Happy birthday Sunil Gavaskar: The dawn of Indian batsmanship

July 10 holds a special place in the history of Indian cricket. It marks the birth of Sunil Manohar Gavaskar — a name that redefined Indian batsmanship and changed the way the cricketing world viewed a team that had, until then, played largely in the shadows of its colonial past.

Gavaskar’s arrival on the international stage in 1971, during India's tour of the West Indies, wasn’t merely the debut of a talented young batsman. It was a seismic shift in Indian cricketing consciousness. Against a West Indian pace attack known for its venom and velocity, the debutant scored 774 runs in four Tests — a record that still stands as a debut series benchmark. For a young Indian to dominate in the Caribbean, and that too with such poise, was unprecedented.

Not since Vijay Merchant in the 1940s had India produced a batsman with such technical finesse and mental discipline. But where Merchant's brilliance was confined to an era of limited exposure, Gavaskar emerged in a more demanding, more competitive international arena — and thrived. He brought with him not just the ability to score runs but the temperament to anchor innings, absorb pressure, and wear down attacks. He was a craftsman, not an entertainer, and Indian cricket needed exactly that.

What Gavaskar represented went beyond technique. He brought a sense of dignity and confidence to the crease. His batting was rooted in patience, precision, and principle. There was nothing flamboyant about his play, but every run he scored seemed to chip away at the inferiority complex Indian cricket often carried on foreign shores. He wasn’t intimidated by reputations, conditions, or crowds. In fact, he seemed to thrive on them.

His achievements — over 10,000 Test runs, 34 Test centuries, and a host of records — only tell part of the story. The greater impact lay in how he made Indian fans believe that their team could compete and win abroad. Gavaskar brought credibility. He gave the Indian dressing room a quiet authority and the opposition something to worry about before a ball was even bowled.

He carried the weight of a young nation’s expectations with understated resolve. Off the field, his affability, sense of humour, and grounded nature made him accessible. He wasn’t distant or heroic in the traditional sense. He loved simple pleasures — Parle-G biscuits, methi malai chicken at the Cricket Club of India, and his long, solitary walks. He laughed easily, often at himself, and remained deeply observant of the game and life around him.

Sunil Gavaskar didn’t just score runs, he scored a nation’s respect. He didn’t just play cricket, he built a legacy that taught generations of Indian cricketers how to stand tall.

On his birthday, we celebrate not just a cricketer, but a pioneer. A man who rewrote India’s cricketing script with resolve, grace and an unbreakable defence.

(The writer is a former captain of the Mumbai cricket team.)