Suresh Saraiya, who died of a heart attack on Wednesday, was indeed the voice of cricket for millions of Indians who followed his inimitable style of commentary on All India Radio (AIR) for well over four decades. u00a0It is hard to believe that the man, who painted a vivid picture of India’s historic Test victories in the minds of radio listeners; be it from Auckland, Trinidad, London or his beloved Mumbai, is no more. u00a0India’s sports broadcasting fraternity has lost one of its pillars through the passing away of Suresh Saraiya (76). It will be a void hard to fill. u00a0In his unfortunate demise, a legacy has come to an end; one that began with his Test match commentary debut at the Brabourne Stadium in 1969 when India took on the Bill Lawry- led Australian team.

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It seems only yesterday; in fact, a few days after he celebrated his 76th birthday on June 20 June that one had an opportunity to interact with him during the AGM of the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM). u00a0He looked hale and hearty then, although feeling slightly lonely. This loneliness is something that had haunted him ever since he lost his beloved wife, Meera (a fine AIR announcer herself) some years back. u00a0During this difficult period too, cricket commentary was Saraiya’s soothing balm.

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