da heads bet： © CricInfo When he announced his retirement from first-class cricket in1987, Sunil Gavaskar had made 34 Test centuries, more than anyoneelse in the history of the game
Partab Ramchand21-Mar-2002
© CricInfoWhen he announced his retirement from first-class cricket in1987, Sunil Gavaskar had made 34 Test centuries, more than anyoneelse in the history of the game. Don Bradman, with 29 hundreds,had stood at the pinnacle all alone for 35 years until the mastertechnician from India got century number 30 against the WestIndies at Madras in December 1983.By the time he played his last Test against Pakistan at Bangalorein March 1987, Gavaskar had raised that figure to 34. Till today,that has remained the benchmark for other batsmen. It is a targetthat eluded Gavaskar’s great contemporaries Vivian Richards andGreg Chappell, while Allan Border, who surpassed the Indian’srecord Test aggregate of 10,122 runs, had to be satisfied with 27hundreds. After all these years, the figure after Gavaskar’s 34still remains Bradman’s 29. Of course, Sachin Tendulkar, with 28hundreds, seems resolutely on course to better Gavaskar’s record.But how and where did it all start? It took Gavaskar 125 Testsand 16 years to get 34 hundreds. Hundred number came in only hissecond Test at the Bourda ground in Georgetown, Guyana, on hismaiden tour with the Indian team the epoch-making trip of theCaribbean islands in 1971.It is now exactly 31 years since Gavaskar got the hundred thatstarted him off on his record-breaking tally. Even though he wasa newcomer, Gavaskar was one of the certainties in the Indiansquad to tour the West Indies, largely because of his talent andhis potential to run up big scores. At school in the mid-60s, hehad rattled off many double hundreds, and during the 1970-71season, he scored 327 in the Inter-University tournament for theRohintan Baria Trophy to set aside Ajit Wadekar’s long-standingrecord of 324, made in 1958-59.But Gavaskar had to miss the first Test because of treatment toan injured finger, and he made his debut only in the second Testat Port-of-Spain. Scores of 65 and 67 not out that played animportant role in India’s historic seven-wicket victory confirmedhis class. In the next Test, he displayed his propensity towardsbig scores.The West Indies led off with 363, and Gavaskar and Ashok Mankadopened the Indian innings after the tea interval on the secondday. The two put on 72 runs before Mankad was out for 40.Gavaskar and Wadekar then took the score to 114 without furtherloss at stumps. Gavaskar was batting on 48 and Wadekar on 16.Within minutes of the resumption of play on the third day, SundayMarch 21, Wadekar, in the midst of a lean trot, departed withoutadding to his score. This brought together Gavaskar and GundappaViswanath, who were to be the country’s batting bulwarksthroughout the 70s. The two were playing in tandem in a Testmatch for the first time and celebrated with a third-wicketassociation of 112 runs.All along, Gavaskar had batted with the assurance of a veteranrather than as a 21-year-old playing only his second Test. But hewas also the beneficiary of some good fortune. When he was onsix, he cut at a short rising ball from Grayson Shillingford. Itflew like a bullet straight at Garry Sobers, who got his hands toit but dropped the ball. Then, on 94, he was again dropped bySobers off Jack Noreiga. As he recalls in : “Atthe end of the over, Garry stood in front of me and said ‘Maan,why are you after me? Can’t you find some other fielder?’Fortune, however, favoured the brave. As he was nearing hiscentury, dark clouds began gathering over the ground, and itstarted to drizzle. Play continued. Then, when he was on 98, raincaused a slight interruption. Already displaying the temperamentthat was to become his trademark, Gavaskar kept his nerve and,almost immediately after play resumed, he got to his first Testcentury.Gavaskar describes his feelings in his autobiography. “Manypeople must be wondering as to what is the feeling when one getsa century in Tests. My own reaction was simply to think of myparents who had given me every encouragement and that they wouldbe beaming when the news reached them.” Simple, yet with theright touch of sentiment.Shortly afterwards there was yet another stoppage due to rain.When play resumed, Sobers took the new ball and operated from oneend himself. Shortly Gavaskar, in trying to force Sobers into thecovers, edged the ball to Joey Carew at second slip. His firstTest century saw him bat almost four-and-a-half hours for 116,and he was third out at 228.In many ways, it was a knock typical of his batting approach,based on sound technique, an unruffled temperament, fiercedetermination, intense concentration, solid defence and a widerange of strokes. Almost exactly 16 years later, he played hislast Test match with another 33 hundreds against his name. But asanyone would agree, the first of anything is always special, andGavaskar’s maiden Test hundred will no doubt occupy an honouredplace in his long and illustrious career.