Gautam Gambhir - A possible solution to top order woes
Gautam Gambhir last played a Test match in India against England in 2012, and since then, he hasn’t been in the selector’s radar though he got a chance to play two Tests in England in the subsequent year. He, however, didn’t make it count in those couple of Test matches, and thereafter, he was never looked at.
It’s really not a good decision to drop Gambhir just after the performance in the two Test matches where most of the Indian batsman were completely clueless against James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Gambhir has the ability to score big hundreds once set, and like Harbhajan Singh, India should have invested in him for the tour of Australia. If he would have had some matches under his belt on returning to international cricket, India now wouldn't have had issues with top order batsmen.
Dhawan's failure to bat well on all pitches
Before the Australian tour in 2014, Gambhir scored a magnificent 150 in the Duleep Trophy and was consistent among the runs in first-class cricket. With India having serious problems with Shikhar Dhawan at the top in overseas Tests, and team management preferring a left-right opening combination, Gambhir could have been an ideal solution for the top-order woes especially in Australia. However, the selectors and MS Dhoni had other ideas to invest in Dhawan.
Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t proved to be a good Test player though he has got some runs under his belt. His technique is perfectly suited to dry wickets where a batsman can hit on the up. However, on wickets that offer some pace and movement, it’s not easy to drive on the up, and that’s where the problem lies for Dhawan.
He clearly doesn't get towards the pitch of the ball, and relies on his hands while playing a shot. He may get away with it on true wickets, but on sticky surfaces, it wouldn't work out, and that's what has happened to Shikhar Dhawan. Even in the first ODI at Kanpur, Dhawan never looked comfortable against the Proteas on a sticky wicket.
Gambhir on a good run of late
India too has not been able to have a solid opening partnership at the top of the order due to his failures. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to invest in Gambhir for the longer format of the game. He could just provide the solidity at the top of the order, and he along with Murali Vijay can form a successful opening combination for India.
Gambhir has also performed well in last season’s IPL, and is now performing well in the ongoing Ranji Trophy matches, and hence, this would be the ideal time for someone like of his calibre to get into the Test side and mean business.
His inclusion in the side will also give the necessary freedom for the middle order batsmen to play their natural game as gradually the top order woes would be ironed out. If he can get the confidence of his Delhi-team mate Virat Kohli, Gambhir would certainly have an impact in this Test team.
Gambhir can be looked at being brought into the one-day format too where he was a match-winner. With India lacking the firepower to utilise the first ten overs of the powerplay, Gambhir’s experience will prove to be critical for India.
But it all depends on the selectors and team management’s confidence in him. If they can show their faith in him for two series, the Delhi-lad will certainly make an impact and India too will be benefited from him at the top.
“Class players deserve a comeback, and Gambhir is such a class-act and has at least three years of international cricket left in him.”