One of India's legendary cricketers and former captain Sunil Gavaskar celebrates his 74th birthday today.
Known affectionately as 'Sunny' and 'Little Master,' Gavaskar's extraordinary career is characterized by breaking and setting numerous batting records, which included the era of West Indies' fast bowling attack that is still considered the fiercest ever.
Between 1971 and 1987, Gavaskar played several historic and heroic innings in the longest and toughest format of the game. His memorable knocks on challenging pitches elevated him to the status of a legend.
Despite learning the game on the dusty pitches of his hometown Mumbai, he displayed equal comfort while playing on the bounciest Caribbean tracks or turning Indian subcontinent surfaces, wearing just a skull cap.
An integral part of India's historic 1983 World Cup-winning squad, Gavaskar once held the record for the most centuries in Test matches. He accumulated over 10,000 runs in Test cricket, including 34 centuries and 45 half-centuries. Even today, some of his remarkable records continue to stand the test of time.
In March 1987, Gavaskar became the first cricketer to reach the milestone of 10,000 Test runs, an achievement that was unimaginable at that time.
By the end of his illustrious career, the 'Little Master' had amassed a staggering 10,122 runs, a dizzying number considering the challenging conditions he faced against renowned fast bowlers like Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Jeff Thompson and Denis Lillee.
Gavaskar's record of the most number of Test centuries (34) remained unassailable for a considerable period, until it was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar in 2005.
His dominance against the West Indies was particularly notable, as he smashed 13 centuries in 27 Tests against them. During the '70s and '80s, the West Indies possessed a formidable bowling attack, but Gavaskar thrived and achieved batting milestones against some of the world's most feared fast bowlers.
In his debut series against the West Indies in 1971, he amassed an impressive 774 runs and also scored a double century. In the final Test of the series, he struck a century and a double century, making 220 in India's second innings, with only one other batsman crossing the 50-run mark. The match ended in a draw, securing India's historic first Test series victory in the Caribbean.
While his batting prowess is legendary, Gavaskar was also an astute fielder and a leader. Excluding wicketkeepers, he became the first Indian fielder to achieve the milestone of 100 catches in Test cricket.
(With agency inputs)
