Sunil Gavaskar was arguably the first Indian cricketer of wide international fame. With 34 centuries and 10000 plus runs to his credit, he is regarded by many as the best opening batsmen ever produced. He was the unchallenged Indian batting icon until Tendulkar dethroned him, same way Amitabh Bachchan successfully took over the baton of superstar status from Rajesh Khanna in the world of Bollywood.
In a country, where the cricket is more skewed towards batsmen, from gully cricket to IPL, Gavaskar being the only consistent Indian batsman of the time had a mythical aura surrounding him. Yet not taking away any credit from our "Little Master", here are a few points to ponder about his record.
Sunny (an alias Gavaskar goes by) has scored half of his 34 centuries and tons of runs between 1977-1980, when almost all the iconic fast bowlers of the time were banned from Test cricket, as they opted playing in the Kerry Packers Series in Australia. It gave Sunny his sunny patch, the opportunity to play against some 2nd string sides and he took full advantage of it.
Gavaskar played 11 tests against Australia and 6 against West Indies in that time period, scoring about 10 centuries from them. He didn't have to face the challenge from the rechargeable batteries quartet of the fast and furious Windies, not to mention the forever charged, indomitable Dennis Lillee, who perpetually tormented him. Instead of Michael Holding, Sunil faced Nobert Philips, instead of Dennis Lillee he faced Jeff Dymock. ( I am sure not many can't recollect Nobert Phillips or Jeff Dymock from top of their head, both of whom had forgettable careers, but made immense contributions towards Gavaskar's).
In fact in 1980-81 series against Australia when the stars were back from Packers series, our Sunny bhai struggled against Lillee, who frustrated the batsman so much, that when he was given out LBW to Lillee, a visibly frustrated Gavaskar called his partner Chauhan off the field. (Glad sanity prevailed and India continued its batting and was saved from the ignominy of himiliation due to Sunny's dark and battered ego and lack of grace).
For those uninitiated, Kerry Packers was an Australian Billionaire, who peeved with their board for rejecting him telecast rights, lured cricketers all over the world by paying them hefty amounts. He innovated night cricket, color clothing, white ball and invited South African cricketers who readily wilted as they were banned those days from playing international cricket for their government's Apartheid Policy. Though night cricket and curtailed version of the game is a norm now, it was considered unconventional at that time.
A few Indian cricketers, including Gavaskar were invited to Packer's Circus (as called by the game's Purirans who disagreed with the tycoon's modus opernandi). Non of them had guts to join this lucrative bonanza and make some fast bucks. The reason for them chickening out has less to do with patriotism, more rather lack of courage to think out of box, preferring to settle down in their peanut paying yet pension assures jobs in State Bank of India, in an era SARKARI NAUKRI (government services) ruled the roost.
But the lesser patriots (lesser hypocrites too) and our smarter neighbor Pakistani players immediately jumped into the Packers bandwagon. In fact, Imran Khan, the 3rd firstest bowler of the time was one of more known cricketers in Australia. With a playboy tag, he famously wore a T- shirt, proudly proclaiming on it "BIG BOYS PLAY AT NIGHT".
Apart from being the harbinger of cataclysmic changes to the game in the form of Pajama Cricket and Professional Telecast by his famous Channel 9, Kerry Packers brought some much needed relief in stemming the dictatorial stranglehold of the cricket boards. Credit must go to this burly chain smoking, ice cream loving, teetotaler tycoon's far reaching foresight. The limited overs cricket which followed and it's grand child version of T20 may not have seen this day sans his vision.
In a country, where the cricket is more skewed towards batsmen, from gully cricket to IPL, Gavaskar being the only consistent Indian batsman of the time had a mythical aura surrounding him. Yet not taking away any credit from our "Little Master", here are a few points to ponder about his record.
Sunny (an alias Gavaskar goes by) has scored half of his 34 centuries and tons of runs between 1977-1980, when almost all the iconic fast bowlers of the time were banned from Test cricket, as they opted playing in the Kerry Packers Series in Australia. It gave Sunny his sunny patch, the opportunity to play against some 2nd string sides and he took full advantage of it.
Gavaskar played 11 tests against Australia and 6 against West Indies in that time period, scoring about 10 centuries from them. He didn't have to face the challenge from the rechargeable batteries quartet of the fast and furious Windies, not to mention the forever charged, indomitable Dennis Lillee, who perpetually tormented him. Instead of Michael Holding, Sunil faced Nobert Philips, instead of Dennis Lillee he faced Jeff Dymock. ( I am sure not many can't recollect Nobert Phillips or Jeff Dymock from top of their head, both of whom had forgettable careers, but made immense contributions towards Gavaskar's).
In fact in 1980-81 series against Australia when the stars were back from Packers series, our Sunny bhai struggled against Lillee, who frustrated the batsman so much, that when he was given out LBW to Lillee, a visibly frustrated Gavaskar called his partner Chauhan off the field. (Glad sanity prevailed and India continued its batting and was saved from the ignominy of himiliation due to Sunny's dark and battered ego and lack of grace).
For those uninitiated, Kerry Packers was an Australian Billionaire, who peeved with their board for rejecting him telecast rights, lured cricketers all over the world by paying them hefty amounts. He innovated night cricket, color clothing, white ball and invited South African cricketers who readily wilted as they were banned those days from playing international cricket for their government's Apartheid Policy. Though night cricket and curtailed version of the game is a norm now, it was considered unconventional at that time.
A few Indian cricketers, including Gavaskar were invited to Packer's Circus (as called by the game's Purirans who disagreed with the tycoon's modus opernandi). Non of them had guts to join this lucrative bonanza and make some fast bucks. The reason for them chickening out has less to do with patriotism, more rather lack of courage to think out of box, preferring to settle down in their peanut paying yet pension assures jobs in State Bank of India, in an era SARKARI NAUKRI (government services) ruled the roost.
But the lesser patriots (lesser hypocrites too) and our smarter neighbor Pakistani players immediately jumped into the Packers bandwagon. In fact, Imran Khan, the 3rd firstest bowler of the time was one of more known cricketers in Australia. With a playboy tag, he famously wore a T- shirt, proudly proclaiming on it "BIG BOYS PLAY AT NIGHT".
Apart from being the harbinger of cataclysmic changes to the game in the form of Pajama Cricket and Professional Telecast by his famous Channel 9, Kerry Packers brought some much needed relief in stemming the dictatorial stranglehold of the cricket boards. Credit must go to this burly chain smoking, ice cream loving, teetotaler tycoon's far reaching foresight. The limited overs cricket which followed and it's grand child version of T20 may not have seen this day sans his vision.
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