Kolkata: They say, “Old is gold.” Now, this tag probably doesn’t fit Gautam Gambhir who has struggled for runs on his comeback mission. He may have an average of over 40 in Tests, but in his mid-thirties (he is 35), Gambhir’s critics could advise him to hang up his boots and sit in the commentary box with his former teammates like Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra.
Scores of 0, 29, 50 and 29 in his last four innings do not strengthen the case of Gambhir who was once a pivot for Indian batting at the top and who is hailed by Sehwag as the best Test opener for India after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. So, will Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble leave him out of contention for the second Test against England at Vishakapatnam? That’s the million-dollar question.
There are two ways to look at it: The answer might be Yes and No. Now from a negative point of view, Gambhir indeed has failed to notch up big scores which was once his forte. Though he spent time in the middle, it seems the old touch is missing. Some experts might point fingers at his open stance that makes him vulnerable to getting trapped right in front of the stumps.
In Test matches, it’s important to get those big ones and the twenties and thirties don’t count. In this context, Gambhir can hardly bargain for a place in the XI at Vizag. Barring some moments in the third Test against the Kiwis at Indore, Gambhir, many would feel, is only a pale shadow of the Gambhir we have known.
However, even if one sounds too critical and quite justifiably so, there’s another side to the Gambhir phenomenon. Making a comeback when there are younger guns vying for a slot in the team, isn’t a cakewalk. In the case of the southpaw from Delhi, grit and determination to prolong his career are exemplary.
Not to be deterred by omission from the team a couple of years ago, Gambhir didn’t lose heart and instead slogged harder to win back his place. A stint with former Australian opening batsman Justin Langer paid off and his big scores at the domestic level and the Indian Premier League (IPL) vindicate it.
The left-hander’s half-century in the second innings at Indore at a time when his team needed some quick runs and his partnership with M Vijay in the first innings at Rajkot under trying conditions are instances that Kohli and Kumble may consider before taking a call on Gambhir.
From the Indian team management’s point of view, it may not be a bad idea to repose its faith in this seasoned player who played match-winning knocks in two successful World Cup finals for India (ICC World T-20 in 2007 and ICC World Cup in 2011). Looking ahead, Team India has a busy Test calendar starting with the ongoing series against England followed by one Test against Bangladesh and four against the Aussies.
In every sphere of life, experience plays a big role and just harping on the youth factor might not work at times. Somebody like Gambhir who has played 58 Test matches, his expertise would come in handy for Kohli. Secondly, if we look at the opening slots, Vijay has excelled irregularly in recent times. Shikhar Dhawan seems out of reckonings courtesy his poor form coupled with injury.
That leaves us with a KL Rahul to fall back on, who is just back on the field after an injury. Down the order, Rohit Sharma has undergone an operation and Ajinkya Rahane despite a century at Indore looks a bit inconsistent. The only consistent batsman since the New Zealand series has been Cheteshwar Pujara (And here we are not talking about all-rounders and wicket-keepers). Even Kohli with scores of 49 not out, 40, 17, 211, 45, 9, 18 and 9 in his last eight innings has been tested. So, where does this leave Gambhir?
This analysis may sound like hoping against hope, but keeping in mind the tough road ahead, even if we are playing on our home soil, Gambhir still remains in the scheme of things. If the selectors opt for a fit Rahul in Vizag, then Gambhir perhaps would have to sit out.
A lot depends on the track at Vishakapatnam. It will boil down to the nature of the wicket that can make the difference. Kohli may opt for a Hardik Pandya and push Pujara up the order. That puts Gambhir on the sidelines. But as of now, according to media reports the Vizag wicket won’t have much grass, which favours Gambhir’s inclusion.
But these are hypothetical situations and we all have to wait till the morning of November 17. But logically speaking, if Kohli adheres to the proverb, “Form is temporary, class is permanent,” then the Kolkata Knight Riders skipper gets one last chance to revive his international career. We have seen some memorable comebacks in cricket, will Gambhir’s be one of those?