5 Greatest Test batsmen of all time

#4 Sunil Gavaskar (India)

Sunil Gavaskar

It was a scary proposition for most of the batsmen in world cricket to even think of facing the fearsome pace battery of West Indies in the 1970s and 1980s. Gavaskar scored 13 centuries against the West Indian attack in his Test career and that piece of information should suffice in justifying his inclusion in this list.

He was a brilliant player against spin bowling too and his inning of 96 against Pakistan on a viciously turning track remains the finest exhibition of the requisite technique to play spin bowling.

Gavaskar was the first batsman to surpass 10000 runs in Test cricket and scored 10122 runs in 125 tests at an average of 51.10. He also made 34 centuries and 45 half-centuries in his brilliant career. He scored 771 runs in his debut series against the West Indies in their own backyard and never looked back after that. His shot selection was superb too and the straight drives and extra-cover drives still have very few matches. His achievements seem to be even more staggering when one considers the quality of bowling attacks he faced throughout his career.