Gavaskar and his opening partner Kris Srikkanth attacked the Kiwi bowlers hard after the target. In the 33rd over of the match, Gavaskar got his first ODI century to easily lead India to victory. Gavaskar scored 103 runs off just 88 deliveries and returned to the pavilion undefeated. He shared Player of the Match honors with his teammate Chetan Sharma due to his outstanding performance.
An accomplishment for any side in the 1970s was winning a Test series against the West Indies. In 1971, the Indian team traveled to the Caribbean islands to compete against the Garry Sobers-led West Indies. The squad returned triumphant, taking the five-match Test series by a score of 1-0, with Ajit Wadekar serving as captain.
Gavaskar again, though, decided to take matters into his own hands and racked up a double ton. India was five runs down at one point with a score of 92, but Gavaskar used his knowledge to join forces with Ravi Shastri, who also contributed 72 runs, to put together a 170-run partnership.