One of the greatest batters of all time, Sunil Gavaskar , is a name synonymous with absolute discipline, grit and perseverance on the field. In red-ball cricket, Gavaskar’s stature is arguably unmatched in Indian cricket. His ability to deal with bowlers of absolute top quality, producing fearless batting irrespective of the conditions, remains unmatched. in comparison to modern T20-styled cricket, even he knew the importance of adapting oneself in dire situations While Gavaskar belongs to the generation of purists.
During a 1981-82 Ranji Trophy game, the original Little Master actually batted left-handed in order to thwart the threat posed by the bowler.
Key Factors
The strategy for Bhat was simple, to target the rough patch on the pitch, which had troubled right-handers the entire match. What was truly majestic is that Gavaskar would turn into a right-hander again whenever a right-arm bowler would come to bowl from the other end of the pitch. “It was felt that it was done in pique, but it was nothing like that at all. I felt I had zero chance against Raghu batting right handed, and since the match was already decided in Karnataka’s favour, I tried the tactic. If the match was in the balance, I certainly would not have batted left handed. Also, please remember I batted left handed only against Raghuram Bhat. When a right hand spinner (B Vijayakrishna) came along, I switched to batting right handed again.”
Bombay were staring at a defeat, and all Karnataka needed was the remaining 5 wickets to qualify for the final. He batted for over 60 minutes left-handed, scoring an unbeaten 18 runs. Together with teammate Ghulam Parkar, Gavaskar safely carried Bombay to 218/9 by the close of play on the final day, leaving Karnataka frustrated.
“I could understand the adverse reactions,” Gavaskar says.
