As the former batting great Sunil Gavaskar turns 74, here are four of his best knocks across all formats of the game

In an international cricket career spanning 16 years, Sunil Gavaskar left a mark on Indian cricket that will be remembered for generations to come.

He was considered as the one of the finest opening batters of his generation.

Gavaskar has not only contributed to cricket as a player but has also been a commentator and columnist for the past few years.

As the former batting great turns 74, here are four of his best knocks across all formats of the game.

220 vs West Indies, Port of Spain, 1971

The hints of Gavaskar’s Test greatness could be seen in his debut series against Australia. He made his debut in the second match with impressive scores of 65 and 67 not out. In the very next game, he scored his first Test century and finished with 116 and 64 not out. But that wasn’t enough. In the last match of the series, he smashed a century (124) in the first innings and followed it up with a spectacular double-century (220) in the second innings. With this monumental knock, he became the second Indian to score a century in each innings of a Test.

221 vs England, The Oval, 1979

Sunil Gavaskar almost pulled of a miracle in what can be called one of the greatest knocks of his career.  India faced the daunting task of chasing 438 in the last innings for a win over England. Gavaskar smashed a double century (221), registering the highest score by an Indian in a Test match against England at the time. He was dismissed by Ian Botham and Indian remained just nine runs short of a historic win.

236* vs West Indies, Chennai, 1983

Sunil Gavaskar scored his highest Test runs against a strong West Indies bowling attack. This knock remains even more special as it marked his 30th Test century which saw him surpass Australia batting legend Don Bradman as the most prolific Test century-maker. Walking in an No. 4, he contributed more that 50 per cent runs in India’s total but the match eventually ended in a draw.

103* vs New Zealand, Nagpur, 1987

Sunil Gavaskar was unable to reach the 100-runs mark in the initial World Cup editions that he was a part of including the 1975 and 1983 World Cups. However, the opportunity to prove his ODI skills presented itself during the 1987 World Cup. Chasing 222 to win against New Zealand, Gavaskar remained unbeaten at 103 off 88 balls. India won the match and he shared the Player of the Match title with Chetan Sharma, who had taken a hat-trick.

Sunil Gavaskar has delivered several other unforgettable performances throughout his career. He is also an Arjuna Award and Padma Bhushan Award recipient. Gavaskar’s enormous contribution to cricket as a player and captain has earned him a place in the hall of fame as one of the greatest cricketers the country has ever seen.