Former Test cricketer Arvind Apte dead

Former India opener Arvind Laxman Apte, who was suffering from prostate cancer, died in Pune Tuesday evening. He was 79.

Apte, who would have turned 80 on Oct 24, is survived by a daughter and son-in-law.

Apte went on the tour of England in 1959. Incidentally, after that tour, it is only for the second time that India, currently touring England, are playing a five-Test series.

The third opener of the team, captained by Dattajirao Gaekwad, Apte opened the innings with Pankaj Roy in the third Test at Leeds, coming in for injured Nari Contractor, and was dismissed in both the innings for 8 and 7 by fast bowler Alan Moss.

He played 58 first class matches -- 14 for Bombay and 13 for Rajasthan and the rest for various other teams -- and scored 2,782 runs with six centuries and 15 half centuries.

His elder brother Madhav Apte also played seven Tests for India.

A keen follower of cricket, Arvind and Madhav took time off their textile business to go and watch the Lord's Test with a couple of their friends every year for the last two decades.