Vijay Mehra dies at 68

[Colourful Chaddi]

Vijay Mehra, the former Indian opener, has died of a heart attack in Delhi this morning. Mehra's death was sudden and he collapsed while reading a newspaper at 8.15 am, it was reported. He was 68.

He was just 17 when he made his debut, played eight Tests for India between 1955 and 1964 and will always be remembered for his courageous 62 against England at Calcutta, a knock where he continued batting even after fracturing his right thumb. A pugnacious 62 in the second Test of the 1962 West Indies tour, when India were completely outclassed, was also one of Mehra's highpoints.

"You could call him a strokeless wonder but he was a very gutsy cricketer," Raju Bharatan, a veteran journalist, told Cricinfo. "How many players, in that era, were willing to open against pace?"

Player profile

[cantplaycantalk]

It was probably caused by reading how much Hair was asking for to go away!

[cantplaycantalk]

Although taking it seriously as I should, sympathy to his family and friends, to those of us in middle age and beyond 68 does not seem a big number, and I suspect his family and friend would wish it considerably increased.

[Lemming]

Best wishes to Mehra's friends and family.

[Mr Hutt]

inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun

another great guy's lights just went out.... they are dropping like flies these days