Dilip Doshi, former India left-arm spinner, dies aged 77

Dilip Doshi, the former India left-arm spinner, has died on Monday aged 77. ESPNcricinfo understands he died due to heart issues in London, where he was living for several decades.

Doshi, who bowled with a classical left-armer's action, took 114 Test wickets in 33 appearances, including six five-wicket hauls. He also picked up 22 wickets in 15 ODIs at an economy rate of 3.96. Doshi also played first-class cricket for Saurashtra, Bengal, Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire.

Doshi followed in the footsteps of the famous spin quartet the 1970s, and made his Test debut at the age of 32. He was also heavily influenced by West Indies legend Garfield Sobers at Nottinghamshire. Doshi made a quick and silent exit from international cricket in the 1980s as he did not agree with the way Indian cricket was being run at the time. Doshi also wrote a honest and compelling account of his cricketing days in a revealing autobiography Spin Punch.

In an conversation with ESPNcricinfo in 2008, Doshi said "spin bowling is a battle of wits." Doshi was known as a thinking cricketer and brought those characteristics to the fore in the Melbourne Test of 1981 - which India won - in which he played one of the leading roles with a five-wicket haul. Doshi, who used to bowl sporting spectacles, played the famous Test with a broken toe. As treatment, at the end of the day, he would apply electrode every evening to keep the swelling down.

Over the years, Doshi was a regular at cricket games, often spotted with Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, who became a good friend from 1976. Doshi is survived by his wife Kalindi, son Nayan, who played for Surrey and Saurashtra, and daughter Vishakha.