Sunil Gavaskar Birthday: Why mighty West Indies of 1970s loved India legend, had a song dedicated to him

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Sunil Gavaskar, arguably the first batting superstar of the Indian cricket team, is celebrating his 74th birthday on Monday, July 10, 2023. The 'Original Little Master' continues to stay a respected and a relevant personality in the cricketing circuit despite playing his last game for India in 1987.

The first-ever batter to score over 10,000 Test runs will be soon seen in West Indies analysing and commentating India's all-format tour which consists of two Tests, three ODIs and five T20I matches.

The tour will give the batting great time to reminisce his India debut which came in the Caribbean islands back in 1971 when the West Indies cricket team was the biggest force in the sport.

West Indies, who won the first two ODI World Cups, recently failed to qualify for the upcoming edition of the ICC marquee event in October-November in India. However, back in 1970s and 1980s even the thought of facing them used to leave the oppositions sweating.

Take for example, the West Indies bowling line-up consisted Gary Sobers. Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner in 1970s and 1980s. It would send shivers down the spine of the best of batters.

However, a 5-feet-five-inch tall Sunil Gavaskar made his debut against the same opposition and score 774 runs at an average of 154.80 in four matches. Gavaskar's record for most runs by a batter in debut Test series still stands tall.

Gavaskar did not play the first game of the 5-Test series and was given an opportunity to debut in the second match from March 6, 1971 in Port of Spain. Gavaskar scored 65 and 67 not out runs respectively in the the first and second innings respectively. India won the match by seven wickets

In his third innings in Georgetown, Gavaskar slammed his maiden Test hundred and followed it up with unbeaten 64 runs in the second innings. He got out for one in the first innings of the fourth Test match of the series, however, the right-handed batter bounced back with another unbeaten hundred in the second innings as India held West Indies to a third consecutive draw.

Ahead of the final Test, Gavaskar had a severe toothache but he battled all the pain to score 124 in the first innings and 220 in the second innings. India won their first-ever series against the mighty West Indies 1-0 and Gavaskar rushed straight to the dentist.

To acknowledge the effort from Gavaskar, Trinidadian singer Lord Relator dedicated a song titled 'Gavaskar Calypso’.

"It was Gavaskar, de real master. Just like a wall, we couldn't out Gavaskar at all, not at all. You know the West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all," read a part of the song sung in praise of Gavaskar and the Indian team.

Gavaskar piled up 390 runs in seven innings at an average of 55.71 on his second tour of West Indies in 1975-76. He finished the series as the second-highest run-scorer after Viv Richards. Clive Lloyd was third on the list with 283 runs.

Gavaskar last toured West Indies as a player in 1983 as he scored 118 runs in three ODIs at an average of 39.33 - the highest by any India batter on the tour. He scored 240 runs from five Test matches at an average of 30.

Overall, Gavaskar scored 13 off his 34 hundreds against West Indies. In 27 Test matches against West Indies, Gavaskar scored 2749 runs at an average of 65.45. No player has slammed more Test hundreds against the West Indies than Gavaskar.

The feat Gavaskar achieved against a fiery West Indies pace attack at a time when batters did not even wear headgears (helmets). In the later phases of Indian cricket people remember Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for giving India joy but Gavaskar represented India when they were minnow and he played for the pride of the country.

Game recognises game, and West Indies cricket till date holds high respect for the Mumbai-born genius.