Sunil Gavaskar, regarded as the best opening batsman in Test Cricket history was also widely admired for his technique against fast bowling, with a particularly high average of 65.45 against the West Indies. Gavaskar was a member of the victorious Indian side in the 1983 World Cup. He was born exactly on this day, the 10th of July 1949, in Bombay, India. Gavaskar set world records during his career for the most runs and most centuries scored by any batsman. He held the record of 34 Test centuries for almost two decades before it was broken by Sachin Tendulkar in December 2005. Gavaskar was named India's Best Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1966. A diminutive player, Gavaskar stood at just 165 cm, but the stature of this great player scared many opposition bowlers and he made his test debut against the West Indies. Gavaskar was captain of the Indian team on several occasions in the late 1970s and early 1980s, although his record is sadly, less impressive. Gavaskar was also a fine slip fielder and his safe catching in the slips helped him become the first Indian (excluding wicket-keepers) to take over a hundred catches in Test matches. While Gavaskar could not be described as an attacking batsman, he had the ability of keeping the scoreboard ticking with unique shots such as the "late flick". Among his many awards are the Padma Bhusan, and the Border-Gavaskar trophy has been instituted on his name.
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