Sunil Gavaskar - International Farewell

International Farewell

In 1985–86, India toured Australia, playing against a team in a poor form slump. India were unable to capitalise as all three Tests were drawn, but Gavaskar did. He scored an unbeaten 166 in the First Test in Adelaide and 172 in the Third Test in Sydney, ending the series with 352 runs at 117.33. A three Test tour of England saw him score only 185 runs at 30.83, which India won 2–0 despite his unproductivity. In 1986–87, Gavaskar’s final season in Test cricket, India faced a long season of eleven home Tests. Against a team regarded as the worst to leave Australian shores, Gavaskar made 90 in the second innings of the First Test in Madras, giving India a chance to reach the target of 348, which ended in a tie. He scored 103 in the Third Test in Bombay to end the series with 205 runs at 51.66. The First Test against Sri Lanka in Kanpur saw Gavaskar’s 34th and final Test century of 176. He scored 74 and 5 in the next two Tests as India won the three match series 2–0. The five Test series against arch enemies Pakistan was to be his last. Gavaskar scored 91 in the drawn First Test in Madras before withdrawing from the Second Test in Calcutta as he had promised. In the Fourth Test in Ahmedabad, Gavaskar’s 63 made him the first batsman to pass 10,000 runs. With the teams locked 0–0 leading into the final Test in Bangalore, there was to be no fairytale. Gavaskar was dismissed for 96 in the second innings as India were bowled out to give Pakistan a 1–0 series win.