New Delhi. In the history of Indian cricket, there have been some players who not only played the game but also gave it a new identity and new self-respect. Today i.e. 10th July is the birthday of one of India’s greatest batsmen, Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. Born on 10 July 1949, Gavaskar is known for his technical accuracy, unmatched concentration and strong determination to stand like a rock on the pitch. One of the most courageous and strong opening batsmen in the history of Test cricket, Gavaskar’s contribution to Indian cricket is incomparable. At that time, he faced the most dangerous and dreaded fast bowlers of the world, especially the deadly pace attack of the West Indies, without wearing a helmet. On the basis of his fearlessness, he became the first batsman in the world to touch the magical figure of 10,000 runs in the history of Test cricket.
Sunil Gavaskar struggled day in and day out on the pitch against the Caribbean, English, Australian and Pakistani bowlers to keep the Indian team standing strong. He changed the world’s perception towards Indian cricket on the global stage and brought great respect to the country in the cricket world. In his illustrious career of 16 years, he played 125 Test matches and scored 10,122 runs with the help of 34 centuries, which inspired the coming generations of batsmen to play for the country. As a captain too, he left a deep mark and led India to win the prestigious ‘Benson & Hedges World Championship’ of 1985 on Australian soil.
Sunil Gavaskar was known as Little Master in world cricket.
Why was Gavaskar called ‘Little Master’?
Sunil Gavaskar is considered to be the real and first ‘Little Master’ of Indian cricket. This iconic name was given to him by fans and commentators for his amazing and artistic batting in the 70s and 80s. Even though Gavaskar was small in physical stature, when he came to the crease at his peak against the most dangerous bowlers in the world, his exploits touched the sky. Due to his unmatched technique, strong defense and calm nature, the title of ‘Little Master’ completely suited this great player.
Amazing career statistics and historic achievements
If we talk about statistics, Gavaskar scored 10,122 runs in 214 innings of 125 matches played in his Test career at an excellent average of 51.12. During this period, 34 centuries and 45 half-centuries came from his bat. His performance in ODI cricket was also commendable, where he scored 3,092 runs in 108 matches at an average of 35.13, which included 27 half-centuries and one century. Initially, critics did not consider Gavaskar to be suitable for ODI due to his slow batting, but he gave a befitting reply to his critics by playing a stormy innings of 103 not out on just 88 balls against New Zealand in the 1987 World Cup.
Many big records are registered in the name of Gavaskar. Apart from being the first player to touch the mark of 10,000 runs in Test, he had scored 774 runs in his debut series itself. He did this historic feat in 1971 against his favorite opposition team West Indies at the age of just 21, which helped India win the series for the first time on Caribbean soil. Furthermore, he became the first batsman in the world to break the great Sir Don Bradman’s record of 29 Test centuries. His world record of 34 centuries stood till 2005, which was later broken by the great Sachin Tendulkar.
For his great services to the country, the Government of India awarded him the prestigious ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 1980, while the BCCI gave him the ‘Colonel CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2012. In the year 1996, to honor the cricketing relations between India and Australia, the boards of both the countries jointly started the ‘Border-Gavaskar Trophy’.
10 interesting and unheard stories related to Sunil Gavaskar
There are some unheard facts related to Gavaskar’s life and career, which are as interesting as his game:
Baby swap in hospital: Gavaskar himself had once revealed that at the time of birth, the hospital staff had mistakenly switched him with a fisherman’s child. His uncle had noticed a special mark near his ear, due to which he could be correctly identified and he could return to his family.
Record of centuries in innings: He is the only Indian batsman who has scored centuries in both innings of the same Test match three times. Along with this, he is also the fastest Indian to score 5,000 test runs.
Historic 221-run innings in England: Gavaskar had played a memorable marathon innings of 221 runs on the soil of England, which is counted among the best and classic innings in the history of Indian cricket and it proved the mettle of Indians on foreign pitches.
Records of century partnerships: Gavaskar was a part of century partnerships a record 58 times in his career, and the special thing is that he made these partnerships with 18 different players.
Great fielder: He became the first non-wicketkeeper Indian player to record more than 100 catches in Test cricket.
Bat carrying feat: By scoring an unbeaten 127 runs in the Faisalabad Test against Pakistan in 1983, he became the first Indian to ‘carry his bat’ (remain unbeaten from start to finish in the entire innings) in a Test match.
Wisden Cricketer of the Year: In the year 1980, the prestigious cricket magazine ‘Wisden’ selected him among the best cricketers of the year.
Sheriff of Bombay: Apart from sports, in view of his contribution to the society, in the year 1994, he was appointed Sheriff of Mumbai (then Bombay), which is an honorary post of one year.
MCC Cowdrey Lecture: In 2003, he became the first and so far the only Indian cricketer to deliver the prestigious ‘MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture’.
Interim President of BCCI: In the year 2014, considering the demands of the circumstances, he was also appointed the interim President of BCCI for some time.
