Page 9 - Seniors Today - March Issue

Pakistan batsman, nemesis of Indian teams are true, but there are more attributes.
and fans, told me during the 1987 World Gavaskar himself lists determination,
Cup that nobody understood cricket better dedication and discipline as primary.
than Gavaskar. “He knows the sport like the True too. Then I’ll add some more, which I
back of his hand,” said Miandad. “He can learnt about post his retirement, when he
assess a pitch within minutes, double guess was editor of Sportsweek, the magazine I
what the bowler is going to do, which puts worked for.
him a jump ahead of the opponents.” Foremost among these is respect for time –
A few months earlier, Gavaskar had signed his own and of others. Gavaskar’s a stickler
off from Test cricket with 96 against for this. You could set your watch by him.
Pakistan on a dustbowl at Bangalore. It Also, he is always prepared for a meeting.
was a low-scoring match where only one He’s professional to the core. There’s no
other batsman, Dilip Vengsarkar, scored a waffling. He’s a good listener, grapples with
half-century. Gavaskar’s came in the most issues swiftly and adroitly, and is unafraid
difficult phase, the fourth innings. He to voice opinion.
thwarted the Pakistani bowling for almost 6 His awareness levels are quite
hours before being dismissed. India lost the extraordinary. He seemed to know
Test by a mere 17 runs. everything about players – those at the
After the Test, Pakistan captain Imran international level or domestic. His interest
Khan was effusive in his praise for was not limited to cricket, but included
Gavaskar’s innings. “This was an extremely all sports (Prakash Padukone was his
difficult pitch to play on,” explained Imran,
“and it is only Gavaskar who came to terms
with it. It is the best innings I have seen by
an opening batsman.” Thirty-three years
have passed since, but Imran has not had
reason to change his opinion.

Extraordinary awareness
Gavaskar’s influence on Indian cricket also
comes through vividly in the youngsters he
inspired who went on to become legendary
batsmen themselves. Among them are
Vengsarkar, Azharuddin, Rahul Dravid,
Sourav Ganguly, V V S Laxman and
Tendulkar. The last named has never shied
away from naming Gavaskar as his idol
when growing up. “He showed us the way,”
Tendulkar has often said.
Gavaskar’s cricketing greatness has been
widely acknowledged as based on superb,
orthodox technique, infinite patience Sunil Gavaskar has set benchmarks in his era that
continue to be inspiration and incentive for subsequent
and unwavering concentration. All these generations to try and better

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #21 | MARCH 2021 9