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
Gavaskar
has also been awarded the Padma Bhushan. In December 1994 he was appointed
the Sheriff of Mumbai, an honorary for a year. After retirement, he has
been a popular, sometimes controversial commentator, both on TV and in
print. He has written four books on cricket – Sunny Days (autobiography),
Idols, Runs n' Ruins and One Day Wonders. He also served as an advisor
to the Indian cricket team during the home series against Australia in
2004. He was the Chairman of the ICC cricket committee till the time he
was forced to choose between commenting and being on the committee. He
left the committee to continue his career as a broadcaster.
His
son Rohan is also a cricketer who plays at the national level in the Ranji
Trophy. He has played some One Day Internationals for India, but could
not cement his spot in the team.
The
Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been instituted in his (co-)honour.
Sunil
is married to Marshniel Gavaskar (née Mehrotra), daughter of a leather
industrialist in Kanpur. They have a son Rohan.
Gavaskar
was also a fine slip fielder and his safe catching in the slips helped
him become the first Indian (excluding wicket-keepers) to take over a hundred
catches in Test matches. In one ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah in 1985,
he took four catches and helped India defend a small total of 125. Early
in his Test career, when India rarely used pace bowlers, Gavaskar also
opened the bowling for a short spell on occasions if only one pace bowler
was playing, before a three-pronged spin attack took over. The only wicket
claimed by him is that of Pakistani Zaheer Abbas in 1978-79.
While
Gavaskar could not be described as an attacking batsman, he had the ability
of keeping the scoreboard ticking with unique shots such as the "late flick".
His focus of technical correctness over flair meant that his style of play
was usually less suited to the shorter form of the game, at which he had
less success. His renowned 36 not out in the 1975 World Cup, carrying his
bat through the full 60 overs against England, lead Indian supporters to
storm the field and confront him. Gavaskar almost went through his career
without scoring a one-day century. He managed his first (and only ODI century)
in the 1987 World Cup, when he hit 103 not out against New Zealand in his
penultimate ODI innings at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur. |
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