How Gavaskar became first batsman to climb 10,000-runs mountain in Test cricket

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar holds the credit for sailing India’s ship across fast bowling attacks in the 1970s and 80sOn March 7, 1987, he became the first person in the history of Test cricket to complete 10,000 runs From 1971 debut in the West Indies to heroics beyond the pitch, his career transformed cricket into India's heartbeatDid you know about his combative spirit off the field? Have you read his books?It has been 35 years since Sunil Manohar Gavaskar played his 124th Test for India. The legend was batting on 57 at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 7, 1987. Pakistan's Ejaz Fakih was bowling. As Gavaskar moved to 58 with a signature late cut, he became the first person in the history of Test cricket to complete 10,000 runs.Sunil Gavaskar's 10,000 Test runs were the pinnacle of a glorious career. One that transformed the Indian team into a world-beating unit, and cricket into the nation's heartbeat. We will re-live some highlights from the original Little Master's 10,122-run Test career.“It was Gavaskar... the West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all”That bit of calypso, by Lord Relator, summed up Gavaskar's debut in international cricket in 1971. Against the mighty West Indies of Sir Garfield Sobers, Gavaskar scored an astonishing 774 runs in four Test matches. That included four centuries and a double century! It powered India's first-ever victory against the West Indies, that too in the West Indies. And till date, it remains unbroken as the record for most number of runs scored in a Test series on debut.That debut series was bookended by pain for Gavaskar. He missed the first Test because his thumb got infected and had to be operated on in New York. And in the final Test in Trinidad, Gavaskar scored a century and a double century with an acute toothache. He was not even given painkillers as they would dull his reflexes against the fast bowling!Throughout his career, Sunil Gavaskar showed a determined drive to bounce back when seemingly down. When he was stripped of the captaincy during India's tour of England in 1979, he scored four half-centuries in the first three Tests. And in the fourth Test at the Oval, India were 1–0 down and needed to reach a world record target of 438 to win. It seemed impossible, but Sunny Gavaskar had other plans. India almost pulled it off, thanks to 221 runs from Gavaskar. India ended just nine runs short with two wickets in hand. Gavaskar ended the series with 542 runs at an average of 77.42. He was soon reinstated as captain of the Indian cricket team. Delhi in 1983 marked another milestone for Sunil Gavaskar when he equalled Sir Don Bradman's 29 Test hundreds. And it too came when Gavaskar was seemingly on the back foot. India had already lost to the West Indies in Kanpur. Malcolm Marshall was in blazing form. Delivery from the Windies’ fast-bowler had bludgeoned the bat away from Gavaskar's grip in the first Test at Green Park. India had suffered an innings defeat. Questions about Gavaskar’s captaincy could be heard. Shouts and murmurs could also be heard that the Little Master should call it a day.As usual, Sunny Gavaskar had other plans. Against the vicious attack of Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel and Winston Davis, Gavaskar hit his half-century in just 37 balls. He reached three figures off 94 balls, his 29th hundred. He was level with Bradman.Gavaskar later recalled that he was not even aware that he had fetched his 29th century till Dilip Vengsarkar congratulated him and said, “Bloody hell it’s your 29th!” By the end of the innings, Gavaskar had also become the third player to complete 8,000 Test runs.The legend played his career’s last match in 1987, which was against Pakistan. Interestingly, he never handed out an official retirement letter to the BCCI. In 1990, Gavaskar got a chance to return to the pitch but this time as a commentator. His first match in this new profession was the India vs England Test match in 1990. He has completed more than 30 years in cricket commentary and one can still hear his candid and impromptu remarks on the pitch.Gavaskar's books, Runs and Ruins, Sunny Days, and Idols, also gave cricket fans what was then rare peeks into the inner world of cricketers. Like how West Indies was a “high-risk tour for bachelors” in the seventies. How Tony Greig came to a cricketers' party wearing only underwear. The dress code of the party was tie and underwear. Quizzed, the Brit had nonchalantly lowered the underwear, revealing a tie wrapped around his waist. Greig said, Gavaskar wrote, that it was not specified where the tie should be worn. Sunil Gavaskar holds the credit for sailing India’s ship across fast bowling attacks in the 1970s and 80s. And he never wore a helmet while batting. In an interview with the Times of India, he had said that he never felt the need to wear a helmet as he was confident in his technique. It was only after Malcolm Marshall hit him flush on the forehead in the 80s that he wore a skull cap in the last three years of his career.Gavaskar displayed that combative spirit even when he was not batting. As captain, he once ordered the nonstriker to leave the field with him when an Australian umpire gave him out wrongly. And when he was greeted with chants of “No Kapil no Test” in 1984 at Eden Gardens because he was captain and Kapil Dev had been dropped from the team, Gavaskar vowed never to play there again. He withdrew from a Test at Eden Gardens two years later.And did you know, Gavaskar also saved a family from a mob during the Bombay riots of 1992-93? The story goes that he told the mob that to attack the family they would have to attack him first. Yes, Sunil Manohar Gavaskar is definitely made of the sterner stuff.And we doff our hats to him.Anchor: Sanyam SharmaAudio production: Prateek KapoorNote: The podcast was recorded on Sep 10, 2022