- Those who are fond of following the fortunes of Indian cricket over the years must have noticed how the country never failed to produce some of the historically brilliant batsmen of the different eras consistently. Indian cricket has found world-acclaimed batters emerge ever since the sport became prominent in the country. As the game of cricket evolved, the Indian players also emerged taking on the might of the opposition with characteristic aplomb. One of the first few batsmen to leave behind a tremendous mark on the cricketing firmament is none other than the Little Master Sunil Gavaskar who was the first to score 10,000 Test runs and the first to score 34 Test hundreds.
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- The way the Little Master went about tackling the menace of the fearsome pace bowling of West Indies and Australia is legendary. Interspersed with the emergence of contemporary batting stalwarts like Dilip Vengsarkar, Gundappa Vishwanath, and Mohinder Amarnath, Sunil Gavaskar set the tone for the aspiring batsmen. Subsequently, the country was blessed to have seen the emergence of a certain Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar who not only caught the imagination of the country’s cricketing firmament but gained international acclaim through consistently spectacular exploits. A great amount of credit should go to the God of Cricket himself for the way Sachin transformed the cricketing landscape in the country as well as internationally.
- Every achievement on the field was watched with bated breath and raucously applauded by the entire country, and a rare failure was met with great despondency. Scores of people will relate to this. Such was the charisma, appeal, popularity, and easy-on-the-eyes batsmanship possessed by Sachin Tendulkar. When he came out to bat, literally the entire country supported him and rejoiced with gay abandon after yet another milestone was breached by the Master Blaster. When Sachin departed early, cricket lovers simply switched off from the happenings on the field. No wonder, Sachin remained a particular glue that had the entire country attracted towards his mesmerizing cricketing exploits.
PC: Times Now
- He not only overcame the record set by Sunil Gavaskar in Test runs and hundreds but also went way beyond the original Master’s formidable achievements. Sachin became the first man to score 100 hundreds in international cricket alongside numerous other world records that remain unconquered even now. Yes, there were Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, and Gautam Gambhir as no less accomplished batsmen. When Sachin retired from active cricket, Virat Kohli had yet to find his feet internationally. Overcoming initial failures, Virat transformed himself into a fiercely competitive and intimidating batter, breaking several records along the way with great impunity.
- His tremendous emphasis on fitness and intensity with which Virat contested against the opponents is a treat to watch. Fortunately, it continues to this day. Virat the batter has proved his worth around the world. No wonder, Virat Kohli has broken the longstanding ODI record of 49 hundred held by the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. What an occasion he chose to reach 50 ODI hundreds, a semifinal of the ongoing World Cup. Virat’s formidable record in the 50-over format is envious and will be extremely challenging to breach. Many congratulations to the Indian cricket’s talisman, Virat Kohli. May he continue to serve the Indian cricket with great aplomb!
