Sunil Gavaskar: India's First Cricket Superstar

Sunil Gavaskar was the first cricketer in history to score 10,000 Test runs and the first to score 34 Test centuries — both records that stood for years until Sachin Tendulkar eclipsed them. 'Sunny' gave India cricket its identity in the 1970s and 1980s — a country capable of challenging the mighty West Indies.

Career statistics

Debut series — West Indies 1971

Gavaskar made his Test debut in West Indies in 1970/71 and scored 774 runs in just 4 Tests — including 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries. In that era, West Indies had Roberts, Sobers, and a fearsome pace attack. His debut performance remains one of the greatest in Test history. India won the series 1-0.

Playing West Indies pace

In the 1970s and 1980s, West Indies had the greatest fast-bowling attack ever assembled — Roberts, Holding, Garner, Marshall, Croft. Gavaskar faced them without a helmet for much of his career, relying purely on technique — tight defence, minimal footwork outside off stump, and a high bat-swing. He averaged over 65 against West Indies in the Caribbean.

10,000 Test runs

On March 7, 1987, Gavaskar became the first cricketer to reach 10,000 Test runs — during a Test against Pakistan in Ahmedabad. The crowd celebrated as though India had won a World Cup. He retired in 1987 with 10,122 runs — a record that stood until 1993 when Allan Border broke it.

Legacy

Gavaskar invented 'Test match cricket for India' — proving that Indian batters could succeed anywhere in the world, not just at home. His opening partnerships with Chetan Chauhan and later Kris Srikkanth gave India stability. He now commentates extensively and remains one of the sport's most respected voices.