Happy Birthday Sunil Gavaskar! Former India captain and Test cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar celebrates his 71st birthday on Friday. The former right-handed batsman had a historic career in which he went on to score 10,000+ Test runs for the country. Gavaskar was the first cricketer in history to surpass the 10,000 runs mark in the longest format. The former India opener was also an integral member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team.
In his historic career, Gavaskar played 125 Tests in which he scored 10,122 runs with 34 centuries to his name. He also played 108 ODIs in which he scored 3,093 runs. Gavaskar also had 25,834 runs in a first-class career. On Sunny’s birthday, as he’s often called, we look back at five interesting facts from his international career.
1) 13 Test centuries against West Indies
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 and had won the 1975 and 1979 World Cup. Their bowling unit comprised of the likes of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Sir Andy Roberts. Gavaskar’s 13 centuries against WI is the maximum by any Indian against one single opposition. Overall, he stands second, only to Sir Don Bradman who made 19 centuries against England.
2) Most runs in debut Test series
In his debut Test series in 1971, Sunil Gavaskar scored a mammoth 774 runs against West Indies in four matches, the maximum by any player in debut Test series. 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.
3) 188 at Lord’s in MCC Bicentennial match
It might come as a surprise for many fans that in his international career, Gavaskar never made a hundred at Lord’s. But in MCC Bicentennial match between MCC and Rest of the World XI, Gavaskar smashed 188 for ROW XI, when he came out to open the innings. He missed out on a double ton as he was caught and bowled by Ravi Shastri.
4) First player to 10,000 Test runs
In March, 1987, Sunil Gavaskar became the first batsman to make 10,000 test runs. He reached this milestone during the 124th test of his illustrious career. This record, came against Pakistan, India’s arch rivals. The match however, despite Gavaskar’s landmark, ended in a draw.
5) Haircut during a match
In the first Test against England at Manchester, Sunil Gavaskar got a haircut in the middle of the match from umpire Dickie Bird at Old Trafford. Batting amid windy conditions. Gavaskar was annoyed with hair blocking his sight. He request the umpire to trim his hair, and the umpire took the pair of scissors he uses to cut the threads from the seam of the cricket ball to do so. Sunny scored a well-deserved 101 in the match but to no avail as England won the test by 202 runs.
We at Business Upturn wish a very Happy Birthday to Sunil Gavaskar! Former India captain and Test cricket legend.
