In 125 Test Matches, he averaged 51 (10,122 runs).
Away average was 52.
Averaged 44 in matches won (23 tests), 50 in matches won abroad (just 9 tests).
His tally of 10,122 runs and 34 centuries were both world records at that time.
Average against West Indies (the top team of his era) was 65 in 27 matches. 70 in the West Indies.
Interestingly, has amongst the highest percentage of single digit failures by specialised batsmen on this list (27%) - which tells you how much he made his innings count once he got a start.
Captained India in 47 matches (won 9, lost 8, drew 30) with a success percentage of 19. Averaged 51 with the bat as captain.
Got 5 MoM awards, none in a match India won (though half his career was in the pre-MoM award era).
Opened 203 times for India, averaging 50 . Preferred to take first strike.
Played at no. 4 just once - scored 236*.
Away average was 52.
Averaged 44 in matches won (23 tests), 50 in matches won abroad (just 9 tests).
His tally of 10,122 runs and 34 centuries were both world records at that time.
Average against West Indies (the top team of his era) was 65 in 27 matches. 70 in the West Indies.
Interestingly, has amongst the highest percentage of single digit failures by specialised batsmen on this list (27%) - which tells you how much he made his innings count once he got a start.
Captained India in 47 matches (won 9, lost 8, drew 30) with a success percentage of 19. Averaged 51 with the bat as captain.
Got 5 MoM awards, none in a match India won (though half his career was in the pre-MoM award era).
Opened 203 times for India, averaging 50 . Preferred to take first strike.
Played at no. 4 just once - scored 236*.
Indian cricket had a spine operation in 1971 and the procedure was called Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. The effects of the self belief that set in thereafter are still being felt. A rock solid defense, the ability to concentrate for long periods of time without any distraction and an absolute bloody mindedness about giving his wicket away were new qualities in the Indian cricket psyche when Gavaskar burst into the scene with one of the most spectacular debut series of all time. And it's not like he was shy of scoring runs either; perhaps the world is yet to see a batsman as hungry as Gavaskar was right through his career. It made him very focused about individual records (and you can still hear it in his commentary) which suited India just fine at that time. During most of his career, Indian teams were not a major force in Test cricket, especially abroad. Since as an opening batsman Gavaskar got to set up the game, in most cases his run accumulations served India perfectly. Also, since Indian teams were fighting for survival more often than they were chasing victories, there wasn't a better man they could pick to fight for their life (without a helmet throughout his entire career, voluntarily). He was criticised for being overly defensive, and maybe that had become his instinct, but can you blame someone relied on to avert defeat ever so often? The moments of victory, or near victory, were aberrations (though there were a few memorable ones) and it shows in his average of winning Test matches (44 - amongst the lowest on this list). Gavaskar's great contribution was to inject steeliness in Indian cricket and he is the only one on this list who was considered the world's unarguable best (opening batsman) for a major part of his career.
774 runs in his first Test series vs West Indies 1971.
| As a fresh-faced 21-year-old, Gavaskar made an auspicious start to Test cricket as his very first match was a landmark win (eventually series-winning) for India in the West Indies. And in the first four Test matches of his career he scored 65 and 67*, 116 and 64*, 1 and 117*, 124 and 220. It was not an accident that India's first major | overseas series triumphs (this one, and the one following in England) coincided with Gavaskar's arrival at the international scene.His team-mate Bishen Bedi, whom he didn't even know that well yet, christened his new-born son Gavasinder Singh. A calypso song was composed by Lord Relator purely in Gavaskar's honour, which went - | "It was Gavaskar, The real master, Just like a wall, We couldn't out Gavaskar at all, Not at all, You know the West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all". This was later voted at No. 68 at a 'Calypso of the Century' poll. Not a bad start to an international sporting career. |
221 vs England, the Oval 1979.
| India was 0-1 down in the Test series with just the last match to go. England continued its domination – a first innings lead of 103 was converted to a 438 victory target for India with a day and a half to go. Gavaskar and Chauhan set about trying to save the match. They solidly played out the fourth day and India was 76-0 at close. Hmm, not bad, maybe we have some hope of keeping the scoreline 0-1 in the series after all, but still a long way to go – was undoubtedly the Indian way of thinking on the fifth morning.They were solidity personified again and | comfortably kept the bowling attack comprising Willis, Botham, Hendrick, Edmonds and Willey at bay. The scoring was at a snail’s pace though, not really a concern at that point. Chauhan was finally dismissed at 213 (for 80, made off 263 balls) and Vengsarkar stepped into his shoes in a very similar mode. Gavaskar just kept on batting, forceful shots, including his trademark elegant on-drives and straight drives punctuating resolute defence. Perhaps it is only when India reached around 350-1 after tea when a possible win even came into their sights. | Vengsarkar got out at 366 (with 52 off 139 balls) and the Indians decided to push for it now. But it was perhaps left for too late. A promoted Kapil Dev got out for a duck and Gavaskar followed soon, trying to force the pace (221 off 443 balls in over 8 hours at the crease). Wickets fell as the Indians tried something they were not used to at all –push for a win. The match ended with India at 429-8, just 9 runs short of what would have been the highest fourth innings chase of all time - to this day. |
102 vs West Indies, Port-of-Spain 1976.
