The glowing tributes to Gavaskar and, in the manner of Don Bradman, the first-class cricket resulted in a duck. Before that, however, Sunil Gavaskar secured a century that had all along eluded him at Lord’s. His 188 in the first innings of the Bicentenary Test has drawn glowing tributes in the British press. “It was made with such touch and assurance, indeed such mastery, as to make his retirement at the age of 38 seem altogether premature,’ says John Woodcock in “The Times.”
Adds Woodcock: “Concentration has always been the key to Gavaskar’s batting. Once in a while, she has not felt able to be bothered by it. I can see. him now in a Test match at Bangalore, seemingly hell-bent on getting out as soon as he came in, and succeeding. When this happened, the reason has lain deep within. Ordinarily, his powers of application in all weathers have been truly remarkable.
How he plays them: head over the ball as he forces it away through the onside, left shoulder pointing the way of the cover drive, feet that turn the spinner’s good length into a half-volley for attack. If he must retire, it is better to remember him as he is rather than have to recall what he was. He has been, and I say it advisedly, one of history’s great players.
For such a small man, though a strong one, the way he has fended off all the short-pitched bowling of the modern game has been one of the wonders of the cricket world. He has every stroke, or none, according to how he feels.
Henry Blofeld wrote in “The Independent”: One’s emotion was of sadness that Gavaskar’s genius for batting is soon to be stored away for good. A technique as perfect as his should surely continue to pile up the runs for several more years if he can still find the enthusiasm to go with it. “
After surviving the closest of calls for lbw in Malcom Marshall’s opening over, Gavaskar’s innings were nearly faultless. At the end of it, one who was left over the years has been able to make such good use of every opportunity to score runs.
In a sense, it was an old-fashioned innings. He played his full array of strokes cleanly and efficiently, which few have been able to match. He even produced one hook, a shot he gave up several years ago.
Sunil Gavaskar‘s footwork was a joy, whether getting into position to drive the fast bowlers, coming down the pitch to the spinners, or working the ball away off his legs. His running between the wickets was an object to the importance of the quick single.
About his exit, Blofeld says: “Gavaskar thumped his pad in annoyance; the legendary concentration had broken momentarily, the victim of tiredness. But as far as he was concerned, the perfectionist had failed and he scarcely seemed to hear the ringing cheers of the standing ovation as he reached the pavilion gate.”
