Best Test match after retirement was the Perth Test in 2008: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian cricketer and legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar opens up as he looks back on his international career. Gavaskar did not feature in the first Test of the 1971 series in the West Indies at Kingston and made his Test debut in the second Test and made the most out of it.

He had scores of 65 and 67 not out in the match and was vital in India winning the series in the Caribbean. When asked about his debut, the little master said, “When I was told I was going to play in the second Test at Queens Park Oval, I was over the moon with joy. It was, after all, the coming true of a dream of playing for India.”

“At the same time, there was the awareness that the job had just started and I had to justify being in the team. I wore the India cap for the first time that day even though I had been given the cap as part of the kit before leaving for the tour,” he pointed out.

He said that the best Test match he had played was the match against the arch-rivals Pakistan in 1980 as India sealed the series. “The best Test match that I played in has to be the Chennai match against Pakistan in 1980 and India won the series 2-0. Kapil Dev bowled superbly to capture seven wickets and then he played a brilliant knock of 84 that took the fight out of the Pakistanis.”

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When queried about the most enjoyed Test match after his retirement, he said it was the match between India and Australia in 2008. “The Test match that I enjoyed most after retirement was the Perth Test in 2008. This was the Test after the clash between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh in Sydney and all the brouhaha that followed.”

“The Australian media tried to put the scare in the team by suggesting that Shaun Tait, bowling on the fastest pitch in Australia, would knock the Indians over. Instead, Virender Sehwag blasted him and Rahul Dravid showed such a broad bat that Tait decided to retire from Test cricket after that game and focus only on the shorter formats,” he added.

The 67-year old also went on to say that the Indian bowlers used the conditions to good effect. “India’s seam bowlers used the conditions superbly with R.P. Singh bowling some great over’s. Anil Kumble’s strong leadership came through as the Indians triumphed on what was seen as Australia’s fortress.”

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Gavaskar was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. His career ended with 10,122 runs from 125 Test matches, at an average of 51.12 with 34 centuries, 45 half centuries.