by Abhishek Mukherjee
The reverse sweep at the 1987 World Cup final. The Shakoor Rana incident. Shane Warne's Ball of the Century. A scandal involving a barmaid. A rebel tour to South Africa. The numerous jokes on his affinity towards food and his resultant physique (even Benaud had one!).

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, everything about Mike Gatting seemed to be either funny or controversial or both. Social media trolls would have ripped him apart today.

And yet, for a period of over about 33 months (between 28.11.84 and 6.8.87), he had scored 2,419 runs at 62. Only Dilip Vengsarkar, the best batsman in the world at that point, averaged more.

But Gatting's biggest legacy came in 1986. Gower had taken a lot of flak after West Indies had whitewashed England 5-0 in both 1984 and 1985-86. He responded by getting 13 t-shirts printed, one for him (with I'M IN CHARGE printed on it) and the rest for his teammates (I'M NOT).

England then lost the Lord's Test to India. When Gower was at the BBC post-match presentation, Gatting had already been appointed captain for the rest of the series. When Gower found out, he tossed the I'M IN CHARGE t-shirt at Gatting. I do not think it was a fit.

India won the next Test (and with it, the series), but Gatting's 183 not out at Edgbaston allowed England to take control of a Test for the first time in the series.

Later that year Gatting led England to Australia for the Ashes, the World Series Cup (Australia, England, West Indies), and the Perth Challenge One-Day Cup (the three teams plus Pakistan).

England won all three. They would not win another Ashes on Australian soil in 24 years.

Mike Gatting was born on 6 June 1957. He once won a bronze medal in ballroom dancing at Neasden Ritz, so the joke is on you, trolls.