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Looking Back At When Sunil Gavaskar Became The First Cricketer To Score 10000 Test Runs

Soumyajit Dutta

Sunil Gavaskar [Source: @aidenstory/X.com]Sunil Gavaskar [Source: @aidenstory/X.com]

The Ahmedabad air crackled, thick with anticipation. March 7, 1987. Sunil Gavaskar, India's immovable rock, stood poised on the brink of immortality. One run. Just one single run separated him from a summit no batter had ever scaled, 10,000 Test runs. Pakistan's attack circled, aware they were about to witness history. The packed Sardar Patel Stadium held its collective breath.

The Moment When Little Master Climbed The 'Mountain'

Then it happened. A push, a scamper. Fifty-seven to fifty-eight. The scoreboard flickered. Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine became ten thousand. And in that instant, the deliberate, methodical Gavaskar did something utterly uncharacteristic, he sprinted. 

As Sharda Ugra captured so vividly, "His head slightly lowered, mid-single, Gavaskar raised his bat in both triumph and celebration." It was a burst of pure, unadulterated joy, a release from the immense weight of expectation he had carried for 16 years as India's batting talisman.

The IND vs PAK Match Ended In A Stalemate

Though Gavaskar scaled the mountain, the 4th Test between India and Pakistan at Ahmedabad in March 1987 ended in a draw. Pakistan posted 395 in the first innings, with Ijaz Faqih scoring a gritty 105. India replied with 323, led by Dilip Vengsarkar's 109 and Sunil Gavaskar's patient 63 off 170 balls.

Gavaskar showed great composure at the top, anchoring the innings, however, Pakistan batted cautiously in the second innings, finishing at 135/2 to avoid a result.

The Essence Of Gavaskar Lives In The Milestone

Yet, on March 7, 1987, as Gavaskar scaled the monumental feat, Ahmedabad roared and emphasised the profound truth that "as long as Gavaskar was there, there was hope." The 'Little Master' was engulfed, not by opponents, but by the love of a nation claiming ownership of his unparalleled feat.

This moment crystallized the essence of Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. It wasn't just about the staggering numbers, the eventual 10,122 Test runs at 51.12, the 34 centuries, the 125 Tests, the 3,092 ODI runs. It was about the journey. It was about the countless hours of immaculate defence that blunted the fiercest attacks, and the quiet, burning determination that propelled a 'little' figure to tower over the game's giants.

Today is July 10 and on Gavaskar's birthday, the nation celebrates not just the first man to breach that magical barrier, but the architect of Indian batting confidence. Gavaskar showed the world, and more importantly, showed India, that excellence in Test cricket was achievable.