Top 5 best innings of Sunil Gavaskar in international cricket

Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman to score over 10,000 runs and 30 hundreds in Test Cricket.

Sunil Gavaskar was one of the greatest batters of all time to play the game. He played the game in an era when there were no helmets and West Indian pacers dominated the opposition batters. At that time, he tackled them and scored runs and centuries. Gavaskar retied with the tag of one of the best players in the game.

Sunil Gavaskar was the first test batter to score 30 centuries and also cross the 10,000-run mark in the longest format. He represented India in 125 Tests and scored 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12, with 34 centuries and 45 half-centuries. He was also famously known as "Little Master" and celebrates his 74th birthday on July 10. On that account, we will relive some of his best knocks in his legendary international career.

Here are the top five international knocks of Sunil Gavaskar in International cricket

220 vs West Indies (1971)

Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut in March 1971 against the mighty West Indies in Port of Spain at the age of 21. He scored 65 and 67 on his test debut. He made his debut in the second game of the series and smashed his maiden double ton in the fifth and final game in Port of Spain in April 1971. Sunil Gavaskar scored 124 runs in the first innings and followed it up with a 220-run knock in the second innings. Though the game ended in a draw, but Gavaskar became the youngest player to score a double century at the age of 21 years and 277 days (Now held by Javed Miandad - 19 years, 140 days in 1976), breaking Don Bradman's record of 21 years and 304 days old. 

221 vs England (1979)

Sunil Gavaskar smashed four double centuries in his international career and all came with some big achievements. One of his double hundred came against England in August 1979 at the Oval. It was the fourth test of the series and England made 305 and 334/8d in two innings and India were bowled out for 202 in the first innings and got a huge target of 438 runs to win. Then, came the spectacular double ton from Gavaskar. He smashed 221 off 443 balls, with 21 fours and took the score to 429/8 when the game ended with a draw because of time. India missed that chase by nine runs but Gavaskar became the first Asian batter to score a double ton in the fourth innings of a test.

102 vs West Indies (1976)

India became only the second team to chase more than 400 runs in a test match in April 1976 in Port of Spain when they chased 403-run target against West Indies. And one of the hero of that game was Sunil Gavaskar. West Indies made 359 runs in the first innings and bowled out India for just 228 runs to take a lead of 131 runs. Then, the Caribbean team made 271/6 in their second innings and declared the innings and set a target of 403 for India to win. Gavaskar provided a great start and smashed 102 runs with 13 boundaries at the top. Gundappa Viswanath (112) scored a hundred and India chased down their highest score and made 406/4 in 147 overs to win the game.

236* vs West Indies (1983)

Gavaskar's highest test score came against West Indies in December 1983 in Chennai. West Indies toured India for six tests and won the series 3-0 in the first five games. It was the sixth and final game in Chennai. Batting first, West Indies made 313 runs in the first innings. It looked like they will end up winning this game as well. But it was Sunil Gavaskar who stood between them and a win. He smashed his highest test score of 236 not out from 425 balls, including 23 fours. India declared at 451/8 in 160 overs with a lead of 138 runs. West Indies were at 64/1 when the game ended in a draw.

103 vs New Zealand (1987 World Cup)

Gavaskar played only 108 ODIs in his career and scored 3092 runs with only one century and 27 half-centuries. But his only hundred came in a crucial game for India during the 1987 World Cup. It was the match against New Zealand in Nagpur. The Kiwis posted a challenging score of 221/9 in the first innings. But the Indian openers made the mockery of the target. Kris Srikkanth smashed a 58-ball 75 and Gavaskar scored his maiden ODI ton. He remained unbeaten on 103 off 88 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes and India chased 224/1 in 32.1 overs to win by nine wickets and 107 balls to spare.