Sunil Gavaskar:
You have to admit Sunil Gavaskar was Indian cricket’s first global superstar. A batsman who had tons of runs against the mighty West Indian bowling attack, not to forget in a time when batsmen had no helmets, guards, and other safety equipment.
However, despite being the first cricketer in the world to score 10,000 runs, Gavaskar had to endure a sad ending to his test career. His final test was played in Bangalore in 1987. The five-match series between India and Pakistan had been trailing along 0-0 till the first four Tests. In the final Test, Gavaskar scored 21 in the first innings and 96 in the second innings. But the sheen of his epic knock of 96 was robbed by India’s defeat. Gavaskar waged a lone battle in what’s the mother of all cricket rivalries. India lost the test by 16 runs – and with it the series 0-1. Sadly the legendary Indian cricketer never had a farewell match to end his career.