50 years ago: Abid Ali on Sunil Gavaskar’s epic Test debut

Fifty years ago on this day March 6 Indias batting great Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut against West Indies team at PortofSpain Trinidad during the 197071 seriesGavaskar 71 along with the Indian team went on to create cricketing history five decades ago by helping their country beat the West Indies for the first time and Gavaskar one of the heroes of that win ended up playing 125 Tests in which he scored 10122 runs with 34 centuries and 45 halfcenturiesGavaskar made his Test debut at the age of 21 in the second of the fivematch series which the Ajit Wadekarled side won 10India came into the second Test on the back of a confidenceboosting draw at Kingston Jamaica Gavaskar was set to play at Sabina Park but a finger injury ruled the diminutive opener outHaving fully recovered he opened with fellow Mumbaikar Ashok Mankad replacing Kenia JayantilalGavaskar contributed substantially to the historic victory His teammate allrounder Syed Abid Ali recalled how the debutant rose to the upper echelons of Test cricket in his first match itself ldquoHe Gavaskar did extremely well as a youngster He had a wonderful debut as well as a series He batted like a champion on his debut Abid Ali 79 told middaycom from Tracy California USA Gavaskar scored 65 in the first innings and topscored with an unbeaten 67 in the second innings to see India home He went on to score 774 runs in four TestsAbid Ali who made his Test debut against Australia at Adelaide during the 196768 away series felt the stars aligned perfectly for Gavaskar leading up the Test seriesWhen Sunil got selected he was scoring runs for Bombay University He was in very good form and that helped said Abid Ali who played 29 Tests with 1018 runs and has 47 wickets to his nameWest Indies captain Garfield Sobers won the toss and opted to bat The hosts were bundled out for 214 in the first innings with Charlie Davis topscoring with an unbeaten 71For India spinners Erapalli Prasanna 454 and Bishan Singh Bedi 346 put on a superlative bowling performance Abid Ali too chipped in with crucial wickets of Roy Fredericks 0 and Clive Lloyd 7 both bowled In fact Fredericks was dismissed by Abid Ali off the first ball of the matchOpeners Mankad 44 and Gavaskar got India off to an impressive start in the first Innings as the visitors scored 352 with Dilip Sardesai 112 notching up a century to help Wadekars men take a 138run lead Sardesai had scored a double century in the first TestIndia then dismissed the hosts for 261 with offspinner S Venkataraghavan bagging a fifer Bedi and fellow leftarm spinner Salim Durani claimed two wickets apiece ldquoSalimrsquos two wickets were vital Lloyd and Sobers both dangerous batsmenrdquo stressed Abid AliWith 124 to win India lost three wickets before Gavaskar and Abid Ali put on a partnership of 41 to help India achieve the required target Recalling the second Innings when he joined Gavaskar in the middle Abid Ali said We didnrsquot required too many to win the match I went in somewhere in the middle of the innings I had the chance to hit the winning run I got a full toss but I played it to the cover fielder Sunil came up to me and said lsquoWhy did you do thatrsquo I said Sunil you are the youngster I think its better if you hit the winning run It will do you good And finally he did thatAbid Ali admired Gavaskars technique and said he is the best batsman he has seen ldquoSunilrsquos technique was a masterpiece I will give full marks to him amongst the present and past cricketers This boy had a lovely technique said Abid Ali who retired in 1975For Abid Ali Gavaskar was born for cricketing greatness even before he made his debut He was a star already coming into the series And as the series progressed we all could see how good he was He too knew he had the talent but he was a modest cricketer with the right upbringing Abid Ali concluded Indiarsquos sevenwicket win in Trinidad ushered in a new era the Gavaskar era And he inspired a generation of batsmen Each and every one of them would also be grateful to March 6 1971 the day it all started