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When he announced his retirement from first-class cricket in 1987, Sunil Gavaskar had made 34 Test centuries, more than anyone else in the history of the game. Don Bradman, with 29 hundreds, had stood at the pinnacle all alone for 35 years until the master technician from India got century number 30 against the West Indies at Madras in December 1983.

By the time he played his last Test against Pakistan at Bangalore in March 1987, Gavaskar had raised that figure to 34. Till today, that has remained the benchmark for other batsmen. It is a target that eluded Gavaskar's great contemporaries Vivian Richards and Greg Chappell, while Allan Border, who surpassed the Indian's record Test aggregate of 10,122 runs, had to be satisfied with 27 hundreds. After all these years, the figure after Gavaskar's 34 still remains Bradman's 29. Of course, Sachin Tendulkar, with 28 hundreds, seems resolutely on course to better Gavaskar's record.

But how and where did it all start? It took Gavaskar 125 Tests and 16 years to get 34 hundreds. Hundred number came in only his second Test at the Bourda ground in Georgetown, Guyana, on his maiden tour with the Indian team ­ the epoch-making trip of the Caribbean islands in 1971.

It is now exactly 31 years since Gavaskar got the hundred that started him off on his record-breaking tally. Even though he was a newcomer, Gavaskar was one of the certainties in the Indian squad to tour the West Indies, largely because of his talent and his potential to run up big scores. At school in the mid-60s, he had rattled off many double hundreds, and during the 1970-71 season, he scored 327 in the Inter-University tournament for the Rohintan Baria Trophy to set aside Ajit Wadekar's long-standing record of 324, made in 1958-59.

But Gavaskar had to miss the first Test because of treatment to an injured finger, and he made his debut only in the second Test at Port-of-Spain. Scores of 65 and 67 not out that played an important role in India's historic seven-wicket victory confirmed his class. In the next Test, he displayed his propensity towards big scores.

The West Indies led off with 363, and Gavaskar and Ashok Mankad opened the Indian innings after the tea interval on the second day. The two put on 72 runs before Mankad was out for 40. Gavaskar and Wadekar then took the score to 114 without further loss at stumps. Gavaskar was batting on 48 and Wadekar on 16.

Within minutes of the resumption of play on the third day, Sunday March 21, Wadekar, in the midst of a lean trot, departed without adding to his score. This brought together Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath, who were to be the country's batting bulwarks throughout the 70s. The two were playing in tandem in a Test match for the first time and celebrated with a third-wicket association of 112 runs.

All along, Gavaskar had batted with the assurance of a veteran rather than as a 21-year-old playing only his second Test. But he was also the beneficiary of some good fortune. When he was on six, he cut at a short rising ball from Grayson Shillingford. It flew like a bullet straight at Garry Sobers, who got his hands to it but dropped the ball. Then, on 94, he was again dropped by Sobers off Jack Noreiga. As he recalls in Sunny Days: "At the end of the over, Garry stood in front of me and said 'Maan, why are you after me? Can't you find some other fielder?'

Fortune, however, favoured the brave. As he was nearing his century, dark clouds began gathering over the ground, and it started to drizzle. Play continued. Then, when he was on 98, rain caused a slight interruption. Already displaying the temperament that was to become his trademark, Gavaskar kept his nerve and, almost immediately after play resumed, he got to his first Test century.

Gavaskar describes his feelings in his autobiography. "Many people must be wondering as to what is the feeling when one gets a century in Tests. My own reaction was simply to think of my parents who had given me every encouragement and that they would be beaming when the news reached them." Simple, yet with the right touch of sentiment.

Shortly afterwards there was yet another stoppage due to rain. When play resumed, Sobers took the new ball and operated from one end himself. Shortly Gavaskar, in trying to force Sobers into the covers, edged the ball to Joey Carew at second slip. His first Test century saw him bat almost four-and-a-half hours for 116, and he was third out at 228.

In many ways, it was a knock typical of his batting approach, based on sound technique, an unruffled temperament, fierce determination, intense concentration, solid defence and a wide range of strokes. Almost exactly 16 years later, he played his last Test match with another 33 hundreds against his name. But as anyone would agree, the first of anything is always special, and Gavaskar's maiden Test hundred will no doubt occupy an honoured place in his long and illustrious career.

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