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Vijay Aggarwal· 5 years ago
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Which was the last match played by Sunil Gavaskar?

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Updated on09/04/26

Sunil Gavaskar's Last Match

Sunil Gavaskar's last Test match was the 5th Test against Pakistan, played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, from 13–17 March 1987.

The Context

This was the final Test of a five-match series between India and Pakistan. The first four Tests had all ended in draws on flat, slow pitches designed to neutralize the strong pace and spin attacks on both sides. The decider was played on a turning track, and unlike the rest of the series, it produced a clear result.

How the Match Went

  • Pakistan batted first after winning the toss and were bowled out cheaply for 116, with India's Maninder Singh taking 7 wickets.

  • India's reply collapsed late in the innings, and they were all out for just 145 — a lead of only 29 for Pakistan.

  • Pakistan's second innings saw them post 249, setting India a target of 221 to win the match and the series.

  • India's chase is where Gavaskar's farewell became legendary. Batting at the top of the order as wickets fell around him, he played a defiant, technically masterful innings of 96 runs off 264 balls on a deteriorating, spin-friendly pitch against a strong Pakistani attack.

Despite his effort, India fell just short — India lost by 16 runs, and Pakistan won the five-match series 1–0.

The Individual Outcome

Even in defeat, Gavaskar earned the Man of the Match award for his innings on that difficult Bangalore pitch. It was widely regarded as one of the finest innings of his career — some considered it worth "a double century in real terms" given the conditions, since it was played almost entirely as a lone defensive effort while partners kept losing their wickets at the other end.

Career Numbers at Retirement

Gavaskar retired after a 16-year Test career with 10,122 runs from 125 Tests at an average of 51.12, including 34 centuries and four double centuries. At the time, he was the first man in history to cross 10,000 Test runs.

One Nuance Worth Noting

If you're asking specifically about his last match in international cricket overall (not just Tests), that's a slightly different question — his last ODI came a little earlier in the same tour of Pakistan, where he famously scored a fast century in a losing cause. And his very last competitive innings in any format was actually in a first-class match at Lord's shortly after, where he scored 188 against a World XI-type attack featuring bowlers like Malcolm Marshall and Richard Hadlee.

So to be precise in how you phrase this going forward:

  • Last Test match: vs Pakistan, Bangalore, March 1987

  • Last ODI: also during the 1987 Pakistan tour

  • Last competitive innings of any kind: first-class match at Lord's, 1987

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William Anderson
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William Anderson is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) and sports writer with over 8 years of experience in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and athletic performance across collegiate and professional sports environments. He holds a Master of Science in Athletic Training from the University of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Penn State University — credentials that ground his sports writing in clinical evidence and direct athlete care rather than observation from the stands. His content covers injury prevention, sports rehabilitation, athletic performance, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, return-to-play protocols, and the science behind training methodologies used at the elite level. His work has appeared on platforms including Stack Sports, Bleacher Report, and Healthline Sports, where he writes for athletes, coaches, fitness professionals, and sports fans who want content built on clinical training experience — not recycled sports journalism with fitness tips attached. Over 8 years, William has worked with collegiate athletic programmes and semi-professional teams, managing injury prevention protocols, sideline care, and rehabilitation for athletes across football, basketball, and track and field. He has published 230+ articles on sports performance and athletic health, presented at the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) Annual Clinical Symposium, and is a Board Certified member of the NATA and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA. Across all his writing, every performance recommendation is clinically verified, every injury protocol reflects current evidence-based practice, and no training trend is covered without assessing the physiological basis behind it — because sports content written without clinical grounding is not sports science, it is gym folklore.

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Replying to the question above
Answered on05/20/21
Gavaskar played so many cricket matches. He remained sheriff of Mumbai. He played his last match at Bangalore against Pakistan in March 1987.He scored 10,000 runs in his career. He has received Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
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Vijay Aggarwal
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