Sunny Days: An Autobiography

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Sunny Days is the fascinating record of the growth of India's greatest Test 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? 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.

We meet Gavaskar before his remarkable successes which catapulted him to international fame, as a young boy who almost breaks his mother's nose with a mighty hit; plays good cricket in school and college; is at times booed by the crowd as his uncle happens to be a Selector. In fact, all that could happen does happen before he reaches the age of twenty-one, when at Port of Spain Gavaskar bursts onto the cricket scene with his Test debut in all glory.

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 already played 147 first class matches, amassed 11,574 runs and 38 hundreds. Still eight years to go for the great days of Feroz Shah Kotla and Chidambaram Stadium; but as it is said, in the beginning is the end.

By the end of his illustrious career Gavaskar had already surpassed Donald Bradman's thirty-five-year-old record of 29 Test centuries with 34 Test centuries to his credit. He played in 125 Test matches scoring 10,122 runs; 108 One-Day matches scoring 3,092 runs and holds the distinction of captaining India in 47 Tests.

Fluently written, self-effacing modesty gracing its pages, Sunny Days is a rare record of the beginning of a true master and a collector's delight.

Sunil Manohar Gavaskar (b. 10 July 1949) 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 eventually paved the way for his 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 1980 and the Maharashtra Bhushan Award in 1999.

Gavaskar has also been a TV commentator for Sharjah, BBC, Channel 9 Network, ESPN Star Sports and Neo Sports over the years. 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 four other books to his credit including Idols (1983), Runs 'n' Ruins (1984), One Day Wonders (1985) and Straight Drive (2009).

It is always hazardous for an active cricketer to venture into the realm of authorship, especially for one who has won his spurs in Test cricket barely five years ago. Critics will, perhaps, dismiss my haste in getting into print as presumptuous. Even those more charitably disposed towards me may characterise this essay into authorship as a juvenile escapade. I am aware of these dangers and it is only after considerable hesitation that I have decided to publish this personal account of my cricketing experience. I do so with the utmost humility and in the hope that what I have seen and observed will make playing conditions easier for players.

It is inevitable that, in setting down my thoughts and feelings about certain aspects of the game and the conduct of individuals, I have been critical. I do not claim infallibility for these views, nor do I wish to impute motives to people and organisations. It is not my purpose to indulge in gimmicks or mere sensationalism. My sole object is to set the record straight, and to present a faithful picture of the environment in which I have grown to be what I am.

The impetus for writing this book has come mainly from my parents. For as long as I can remember, they have given me every encouragement to play the game, and they have sacrificed so much to help me on the road to cricketing fame. I have looked to them for comfort when things have not gone off well, and we have rejoiced together when my efforts to prove myself have been crowned with success.

Sunil Gavaskar exploded on to the international cricket scene on India's tour of the West Indies in 1971. To those of us on the tour with him, his fantastic success could not have come at a better time and his phenomenal scores could not have been better deserved.

I saw Sunil for the first time when the Indian team touring the West Indies met for a two-week practice camp at Bombay. One had heard a great deal about this young player and of his success in school, university and, finally, in state cricket. I was most interested in seeing him, as he was so obviously a player of distinction. During these two weeks we got to see this young slip of a boy demonstrate the keenness of eye and perfect balance, which are the hall-marks of a good cricketer.

Already acknowledged as one of our greatest players, he does not need any introduction. During the trip to the West Indies, I had the rare pleasure of seeing this boy mature into the scoring phenomenon he became later on the tour. A whitlow on his little finger that needed the surgeon's scalpel kept Sunil out of the first few games of the tour and the first Test. This was a very unfortunate begining to his Test career. As the tour was limited to only four games against the Islands and five Tests, the visiting side got to play only one or two games before the first Test.