Sunny Days Sunil Gavaskar's Own Story

Sunny Days is the fascinating record of the growth of India's greatest batsman; one whose astonishing feats on the cricket field have had innumerable records rewritten, and yet more difficult targets set. How did Sunil Manohar Gavaskar begin and what were the early days like? It is not merely out of curiosity that one may ask the question; the knowledge of the shaping up of the process of greatness is essential for a true understanding of the greatness. Before we can ask the Little Master to tell us about the dizzying heights of his career we need to know the beginning. And Sunny Days is all about it. The baby is switched after birth, luckily restored by an eagle-eyed uncle; he grows up and almost breaks his mother's nose with a mighty hit (a childhood habit persisting in later life); plays good cricket in school and college; graduates inevitably through university and Trophy cricket; is at times booed by the crowd as his uncle happens to be a Selector - in fact all that could happen does happen to make him reach the age of twenty-one, when at Port of Spain Gavaskar bursts upon the cricket scene with his Test debut.The year is 1971, Gavaskar's year, and sunny days have truly begun for Indian cricket. By the end of the 1975-76 season Gavaskar has played 147 first class matches, amassed 11574 runs and 38 hundreds. He has played in 24 matches in 8 Tests, with 2123 runs and 8 hundreds. Still eight years to go for the great days of the Kotla and the Chidambaram Stadium; but as it is said, in the beginning is the end. Fluently written, self-effacing modesty imparting a rare grace to the pages, Sunny Days is great to read.

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar was brought up in Mumbai where he attended St. Xavier's High School and St. Xavier's College. He inherited his interest in cricket from his parents and uncle and justified their high hopes when, in 1961, at the age of twelve, he distinguished himself in inter-school tournaments. The College XI, the Irani Cup and the Ranji Trophy paved the way for selection in Test cricket. In 1971, Gavaskar made his debut in the West Indies where he scored an astounding 774 runs in 4 Tests at an average of 154.8. With 34 Test centuries to his credit, Gavaskar surpassed Donald Bradman's thirty-five-year-old record of 29 Test centuries. He has played 125 Test matches scoring 10,122 runs, 108 One-Day matches and scored 3,092 runs and holds the distinction of captaining India in 47 Tests. Gavaskar has been felicitated with the Arjuna Award in 1975, Padma Bhushan in 1980and the Maharashtra Bhushan Award in 1999. Gavaskar is also a TV commentator for the BBC, Channel 9 Network, ESPN Star Sports and Neo Sports. He has held several important posts including that of Chairman of ICC Cricket Committee, national Cricket Committee and the BCCI Technical Committee. He also has to his credit four books including Sunny Days (1976), Idols (1983), Runs 'n' Ruins (1984) and One Day Wonders (1985).

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