Happy Birthday Sunil Gavaskar: 5 Records That Prove Why He Will Always Be the 'Little Master'

Sunil Gavaskar was born on July 10, 1949. Today he is 76 years old and shows the same gutsiness with the mic as he did with the bat. The man is possibly the best Test opener India ever produced and arguably the greatest Test opener ever. When one considers the deadly bowlers he faced in their prime, it makes his record all the more impressive.

It is for no reason that he is called the ‘Little Master’. The man from Mumbai made his mark on the game over 50 years ago when he announced himself with a bang. Over time he broke barriers that nobody could have dreamed of breaking. When he called time on his career nearly 40 years back, he held the record of most Test runs and centuries. He was also India’s highest individual Test scorer at that time.

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The numbers speak for themselves. In 125 Tests, Gavaskar has played 214 innings with 16 not outs. He has scored 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12 with 34 100s and 45 50s. His personal best is 236 not out. Not to mention four double centuries and becoming the first Indian to hit a 100 and 200 in the same Test.

Gavaskar entered the international stage in 1971 and left in 1987. It has been a long time since he stopped playing for India but even now, there are some records that he still holds. He may not hold them all for too long but for the moment, they belong to him. Let’s take a look:

1) Most runs in a Test series for India

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In 1971, Gavaskar slammed 774 runs in four Tests vs West Indies which also happened to be his debut series. It still stands as the most runs by any Indian player in a single Test series.

2) Most runs in a Test series by an Indian captain

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In 1978-79, Gavaskar slammed 732 runs against West Indies in a six-match series. It is still the most scored by any Indian captain in one Test series. These numbers are just amazing!

3) Most runs scored in a debut Test series by any batter

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The 774 runs Gavaskar made on West Indian soil in 1971 is the most in Test history by any player in his debut series. It is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.

4) Most Test runs as an Indian opener

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Gavaskar finished with 9607 Test runs as an opener which was the best at that time. He is now in second place overall with Alastair Cook at No. 1 but is still in the top position among Indians.

5) Most consecutive Test appearances for India

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Between 1975 and 1987, Gavaskar played 106 consecutive Tests. It still is the record for the most straight appearances by any Indian player. No active player is anywhere close.