Happy birthday to Sunil Gavaskar: The first batsman to register 10,000 test runs turns 72
Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar celebrates his 72nd birthday on Saturday. On July 10, 1949, one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the game was born.
The Mumbaikar has represented India in 125 Tests, scoring 10122 runs at an average of 51.12. He has scored 34 Test centuries and 45 fifties. Gavaskar amassed 3092 runs from 108 One-Day Internationals, averaging 35.13.
Gavaskar was the first cricketer in history to surpass the 10,000 runs mark in the longest format. He reached the landmark in his 124th Test, against arch-rivals Pakistan. The former India opener was also an integral member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team.
Sunil Gavaskar, during his career, scored 13 Test centuries against the mighty West Indies. The Caribbean side was one of the toughest oppositions at the time. Their bowling unit comprised of the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Sir Andy Roberts. Gavaskar’s 13 centuries against West Indies is the maximum by any Indian against one single opposition.
On his debut series against West Indies, the master blaster scored 774 runs at an average of 154.80 in 1971. It is also the joint second-highest by any cricketer in a Test series with four matches, with Sir Vivian Richards leading the charts by 829 runs in 4 games in 1976 series.
The Bombay-born batsman scored his Test-best knock against West Indies at Chennai in December 1983 and that too in a series highly dominated by the Caribbean cricketers. In the sixth match of the six-Test series that West Indies won 3-0, Gavaskar scored an unbeaten knock of 236 runs, fighting a lone battle against a formidable bowling attack.
Gavaskar’s lone century in the ODI cricket came against New Zealand in 1987 World Cup in Nagpur. Gavaskar made 103 not out off 88 balls and put on a 136-run partnership with Kris Srikkanth (75) for the opening wicket. India won the match by nine wickets.
Gavaskar was once of the silver screen as well. He played the lead role in a Marathi film called “Savli Premachi” in 1980.
