"I think he was the first cricketer who made us proud in more ways than one. Remember - 0 for 4, 58 all out, India all out twice in a single day ? No good cricketer would like to visit India because there was no challenge in it. All a fast bowler had to do was take a long run up and Indian batsmen would start inching towards square leg umpire. These were the opinions of others about Indian cricketers. Critics didn't want India to be given 5 days Test matches. So much so that Mr. Godfrey Evans, ex England Wicket-keeper wanted spectators to be charged less amount for the matches against India. Few performances here and there would fetch a patronising comment - Indian players have potential, oriental magic and artistry etc. Sunil Gavaskar changed all that. Here was a player who was ready to take on the world and try to match and even outperform their best."
What other Greats Thought "I would have been proud to have played cricket with him." (Donald Bradman) "I personally would like to say that Sunny Gavaskar is the best. His record speaks for itself." (Vivian Richards) "A pocket-sized battleship armed with an impenetrable defence and astonishing gunpowder. The bigger the battle, the better the performance." (Colin Cowdrey) "The Indian combines Boycott's steadiness and Greenidge's ability to keep the runs flowing." (Ian Botham) "Dat little fella is going to get 10,000 runs." (Clyde Walcott - in the beginning of SMG's career) "I would have stood in the slips, and let others bowl." (Keith Miller - when asked how he would bowl to SMG) "The difference between Richards and Gavaskar is fairly expressive in the lifestyle of the two countries. The Caribbean life is like that, its excitable, its aggressive, its colourful, whereas in India there is method, there is thought, there is art." (David Frith - editor of Wisden) "I think this innings of Sunny should be preserved in video. And not only preserved. It should also be shown to all young cricketers as a model innings. I don't believe there were many moments in which there was any imbalance in the man's positioning. The feet were always in place, the head was well down and the left shoulder was leading him into the shots perfectly." (Alan Border - On Gavaskar's century at Lords - MCC bicentenary test) "Superior skill allied to intelligence and courage....that's a rare combination in life. And there are not more than a score of cricketers in the game's entire history who can compare with Sunil Gavaskar." (Robin Marlar) "I have had the good fortune to have seen many memorable double centuries in Test matches, and Gavaskar's 221 at The Oval in 1979 should, at the very least, be bracketed with Stan McCabe's 232 at Trent Bridge and Wally Hammond's 240 at Lords, particulary bearing in mind the important fact that India started their second innings in the seemingly impossible position of needing 438 runs in 500 minutes to win. Gavaskar was by far the best batsman of either side in the series - and England had Boycott, Gooch and Gower - and at his peak undeniably the world's leading No. 1. If I were to recommend a schoolboy to copy a modern master, I would go for Gavaskar rather than Richards who, though a great player in every sense, depends enormously on his eagle eye." (Len Hutton - in the book "Fifty Years in Cricket") "You cannot compare Sunny with anyone. For him batting was everything. He didn't want to fail or throw away his wicket. He had perfect technique, perfect temperament. He is the best" (Mohinder Amarnath)
