Narottam Puri was one of the most easily recognizable faces of Indian cricket during the 1970s and '80s.

That was the time when the sport itself was growing more popular by the day on the cricket-crazy Subcontinent, and Puri provided the ball-by-ball Test commentaries on television - a medium which itself was in its early growth mode, with faces that appeared on the small screen becoming instantly recognizable among the public.

 Add to that his own passion for the sport, his instantly likeable nature, his depth of knowledge about the game, his innate humility and decency - and it is easy to understand why cricket in India became so closely associated with the name 'Dr Narottam Puri'.