Happy Birthday Sunil Gavaskar: First batsman to score 10000 Test runs turns 71
One of the greatest batsmen to ever play the game, the Little Master Sunil Gavaskar turned 71 on Friday. Gavaskar was the front-man of the Indian team which brought the revolution in cricket in the country. The legendary batsman was the best of his era and played a crucial role in India's 1983 World Cup triumph.
Gavaskar was the first batsman in international cricket to score 10,000 Test runs. The former India captain made his debut in 1971 against West Indies and showed the world that he is there to stay for a long time with brilliant 65 and unbeaten 67 run knocks in both innings. Gavaskar inspired India to win that match by 7 wickets and he continued that pact for the next 16 years till he announced his retirement in 1987. In his very first Test series, He slammed 771 runs, which brought a spark in the Indian cricket at that time and everyone was talking about only one man - Sunil Gavaskar.
People usually call Sachin Tendulkar the greatest of them all but it was Gavaskar who was the original Master. In 125 Test matches, he scored 10122 runs at an astonishing average of 51.12. Gavaskar also held the record for most centuries in Test cricket - 34 for many years, until Tendulkar broke it in 2005.
With his strong technique, Gavaskar was highly admired for his confidence and performance against fiery pacers such as Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Joel Garner, who motored West Indies' dominance during 1970-90.
Gavaskar was the kingpin of Indian cricket during the 70s and 80s. He set many world records during his illustrious 16-year-long career, though many of them were later broken by Sachin Tendulkar when he came into prominence.
Gavaskar also had an eventful ODI career in which he scored 3092 in 108 games at an average of 35.13. He was part of Kapil Devil's who lifted India's first World Cup in 1983.
