Contractor, 88, has always known the value of the plate. It was Dr Chandy who had urged him to start playing cricket after the injury.

Contractor thought the neurosurgeon was being ridiculous with his view. He quoted the doctor as saying in an interview to this writer in 2014: “Normally, an operation 30 to 45 minutes. Yours took two and a half hours. Do you know why it took that long? It’s because instead of putting a mesh, which we do normally, I have put a metal plate, which is heat and cold proof and I have made perforations for the nerves to tighten it and that took time. I had to cut the metal so that if you get hit on this side [right] again, nothing will happen to you.”

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.76%

AAP 43.10%

INC 24.14%

Submit

View All In Poll

Remarkably, Contractor made a comeback to first-class cricket in 1962-63 and played domestic cricket for Gujarat (Ranji Trophy) and West Zone (Duleep Trophy) till 1970-71. He was a contender for India’s 1967-68 tour of Australia, but didn’t get picked. Hoshedar told mid-day on Monday that he has received tremendous support from the BCCI in the build-up to his father’s operation.