during the first three seasons, completing 100 scalps in just 28 Tests. He also featured in 15 ODIs, taking 22 wickets during the period.

Despite spending much of his early career under the shadow of the legendary Bishan Singh Bedi, Doshi made a name for himself with his unwavering resolve, which was evident from his performance during the MCG Test of 1981. Despite battling a broken toe, Doshi was literally unplayable as he combined with Karsan Ghavri and Kapil Dev to spearhead India's victory.