I am lucky to get a chance to play with Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. I got his long support in Test cricket. I find it very strange that some of my things were very similar to him. He was also born in the Purandare Hospital in Mumbai. The word G comes in both of our names. He is my good friend and I am still in touch with him. We have spent good days together.
Celebrate your birthday Sunil and start a new inning. I wish that his off-field be as memorable as his innings on the field. May God give him a long life! I saw his techniques missing in Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly or Laxman, nor is the technique seen in Virat either. When I batted with him, the West Indies used to have four fast bowlers who would beat any batsman at the crease. But the way Gavaskar used to play them, it seemed that the bowling was not any good. I used to get a lot of confidence after seeing the approach of Gavaskar.
I remember visiting the West Indies when the ferocious fast bowlers like Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding were at their peak. While playing against them, Gavaskar made things look glib and easy. I also started to feel that there is no attack in the lurch, and was fully prepared psychologically. This is the reason why we once achieved the 403 run target against the Caribbeans at the Port of Spain. Then I started the innings with Gavaskar. It had come to such a point that the captaincy of Clive Lloyd couldn’t go through that defeat. Similarly, I remember the post-Jamaica match at Kingston when Vishwanath, Brijesh Patel, and I were injured. Five Indian batsmen were absent hurt in the second innings. In a fit of aggression, Michael Holding and Daniel threw a lot of bouncers and timely beamers. When Sunil Gavaskar complained to the umpire, the umpire said that we were not used to playing short-pitch balls. Gavaskar was very angry after hearing this. I requested them to calm down because I had seen him angry for the first time. Then he told me that I do not want to die here. I want to go home and see my child. Some compare him to Geoffrey Boycott of England. It is true that Boycott was a good player and also very strong technically, but the truth is that Gavaskar scored more runs than Boycott. Gavaskar was a more complete batsman than him. I believe that today’s cricketers can learn a lot from his technique, template and playing style. Today, people are aggressive but Gavaskar’s aggression was reflected through his batting. He did not get many digs during the game. At times he would avoid looking into the bowler’s eyes. He showed the world cricket how to stay calm on the field. Generations can learn a lot from Gavaskar’s concentration and dedication.
The writer is a former Indian cricketer, coach, and selector of Team India.