| The third Test in this series began with India 0-1 down. West Indies, under Clive Lloyd's captaincy, was looking to be the best Test side in the world to go with their newly acquired one-day crown. It was all going according to their plan as they set India 403 runs to win in the fourth innings with one and a half days to go. A team that hardly won Test matches abroad could certainly not be expected to set a world record to win. Gavaskar and Gaekwad | began steadily - saving the match paramount in their minds. The latter departed with the score at 69 (for 28) but replaced by Mohinder Amarnath, who just wanted to keep his end secure, while Gavaskar milked runs off fast bowlers Julien and Holding and the spinners Padmore and Jumadeen. Mission accomplished - at the end of the fourth day, India was 134 for 1, Gavaskar with his unbeaten 86 had provided not just a foundation but a | new-found belief. Next morning, Gavaskar was out for 102 (with the score at 177) but Amarnath (85), Viswanath (112*) and Brijesh Patel (49*) took his spirit forward to complete India's most famous victory. This win had larger repercussions in the history of cricket overall, as it precipitated the formation of the West Indian all-pace attack which would dominate world cricket for the next decade and a half. |
236 vs West Indies, Chennai 1983.
| At 0-3 down with one Test to go, the series had been lost and considerable pride too. India had been thrashed by a highly charged West Indies side wounded after losing the one-day World Cup final to India six months ago. The Indian batting hadn't delivered consistently and their biggest force of the last year - Mohinder Amarnath, had scored 1 run in 6 innings. After the first day's play got washed out, West Indies rattled up 313 with every batsman | getting a start. Gaekwad and Sidhu opened the Indian batting with Gavaskar due at no. 4 for a change. But nature cannot be denied as Gavaskar walked in anyway at the score he was used to - zero, as India lost two wickets before opening its account. Marshall, Roberts, Davis and Holding looked like they would spearhead a final humiliation for the series. It looked even more certain as wickets kept falling - 54 for 3, 67 for 4, 92 for 5. And | then Ravi Shastri joined Gavaskar. In almost four hours, they blunted the fearsome West Indian attack and neutralised the match. Shastri was out for 72 at 262 but Gavaskar just went on and on, Lord Relator reprised. He remained not out at 236, India's highest ever individual score till then, and he had batted close to eleven hours for it. Not bad for a 34-year-old suspected to be on his last legs. |
96 vs Pakistan, Bangalore 1987.
| After 4 drawn Tests, anticipation was fever-pitch for the last one at Bangalore. Gavaskar had also announced his retirement, so this was to be his last Test match. To ensure a result, the pitch was expected to favour the bowlers - that turned out to be an understatement. Maninder Singh got 7-27 in Pakistan's 116. India managed 145 with Imran and Akram together bowling just 7 overs, spinners Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed together 57 overs - taking 5 wickets each. Maninder Singh opened the bowling with Kapil Dev, and along with Shastri and Yadav dismissed Pakistan for 249. India thus needed 221 to win and Gavaskar walked out (to open) for the last time | in Test cricket. It was only the 3rd day of the match, so a result was certain. Within half an hour, India were reeling at 15-2 (both wickets to Akram, who would bowl just 11 overs). Vengsarkar joined Gavaskar and they cautiously took the score ahead. Qasim and Tauseef came on; they would bowl almost entirely unchanged for 83 overs. At 64, Vengsarkar went, at 89 More (bizarrely sent in as night-watchman with almost 45 mins to go). At close, India was 99 for 4 - Gavaskar 51*, Azharuddin 7*. The match was on a knife's edge and the next day was the rest day - talk about soaking the pressure. Gavaskar took charge on the fourth day, in his quintessential | way. The pitch was turning square but his reflexes were up to the task as he played late, with soft hands; his skills seemed in top condition. Wickets kept falling regularly - captain Kapil Dev departed at 161-7. But Pakistan knew that with Gavaskar in the middle, anything was still possible. However, at 180 Gavaskar was dismissed, and the rest was a formality. India lost by 16 runs, not that small a margin on that pitch. Many of those who saw this innings live consider it Gavaskar's finest innings ever. He got the MoM award in his last Test match - ending his career with the same glory he began with. But the team result was the opposite - in keeping with the times. |
HONOURABLE MENTION:
121 vs West Indies, Delhi 1983.
| There had been a lot of buzz about when Gavaskar would get his 29th century and equal Donald Bradman's world record. Given his own slant of thinking, the man himself would have been keen to get this out of the way. After getting thrashed in the first Test of this series (where Gavaskar scored 0 and 7), India was desperate to get a decent start when they won the toss here and batted. Gaekwad was out for 8 | (India 28-1) and Vengsarkar joined Gavaskar, who had been struggling. As if he had turned on a switch, Gavaskar suddenly decided to hit his way out of the situation. What followed was as spectacular as it was unusual. In 37 balls, Gavaskar had blasted Marshall, Holding, Davis and Daniel all over the Kotla to reach his 50. As if breathless from his exertions, he calmed down a bit after that, but still took just 57 | balls more to reach his record-equalling century. By far his fastest century, at that time it was also amongst the fastest Test hundreds ever by an opener. The India score at the time was 169 and Gavaskar had hit 13 fours and 1 six. The match was a high scoring draw eventually but Gavaskar's innings on that first day is still etched deeply in Indian cricket history. |
