How impressive is a batting average of 65.45 against the bowling attack of West Indies of 70's and 80's?

Question

I wouldn't believe anyone telling me that a guy actually averaged 65.45 against West Indies in 70's and 80's.

But that's true.

One guy managed to have that kind of an amazing record against the most fearsome bowling line-up ever.

The name of that guy is obviously Sunil Gavaskar.

He played 27 test matches against West Indies and scored 2,749 runs at an average of 65.45 with 13 centuries.

Awesome record.

I salute Sunny Gavaskar.

Answer 1

sir, this is a question and answer forum and not a notice board. what u have given in your so called question is well known to us. It would have been better had u asked this as a question that who has the best average against west indies in 70s ot 80s rather than trying to informa some thing which is a well known fact. I am writing this because you are top contributor and you would know the reason of existence of this forum.

have a nice day

Answer 2

Yes thats quite an unbelievable record but it defines Sunil Gavaskar's greatness.

Answer 3

Just as well you got some oldies to skite about Monti, because you don't have too much these days!  lol. To answer your Q, yes I always admired Sunil & believed him to be one of the best ever to come out of India, & that is very impressive.

Answer 4

Yes, Gavaskar was one of the greatest batsmen ever. He played in an era of great fast bowling, not just from West Indies, but Australia, England and Pakistan also had notable pacemen such as Lillee, Thomson, Willis, Old, Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz.

Gavaskar dealt with all of them with aplomb.

He was also one of the greatest players of spin bowling.

So who is better, Gavaskar or Tendulkar?

Answer 5

What is your point Mayuresh  This is a tutorial for us to remember our batting greats. At least Nalaka and Ange ask questions. I guess this was a test to see the reaction .

EDIT: Guess what I just had a discussion with someone and found out who Matt really is. The top contributor from New Zealand, somewhere from the northern hemishphere. Do you want to elaborate on that...maybe not.

To repeat your statement: I salute Sunil Gavaskar.

Answer 6

Gavaskar's first series was against windies (1970-71) was his best series against windies in which he scored 774 runs in 5 innings. Bowlers: Jack Noreiga (17 for 493), John Shepherd (7/213), Uton Dowe (7/245), David Holford (3/131), Gary Sobers (12/401), Arthur Barrett (4/194),Vanburn Holder (6/192),  Keith Boyce (2/59), Grayson Shillingford (4/217), Inshan Ali (1/125) and Maurice Foster (1/52).

2nd best: In 1978-79, he played against them and scored 732 runs in 8 innings. Bowlers: Sylvester Clarke (21/711), Norbert Phillip (19/650), Raphick Jumadeen (3/208), Derek Parry (9/513), Vanburn Holder (8/548), Malcolm Marshall (3/265) and Larry Gomes (1/65). Note that this was Marshall's first series and Gavaskar punished him.

3rd best: 1975-76 series. He scored 390 runs in 7 innings. Bowlers: Michael Holding (19/378), Andy Roberts (6/176), David Holford (6/126), Raphick Jumadeen (9/278), Imtiaz Ali (2/89), Wayne Daniel (2/64), Albert Padmore (1/134) and Bernard Julien (2/270).

4th best: 1983-84 series. 505 runs in 10 innings. Bowlers: Marshall (33/621), Michael Holding (30/663), Wayne Daniel (14/332), Andy Roberts (5/148), Winston Davis (14/562), Eldine Baptiste (1/66), Roger Harper (1/124) and Larry Gomes (2/178).

5th best: 1974-75 series. 108 runs in 4 innings. Bowlers: Andy Roberts (32/585), Lance Gibbs (21/454), Vanburn Holder (17/315), Bernard Julien (9/250), Elquemedo Willett (4/155), Keith Boyce (6/246), Arthur Barrett (2/149) and Roy Fredericks (1/74).

6th best: 1982-83 series. 240 runs. 8 innings. Bowlers: Andy Roberts (24/545), Malcolm Marshall (21/495), Winston Davis (4/175), Michael Holding (12/502), Joel Garner (7/301), Larry Gomes (3/203) and Viv Richards (1/87).

Gavaskar's greatest contribution to Indian cricket is - he would not like to lose. He fought against defeat and showed dogged defence. He is not a fatalist. He would like to write his own fate.

Answer 7

Oh thanks for the info... when I read the Q, I kept thinking who would be that gr8 cricketer!!!!

It turned out to be the gr8 Little Master!!!!!

India has been really the gold mine of great cricketers like Sunny!!!

My salutations too to Sunny Gavaskar!!!

Answer 8

go east or west...Indians are the best.

Answer 9

That's an impressive return indeed.

Especially as an opener - They just gave you no respite.

Answer 10

As vsssarma has pointed out Gavaskar's greatest series against the Windies came in 1970/71 when they had no great fast bowlers.

In the 1978/79 series West Indies best bowlers (Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Colin Croft) were all playing in WSC and the Indian pitches were as flat as pancakes producing 5 draws out of 6 Tests and an average of 50.3 a wicket.

I don't want to nitpick too much because Gavaskar did play a number of great innings against the Windies but the man I salute is Mohinder Amarnath. He scored 91 and 80 on a fast bouncy Bridgetown wicket against Holding, Roberts, Marshall and Garner (the best bowling line-up ever). He didn't score a century and the innings came in defeat but I would rank this as one of the greatest performances against the Windies, ahead of anything Sunil managed.

Answer 11

He is one of the greatest cricketers. Good old Sunny.

Answer 12

That is a remarkable record.  I remember the great record of Doug Walters against the West Indies in 14 Innings (17 played and 3 did not bat) he scored 6 centuries and 5 fifties at an average of 92.  One of the tests he was the first player to score a double century and a century in the same match (242 & 103).  He was batting against some great bowlers in Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith.

Answer 13

that's a crappy average against a mediocre team