Date-stamped : 04 Mar95 - 18:41 India v West Indies, TEST 6, Madras, 24-29 December 1983 A series which started in the most disastrous manner and which India was destined to lose 0-3, the widest ever margin of defeat on home soil, ended on a happy note at the Chidambaram Stadium in the last week of 1983. It is unlikely that a Test has been dominated to such an extent in recent times by one individual. Sunil Manohar Gavaskar bes- trode the sixth and final Test like a veritable colossus. Record after record fell to this `Little Big Man`. On December 20, the `Boy from Bombay` at last overtook the `Boy from Bowral` - Sir Don Bradman - and all of India rejoiced. It had all started at Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1971 and now 12 years later, in his 174th innings and 99th Test, Gavaskar stood at the very top - alone - with 30 Test centuries. But this was not enough. For Gavaskar had a point to prove. The Indian slectors and the captain had finally allowed him to bat at number 4 - a position he had wanted all season. He wanted to show them that it was a correct decision. When he scampered across for the cheekiest of cheeky singles on the final day, Gavaskar became the first ever batsman to score three double centuries against the West Indies. His previous highest of 221 was serenely passed. And then a short while later the 28 year old record of Vinoo Mankad was overtaken as Gavaskar pulled Gomes for a 4 to cross 231 - which has stood all these years as the highest individual innings by an Indian in Tests. With rain washing out the entire first day`s play and more later on, interest solely centered around the `Little Master`. The usual pattern of an early collapse and a later recovery by the West Indies batting was repeated for the umpteenth time on the first two days. Greenidge lashed an aggressive 34 in an opening stand of 47 with Haynes. For once it was the spinners who shared the early wickets as West Indies slumped to 136 for 4. Of course Dujon and Lloyd once again saw to it that the champions pride would not be dented. Later on, Marshall and Holding struck some mighty blows to take them to safety late on the third day. The Test was seemingly headed for a draw at this stage. But once again India`s batting crumbled with the score-board showing 69 for 4 at the close. Gaekwad and Sidhu opened the innings. But without a run on the board, Marshall swept aside the former, and Vengsarkar, and was on a hat-trick when Gavaskar came in -- for all practical pur- poses openeing the innings. The first run did not come till the 23rd ball. Gavaskar and Sidhu had cautiously taken the score to 54 when Davis was struck on the right collar bone by a stone thrown by a mindless spectator. Lloyd led his team off the field and it was only 29 minutes of heated arguments later that he came back. However, his obvious purpose had been served and Roberts had young Sidhu immediately caught by Richards for 20 with the first ball after resumption. Malhotra fell 13 runs later with Gavaskar standing unperturbed at the other end on 36. By the close of the fourth day India had reached 262 for 6. Gavaskar and Shastri, with a mature 72, added 170 for the sixth wicket -- a record against the West Indies. A neat tuck down the leg side brought Gavaskar to his 100 and the crowd rose to one man. At the tea interval he presented his pre- cious bat to West Indies wicket-keeper Dujon -- a promise he had had made to him earlier in the series. That bat will be a family heirloom for generations to come! Gavaskar had reached his epoch-making century in 271 minutes. His innings extended upto 644 minutes and 425 balls with twenty- three 4s and two fives before Kapil applied the closure at 451 for 8. Gavaskar`s only blemish was when on 188 he mishooked Roberts through Dujon`s gloves. He received admirable support from Kir- mani, who, while remaining unbeaten on 63, had helped put on 143 runs for the nineth wicket -- another record for India against West Indies. By then Marshall had collected three more scalps to boost his tally to 33, thus breaking Robert`s record in West Indies-India series and equalling the mark held jointly by Croft and Valentine for the most wickets in any series for a West Indian bowler. By the end of the match, West Indies had reached 64 for the loss of Haynes` wicket. For those privileged to watch Gavaskar in action on those three days at Chepauk, the memory of his mastery over the bowling will forever linger. After a few dismal innings mid way through the series, he was back at his best. His drives, pulls and glances were executed with such slide-rule perfection that even his severest critics would have had to admit that here was one of the true Immortals of the game in action. Source :: The Indian Cricket Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)