Gundappa Viswanath

Lore & Background

On his Test match debut, Viswanath scored a century against Australia at Kanpur in 1969 in a drawn match. He also recorded a duck in the same game. Viswanath is the first and only player to score a double century on first-class debut as well as a century on Test debut. His best performances tended to come on challenging pitches, and while some of his best innings did not result in centuries, they were still important to the team's success.

Against Australia and the West Indies, both known for their strong pace attacks, he had a batting average of over 50. He was at his peak in the mid-1970s. Against the West Indies at Madras in 1974–75 he scored 97 not out out of a total of 190 against a bowling attack containing Andy Roberts. Despite not being a century, it was regarded as one of the finest performances by an Indian and it led to an Indian victory.

The Wisden 100 ranked it the 38th best innings of all time. He scored a match-winning century in the previous Test at Calcutta, but despite a 95 in the final Test at Bombay the series was lost 3–2. In 1975–76, Viswanath again produced some strong performances against the West Indies, the most notable of which was his 112 at Port of Spain which helped India to reach the victory target of 403. At the time, this was the highest successful run-chase in Test cricket.

In 1978–79 at Madras he again top scored with 124 out of a total of 255. India went on to win the match which ultimately led to a 1–0 series victory in the 6-match series, although this West Indian side was considerably weaker than in previous series after many players opted to play in World Series Cricket instead. Viswanath also had a brief stint as the Indian captain in 1979–80. In the two Tests he captained, one was drawn and one was lost, the latter being the Golden Jubilee Test against England.

In this match he recalled Bob Taylor to the crease after the umpire had already given him out. Taylor went on to score some vital runs for England helping them to win the match. In March 1978, Gundappa Viswanath married Kavita, the sister of teammate Sunil Gavaskar. They have a son named Daivik and live in Bengaluru.

Viswanath retired from Tests in 1983, and later served as a match referee for the ICC from 1999 to 2004. He was also the chairman of the national selection committee, and also served as the manager of the Indian cricket team.

Reader's Guide

Viswanath is known for his elegant, wristy batting style emphasizing timing over power, with the square cut as his signature shot. He excelled against fast bowling, averaging over 50 against Australia and the West Indies. His 97 not out against the West Indies in 1974–75 is ranked 38th best innings by Wisden 100. He captained India in two Tests in 1979–80, notably recalling Bob Taylor after being given out. Post-retirement, he served as ICC match referee, chairman of selectors, manager of the Indian team, coach at NCA, and vice-president of KSCA.