Sunil Gavaskar turns 75: Celebrating little master’s top 10 knocks

Legendary former India captain and one of the greatest opening batters of all-time Sunil Gavaskar has turned 75 on Wednesday.

Gavaskar, or ‘Sunny G’ as he is fondly known as, dictated the cricket pitch and dominated fast bowlers with his unbreachable defence and near-perfect technique.

The batting great played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs for India. In the longer format, Gavaskar scored 10,122 runs with the highest score of 236 not out. In total, he scored 34 centuries and 45 fifties. In the shorter format, the master batter made 3,092 runs with an unbeaten 103 as his highest.

Born in Mumbai, Gavaskar represented his team in 348 First-Class matches, amassing 25,834 runs with 81 centuries, 105 half-centuries and a triple-century in his glittering career.

Here are Sunil Gavaskar’s top 10 knocks of his international career:

1) 236 not out vs West Indies, 1983: In the sixth and final match of West Indies’ tour of India in Chennai, Gavaskar made his highest Test score of 236 – highest by an Indian batter then – in 425 balls that lasted 644 minutes. He came into bat at number four after India lost two wickets without a run on board. Add to it, he achieved this score on the last day of the Test match. India drew the match but lost the series 3-0.

He scored 220 in the second innings during a Test match against West Indies in Port of Spain in 1971.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

2) 220 vs West Indies, 1971: In the final match of India’s tour of West Indies, the visitor only needed a draw to clinch a historic series win over the host. It was Gavaskar, playing his debut Test series, who made sure India did just that as he scored a record 220 in Port of Spain in the second innings. His remarkable knock saw him battle through the West Indian attack for 529 minutes. India clinched the series 1-0.

During the Port of Spain Test in 1971, Gavaskar scored 124 in the first innings as well.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

3) 124 vs West Indies, 1971: In the same Test in Port of Spain, Gavaskar was the one who gave India a total to challenge the West Indian batting power with his 124-run knock that included just 11 boundaries. India scored 360 in the first innings.

Gavaskar scored an attacking 103 not out of 88 balls during World Cup 1987 match against New Zealand.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

4) 103 not out vs New Zealand, 1987: In the World Cup match against New Zealand, Gavaskar scored his maiden ODI hundred in what was a rather uncharacteristic knock by the little master. In India’s 222-run chase in Kanpur, opener Gavaskar scored an attacking hundred in 88 balls that consisted of 10 fours and three sixes. His unbeaten century helped India enter the semifinals of the tournament.

Gavaskar during his 221-run knock against England at the Oval.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

5) 221 vs England, 1979: In what was then called one his finest knocks, Gavaskar scored 221 runs in a record 438-run chase which India fell short only by nine runs but drew the game against England at the Oval. He first recorded 213-run first wicket stand with Chetan Chauhan (80), and then added 153 with Dilip Vengsarkar (52) for the second. His 490-minute marathon knock included 21 fours.

Gavaskar scored 102 runs against West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

6) 102 vs West Indies, 1976: Gavaskar’s habit of scoring big against West Indies continued in Port of Spain where he helped India chase a 403-run target with ease. The legendary opener set up the chase with 102 runs on a pitch that kept getting slow and difficult to score off. Gundappa Viswanath later hit an unbeaten hundred to finish the chase.

Gavaskar scored 96 against Pakistan on a minefield pitch of Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

7) 96 vs Pakistan, 1987: On a minefield pitch of Bengaluru where the rest of the Indian batters struggled, Gavaskar stood tall in India’s 221-run chase against Pakistan, scoring an excellent 96. Though India fell short by 16 runs, the opening batter had kept the hopes alive during his 320-minute stay at the crease where he faced 264 balls showcasing his defensive technique.

Gavaskar scored his first Test century against Australia in Brisbane.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

8) 113 vs Australia, 1977: In yet another big chase for India, of 341, this time against Australia, Gavaskar once again turned up to keep his team interested. He scored his first Test century against Australia in Brisbane and carried the chase for nearly 320 minutes. However, lack of solid support from the other end kept India away from the finish line by 17 runs.

Gavaskar scored an unbeaten 127 against Pakistan and became the first Indian to carry the bat in Tests.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

9) 127 not out vs Pakistan, 1983: Gavaskar scored an unbeaten 127 and became the first Indian to carry the bat in Tests, as rest of the Indian batters crumbled against the likes of Imran Khan. His battle against Pakistan’s great bowler is one to remember as the opening bat survived the speed and accuracy of Imran. His knock in Faisalabad was perfectly described as ‘emperor among the ruins’ by R. Mohan.

Gavaskar scored a century in just 94 balls against West Indies in Delhi.
| Photo Credit:
Hindu Archives

10) 121 vs West Indies, 1983: It took Gavaskar just 94 balls to reach his hundred in Delhi against the mighty West Indian attack as he recorded the then fifth fastest Test hundred. His counter-attacking knock also got him to his 29th Test century – a feat then only achieved by Donald Bradman before him.