The only cricketer in the world, who made the umpire his ‘hair dresser’, got his hair cut in the live match

New Delhi. There are many such stories recorded in the history of cricket which spread a smile on the faces of the fans amidst the seriousness of the game. One such very interesting and unique incident is related to Sunil Gavaskar, one of the greatest batsmen of Indian cricket. Gavaskar, popularly known as ‘Little Master’, was known for his solid technique and concentration on the field. But do you know that due to his concentration during a test match, his hair had grown long, after which the umpire had to cut his hair in the middle of the field? Let us know this interesting and historical story, which had created a new history in the cricket world.

This incident happened in the year 1974, when the Indian team was on the tour of England. The Old Trafford ground of Manchester was witnessing a tough competition between India and England. In that period, Sunil Gavaskar used to come on the field with his stylish look and slightly long hair. To face the fast and flying balls of England, it was very important for the batsman to concentrate completely on the ball. Strong winds were blowing during the match. When Gavaskar was batting, his long hair was repeatedly appearing in front of his eyes due to the gusts of wind. Because of this, he was having a lot of trouble in seeing and judging the ball properly. Struggling for every run, Gavaskar realized that if he did not find a solution immediately, he might lose his wicket.

When umpire dickie bird held scissors
Sunil Gavaskar chose a unique way to deal with this problem. He sought help from the umpire Dicky Bird standing at the crease, who is considered one of the best umpires in the history of cricket. Gavaskar told Dickie Bird that his front hair was bothering him a lot and he wanted to cut it a little shorter. Umpire Dicky Bird was also surprised at that time. Fortunately, Dickie Bird had a small pair of scissors in his pocket, which he usually used to cut the thread or seam of the ball. Without any delay, Bird took out the scissors and started trimming Sunil Gavaskar’s hair right in the middle of the field during the live match.

Seeing this scene, the England players present on the field and the spectators sitting in the stands could not stop laughing. While cutting his hair, umpire Dicky Bird was smiling and muttering to himself, ‘I don’t know what the umpire has to do these days.’ After this unique ‘haircut’ of Dickie Bird, Gavaskar got relief and he continued his batting without any interruption. This incident became one of the funniest and memorable moments in cricket history.

When Gavaskar’s name echoed in West Indies in historic debut
As famous as Sunil Gavaskar’s on-field stories are, his cricket career has also been equally incomparable. This great batsman made his Test debut in the year 1971 on the dangerous pitches of West Indies. When he came out to bat for the first time on the ground of Port of Spain, the world saw the rise of a new star. Gavaskar scored a brilliant 65 runs in the first innings of his debut Test, while in the second innings also he made a very important contribution of 67 runs. In this match, the Indian team created history and defeated West Indies for the first time in a Test match on its own soil.

A record that has not been broken till date
That historic series of 1971 is remembered not only for India’s victory, but also for the incredible record of Sunil Gavaskar, which no batsman in the world has been able to break till date. Batting without a helmet against the fearsome fast bowlers of the West Indies, Gavaskar scored a total of 774 runs at an incredible average of 154.80 in that debut series.

During this series, he scored 4 brilliant centuries and 3 half-centuries. In the history of cricket, this is the highest score made by any batsman in his debut test series till date. This performance of Gavaskar was not just a mountain of runs, but it taught Indian cricket to win abroad and instilled a new confidence in the team. Sunil Gavaskar scored 774 runs against West Indies, which changed the fate of Indian cricket. He was not just a batsman but became the wall of Indian cricket.