Sunil Manohar Gavaskar

Profile:

In 1983-84, after a string of low scores against Marshall and the West Indies, he decided to shed the shackles, and answered with a 94-ball century at Delhi. 4 Tests later, the series lost 3-0, he came in at no. 4, with India 0/2, and scored his 30th Test century, surpassing Don Bradman. His 236* in that innings still stands as India's highest individual Test score.

Slow to adjust to one-day cricket, he scored 36* off 60 overs against England in 1975. At the other end of the scale, his only century, coming in his last but one one-day match, was off 85 balls. His captaincy appeared too defensive at times, perhaps conditioned by his many solo battles as a batsman in defence of India. The highlights of his captaincy were a 2-0 Test win over Pakistan in 1979-80, and a win the World Championship of Cricket in 1985.

After having battled speedsters around the world for 16 years, his last Test innings was a classic display against spin bowling, a 96 on a minefield at Bangalore. His safe catching in the slips led to his being the first Indian (excluding wicket-keepers) to take over a hundred catches. Early in his career, he occasionally opened the bowling for India, which says more about India's disregard for opening bowlers than anything else. After retirement, he has been a popular, sometimes controversial commentator, both on TV and in print

Test Debut: India v West Indies at Port-of-Spain, 2nd Test, 1970/71
Last Test: India v Pakistan at Bangalore, 5th Test, 1986/87

ODI Debut: India v England at Leeds, Prudential Trophy, 1974
Last ODI: India v England at Bombay, World Cup, 1987/88

First Class Debut: Vazir Sultan Colt's XI v Dungarpur XI at Hyderabad, 1966/67
Last First Class Match: Rest of the World v M.C.C. at Lord's, 1987

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1980
 

Career Statistics:

                     Balls    M     R    W    Ave   BBI   5 10    SR  Econ
Bowling                380   15   206    1 206.00  1-34   0  0 380.0  3.25

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
 (career)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  108  102  14  3092  103*  35.13   1  27   22   0

                       O      M     R    W    Ave   BBI  4w 5w    SR  Econ
Bowling                3.2    0    25    1  25.00  1-10   0  0  20.0  7.50

FIRST-CLASS
 (career: 1966/67 - 1987)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  348  563  61 25834  340   51.46  81 105  293   0

                    Balls     R    W    Ave   BBI    5  10    SR  Econ
Bowling              1953  1240   22  56.36  3-43    0   0  88.7  3.80

LIST A LIMITED OVERS
 (career: 1973/74 - 1987/88)
                      M    I  NO  Runs   HS     Ave 100  50   Ct  St
Batting & Fielding  135  128  16  4092  113   36.53   4  34   35   0

                    Balls     R    W    Ave   BBI   4w  5w    SR  Econ
Bowling               108    81    2  40.50  1-10    0   0  54.0  4.50