Sawt Falasteen - Former India spinner Dilip Doshi dies aged 77

Doshi died in London on Monday, Indian media reported.

The left-arm spinner was already in his thirties when he made his Test debut in 1979, and finished with 114 wickets in 33 matches.

Doshi also played 15 one-day internationals for India between 1980 and 1982.

India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar praised Doshi as a "warm-hearted soul", adding he will "miss those cricketing conversations".

Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri, himself a left-arm spinner, said Doshi was "a gentleman to the core and a fine, fine bowler".

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also paid tribute to the former spinner.

Before play started on the fifth and final day of the first Test between England and India at Headingley on Tuesday, the teams lined up on the outfield to observe a minute's silence in memory of Doshi, with players and officials wearing black armbands as a mark of respect.

A bespectacled Doshi carried forward the Indian spin legacy started by the famous quartet of Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Bhagwath Chandrasekhar.

Doshi, an effective bowler even on the most placid pitches, also played English county cricket, including a long stint with Nottinghamshire.

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST