Mumbai: At 35, Gautam Gambhir pulled off something which many would consider as impossible. India adopted the policy of phasing out the seniors after the 2011 World Cup win, and many of the greats were sacrificed to build the team around the upcoming talents.
The loss of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh became Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan and R Ashwin’s gain.
So when the national selectors called back Gambhir to the India Test squad to play against New Zealand and England, the news was not just heartwarming, it was also surprising.
The selection obviously had a touch of good fortune; the southpaw was the beneficiary out of the injuries suffered by KL Rahul and Dhawan. The lady luck may have smiled on Gambhir, but that should not make us forget the hard work he endured to mount a comeback.
Gambhir was dropped from the Indian team in 2014 for his horrendous display against England outside home, as he scored just 25 runs in four innings. From there to his return in Eden Gardens in October, the left-hander scored 1580 runs in First Class matches at an average of 49.37.
In September, a month before his reselection, Gambhir smashed 356 runs in five innings of Duleep Trophy at an average of 71.20. In the two years that he was away from the national team, the opener completely transformed his batting stance.
The 58-Test veteran ditched his orthodox stance for a more open-chested stance. The improved stance allows Gambhir to play short balls easily on the either side of the wicket, something that has haunted him for long.
Watch: What has changed in Gautam Gambhir’s technique
The return, however, didn’t go according to the plans. The batsman largely failed to bring his domestic form to the international platform. He did strike a fifty in the second innings of his comeback Test, but always looked vulnerable, as he was mopped off for a duck in Rajkot.
Fit-again KL Rahul’s selection in the squad second England Test made life sourer for the opener. Gambhir was dropped from the starting line-up to make way for Rahul. The final nail in the coffin came on Tuesday, as selectors dropped Gambhir from the squad all together.
In the twilight of his career, the opener made the almost impossible possible. However, to think he can repeat the feat will be a bit of a stretch. The worst thing is that his exclusion this time, unlike the one in 2014, has a touch of conclusiveness.
Gambhir’s chances to return to the national team are very slim, unless, the Indian openers decide again get injured at the same time once again.
Test skipper Virat Kohli has already made no bones about who would be India’s prefer opening pair. Before the Vizag Test, Kohli said: “We’ve had it pretty clear in our heads that KL (Rahul) is our no.1 choice (for opening the batting), along with Vijay.”
Gambhir has served India for long and well. The Delhi lad has been part of the India team that won the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship and the 2011 ODI World Cup. He contributed when India became the No. 1 Test team in the world in 2009, and played his role when they reclaimed the top spot after beating New Zealand this year.
The southpaw has been a fighter all his life, but in the fag-end of his career, with resurgence of Rahul and other young prospects, a comeback to the national team looks improbable.
