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Batting great Gavaskar knows how it feels to await a milestone

Updated on: 23 November,2010 09:48 AM IST |
Debasish Datta |

The momentous 50th Test century still eludes Sachin Tendulkar. Yesterday, there were heartbroken spectators at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here

The momentous 50th Test century still eludes Sachin Tendulkar. Yesterday, there were heartbroken spectators at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here. In fact, the bowler who dismissed the little master, Andy McKay, apologised to the Press for having Tendulkar caught behind in the morning session.

Sunil Gavaskar felt huge pressure when he was about to touch Donald Bradman's record of 29 Test centuries during the home series against West Indies in 1983-84: "Just before that hundred, wherever I went, be it a restaurant, airport, or the streets, I was confronted by anxious fans. The pressure was mounting, and we lost the first Test at Kanpur on a fiery pitch."

This correspondent remembers a few spectators yelling at the Kotla: "Sunny, Malcolm Marshall is coming to get you." The next day Gavaskar, dug deep to bring out the best strokes from his armoury smashing the West Indian quicks to all parts of the ground. For the record, the date was October 29, 1983.

Gavaskar reckons Tendulkar is not under pressure, but his fans are understandably anxious. "He has scored 49 centuries, we should not be telling him how to get there. Today or tomorrow, he will get there. We need to have some patience. He got out to a very good delivery," Gavaskar concluded.

Gavaskar also credited Daniel Vettori's captaincy to persist with McKay.

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