Tony Cozier interview (3 mins)

Keith Holder interview (2 mins)

With the Indian Cricketer of the Century Awards coming up on July 23, Wisden Online have been asking not just players for their opinions and memories about Indian cricketers, but some famous names in the media as well. Here, the West Indian journalists Tony Cozier and Keith Holder share their memories.

Gavaskar is top of Holder's list. India's 1970-71 tour of the Caribbean was Gavaskar's first as a Test player, and he made a staggering 774 runs in four Tests. Holder said Gavaskar "took the West Indies bowling apart", and played like a "typical West Indian - he put bat to ball." Holder also picked out Dilip Vengsarkar, Gundappa Vishwanath and Dilip Sardesai as quality batsmen. Of the spinners, Chandra got a mention as a "very difficult customer", and so did Eknath Solkar. Slightly surprising this - Solkar's Test bowling average was 59.

As well as lavishing praise on Gavaskar, Cozier mentioned Dilip Sardesai's famous innings in Barbados in 1970-71, when he guided India past their follow-on target, ultimately saving the match. But that series will always be remembered for Gavaskar's contribution, when "he came as a virtual unknown and then compiled runs at will".

Cozier also remembered the four great Indian spinners bowling in tandem in Trinidad in 1975-76: Chandra the skiddy legspinner, Prasanna and Venkat the contrasting offspinners – one all loop and guile, the other flatter and quicker. And then there was Bedi, the classical left-armer. Cozier said simply, "You couldn't want a better combination for a spin attack."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd