Sachin Tendulkar pays tribute to his idol Sunil Gavaskar, who made his Test debut on this day in 1971

For the current generation to realise the greatness of Sunil Gavaskar, they will have to listen to one of Ravi Shastri's speeches. In the speech, the former all-rounder and Team India head coach explained how Gavaskar remained steadfast when a dangerous short ball from Malcolm Marshall struck him right on this forehead.

Here's A Clip Of Ravi Shastri Describing How Tough Sunil Gavaskar Was Mentally :#SunilGavaskar @onetribeP pic.twitter.com/RVW6Hyjb5q

— Chaitanya Mandale (@_chaitanya_m) March 6, 2021

Sunil Gavaskar smashed the next ball straight down the ground and showed what he is made of. With his heroics on the field, Gavaskar has managed to inspire an entire generation of players, including Sachin Tendulkar.

As Sunil Gavaskar celebrates the 50th anniversary of his debut, the 'Master Blaster' posted a heartfelt tribute to the 71-year-old on Twitter.

Sunil Gavaskar remains my hero: Sachin Tendulkar

In his message, Sachin Tendulkar recollected the time when 'Sunny G' made his debut and scored 774 runs in the same series. He wrote that those wins in West Indies followed by Gavaskar's performance in England were significant moments for the sport in India.

Tendulkar revealed he finally had someone to look up to as a young boy and stated that his opinion of Gavaskar would never change. He also said that Gavaskar remains his hero and wished him and all the other players involved in that series a happy anniversary.

"50 years ago on this day, he took the cricketing world by storm. He scored 774 runs in his debut series and each one of us growing up had a hero to look up to. India won the series in the West Indies and then in England and all of a sudden the sport in India had a new meaning," wrote Tendulkar.

"As a young boy, I knew I had someone to look up to. That has never changed. He remains my hero. Wish you a happy 50th in international cricket, Mr. Gavaskar. To everyone in the 1971 team, a happy 50th anniversary. You all made us proud and showed us the light," concluded Tendulkar.

A tribute to My Idol! 🏏🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/l6nP89pUQi

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 6, 2021

In the 17 years after his debut in 1971, Sunil Gavaskar went on to represent India in 125 Test matches. He mustered 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12. Gavaskar also featured in 108 ODIs and tallied 3092 runs at an average of 35.14.