Sunil Gavaskar on Ten Sports' Dressing Room show. (SCREENSHOT: YouTube/Sports Central)Sunil Gavaskar created history in Ahmedabad in March 1987 when he became the first cricketer of all time to score 10,000 runs. He achieved the feat during the fourth Test of the series against Pakistan. On Wednesday, he revealed that the seeds for that historic landmark were actually sown by Pakistan’s captain that day – Imran Khan – a year earlier.Gavaskar recalled having lunch with Imran Khan in England when India were touring for a three-match Test series in 1986 (that Kapil Dev and Co won 2-0).“I got the opportunity to do so (score 10,000 Test runs) only because of one Imran Khan,” Gavaskar said on Ten Sports’ Dressing Room show. “Now, a year before in England, after the first Test was won, Imran and I went with a friend for lunch in London bang opposite the Harolds in London, there is an Italian restaurant. We went for a lunch there. At this point, I told him, this is going to be my last tour (India tour of England 1986). I am going to quit after this.”Turns out Imran, aware that Pakistan were going to visit India soon, convinced Gavaskar to rethink this decision.“He said ‘No, no you cannot do this.’ I said, What do you mean no, it is my choice.’ He said ‘Pakistan is coming to India, and I want to beat India with you playing’.” Imran then said he was aware of a meeting of the governing bodies and a confirmation was imminent. “I said if that announcement is there, I will carry on. But if it doesn’t come, I will finish after the next Test. Sure enough, the announcement came through and I carried on. If I retired at that time, I would have had finished with 9200-9300 runs. Because of that announcement, there were two other series in India, so I got close to 10,000. If Imran had not told me to carry on…,” the former India captain added.Indeed Gavaskar’s glorious Test career came to a close after that series. In his last Test, played against Pakistan in Bengaluru from 13 March, Gavaskar scored 21 and 96 to finish with 10,122 runs in his career, with an average of 51.22, 34 centuries (also a record at that time). Even in his last innings, Gavaskar was defiant. According to ESPNCricinfo’s report, “Gavaskar gave a masterly exhibition of technique and judgement. Only when he was out, having batted 5 hours 23 minutes and faced 266 balls for his 96, caught at slip off a ball that kicked off a good length, could Pakistan assume victory.” Gavaskar was named player of the match but true to his word, Imran’s Pakistan won the five-match series 1-0.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd