Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar marked the 50th anniversary of his international debut on Saturday, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the tributes for the 71-year-old.
On March 6, 1971, Gavaskar took the field in an India shirt for the first time in what went on to become a historic tour of the West Indies. The right-handed opener scored a staggering 774 runs in that series as Ajit Wadekar’s men pulled off an improbable series victory.
When Gavaskar and Co created history: Remembering India’s epic 1971 Test series win in West Indies
“Fifty years ago on this day he took the cricketing world by storm,” Tendulkar wrote for Gavaskar on Saturday in a social media post. “He scored 774 runs in his debut series and each one of us growing up had a hero to look up to. India won the series in the West Indies and then in England and all of a sudden the sport in India had a new meaning.
“As a young boy I knew I had someone to look up to and try and be like him. That has never changed. He remains my hero,” added Tendulkar.
Here’s a look at how the Indian cricket community marked the occasion
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