5 reasons why Gautam Gambhir can become an Indian Test team regular once again

Gautam Gambhir hit a quickfire fifty against New Zealand in the 3^rd Test at Indore (Image Credit: BCCI)

Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir made his way back to the Indian Test squad due to KL Rahul’s injury during the 1st Test of the New Zealand series. While he was not included in the playing XI for the 2nd Test, destiny played it's part as Shikhar Dhawan got injured, too, and Gambhir was included as an opener in the final Test.

The 34-year-old may not have set the stage on fire in his comeback Test against New Zealand at Indore but he certainly made a noteworthy contribution with scores of 29 and 50 in what turned out to be another huge win for India.

What stood out about both of Gambhir’s innings in the match was the aggressive intent which he displayed during his stay at the crease. While he struck 2 sixes and 3 fours in the first essay, his half-century in the 2^nd innings came off just 56 deliveries and included 6 boundaries.

Considering the decent success that Gautam Gambhir had during his first Test outing in more than 2 years, here are 5 reasons why the southpaw can become a regular in the Indian Test team once again:

#1 Shikhar Dhawan's poor form and injuries

Dhawan was hit while fending off a rising delivery from Trent Boult in the 2^nd Test (Image Credit: ESPNCricinfo)

While declaring to the media that Gautam Gambhir would be playing the 3^rd Test of the New Zealand series, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said that he was a like-for-like replacement for Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan, who was not in the team for the 1^st Test at Kanpur, suffered a thumb injury during the 2^nd Test while playing in place of an injured KL Rahul.

Of late, the southpaw from Gambhir's city has been woefully out of form as he has managed just a solitary half-century in his last 14 innings. Moreover, Shikhar Dhawan has also had the tendency of picking up injuries every now and then, the previous occasion being the Test series against Sri Lanka last year where he missed 2 out of 3 matches.

Taking into account the troubled times Dhawan has faced in the past year or so, it may be a good idea to give him a break for some time and provide Gautam Gambhir an opportunity to prove himself in the Test arena.