A WRONG READING

A WRONG READING 

It is wrong to discount Gavaskar's 732 Test Match runs including four Test centuries in 1978-79 against a secong-string attack after the Packer-lift of West Indies' first string of bowlers, namely, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner. Remember that even this second-string attack comprised top-class bowlers like Sylvester Clarke, Malcolm Marshall in his debut series, the veteran Vanburn Holder and Norbert Phillip. Marshall made it big later on in the reunited side post-Packer and Clarke also featured in the full-strength side sometimes. Holder's reputation need not be stressed and Phillip was a good bowler as well

Gavaskar's three Test centuries down-under against Australia on 1977-78 are also likewise thought of lightly but one must not forget that even the depleted Aussie attack was spearheaded by none other than Jeff Thomson. So, to discount Gavaskar's extraordinary batting exploits on this ground is proof of wrong-reading of the game as it were.

And forget not that Gavaskar besides these had scored five more centuries against the famed West Indian pace attack [leaving aside his first four Test centuries in his debut series against Sobers' side in 1971] and a 188 in his final encounter post-retirement with Marshall and Hadlee at Lord's in the MCC Bicentennial Match in 1987, an innings which was lauded by Alan Davidson as a perfect exhibition of batsmanship against genuine fast bowling.

Gavaskar faced the fiercest fast bowling in cricket history to notch up 34 Test centuries. Some of the genuine fast bowlers he faced have been listed here. They are as follows: John Snow, Bob Willis (England); Jeff Thomson, Dennis Lillee, Len Pascoe, Rodney Hogg, Merv Hughes, Craig McDermott (Australia), Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Wayne Daniel, Sylvester Clarke, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Winston Davis, Elaine Baptiste (West Indies), Imran Khan, Wasim Akram (Pakistan) and Richard Hadlee (New Zealand).