 "Gautam Gambhir retires: From timeless epic in New Zealand to underrated classic in 2011 World Cup final, batting icon's greatest moments in India jersey")
They say the best books have the worst covers and the worst books have the best covers. Things are rarely what they seem to be from the outside, but with Gautam Gambhir, the unsung hero of Indian cricket, there’s little more than what meets the eye. What you see is what you get with Gambhir, a man for all situations. It’s more than two years since Gambhir last donned the Indian jersey. Yet, when he put up a heart-touching post announcing his retirement from cricket, the fraternity flooded social media with their love for the man who gifted them some precious, timeless moments.
A Test average of 41.95, 11 ODI hundreds, and 42 first-class tons underline the massive value Gambhir added. Everything he touched turned into gold at one point of time and when it did, he gave Indian cricket some never-to-be-forgotten memories. Here is revisiting some of his priceless moments in the Indian jersey. The 2007 World T20 final knock that nobody remembers We remember MS Dhoni’s captaincy in those tense final moments, Joginder Sharma’s widest of wide balls, Misbah-ul-Haq’s frantic scoop and S Sreesanth holding onto the ball like the existence of humanity depended on the catch. We might even be able to recall Yusuf Pathan walking out to open the innings if we dig deep into our memory. Somehow, the man who set up the winning total fails to garner enough attention. With Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa disappointing against the arch-rivals, Pakistan, in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup, it was Gambhir who took it upon himself to see India through to a formidable total. With a rollicking 75 in 54 balls, Gambhir stood unbeaten until the 18th over, setting up a sizeable total in the process which India would later successfully defend.
Gambhir had been in fine form throughout the tournament and finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 227 runs at an average of 37.83 including three half-centuries. The maiden double ton in Delhi by Delhi’s very own It was perhaps befitting that Gambhir managed to score his only Test double century in front of his home crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla against the mighty Australians in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008. India were one up in the series after two Tests and at Delhi they lost Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid early. Gambhir, though, was at his defiant best and thwarted the Aussie attack, first alongside Sachin Tendulkar in a 130-run partnership, and then with VVS Laxman - who scored a double ton himself - in a 278-run stand. He weathered the Aussie attack for more than nine hours and batted for 380 balls, making 206 in the process. It remained his only Test double ton but a memorable one nevertheless. Gambhir finished the series as the top-scorer, totalling 463 runs which included two scores of hundred or more. Gambhir’s selfless act that endeared him to the Kolkata crowd The heated exchange between Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2013 is fresh in our memory but a selfless act by Gambhir when Kohli made his maiden ODI hundred remains obscured in the final few pages of India’s cricket history. In 2009 at Eden Gardens, in the fourth match of a bilateral series against Sri Lanka, Gambhir and Kohli combined together in a match-winning 224-run partnership while chasing 316 for victory. Long before Kohli became the chase-master of Indian cricket, Gambhir guided, motivated and propelled Kohli to put a price on his wicket and the duo stitched together a massive stand after they lost Sehwag and Tendulkar inside the first four overs. Kohli reached his maiden ODI ton and was dismissed for 107 while Gambhir went on to make 150 and was awarded the Man of the Match. The lion-hearted opener, though, chose to make a remarkable gesture and handed over the award to Kohli, the first of many acts that would make him Kolkata’s adopted son.
Batting out time, then batting New Zealand out Take a gander at some of Indian batsmen’s epic Test match knocks and VVS Laxman’s 281 at Eden Gardens and Rahul Dravid’s 233 at Adelaide would probably hog the limelight. Yet, somewhere amidst the stained, brown pages and faded ink marks, there would be a mention of a Test match classic from Gambhir that gave India their first series win in New Zealand. India were 1-0 ahead heading into the second Test of a three-match series but within two and a half days at Napier, found themselves behind the eight ball, with a deficit of 314 runs while following on. In a struggle for survival, Gambhir batted out 643 minutes and 436 balls to keep India in the hunt. He blocked the Kiwi bowlers, kept out fatigue and batted time. Embracing the struggle for survival, Gambhir emerged victorious when India pulled off an improbable draw to retain their lead in the series. “I remember I was in that zone. I was batting with Laxman and I didn’t utter a word. I never wanted to come out of that zone. I was so much into that concentration. It was so high when Sachin got out on the fifth day and when Laxman batted with me, for one and a half hours I didn’t say anything. He said, ‘Why aren’t you speaking?’ I said, ‘I am in that zone, I am fully concentrating on the ball. I don’t want to come out.’ There was only one thing in my mind and that was the ball,” Gambhir later recalled the epic innings in an interview . In the third Test at Wellington, the alluring, beguiling Indian opener smashed another second innings ton, a sprightly 257-ball 167 to nearly help India pull off another win. The game ended in a draw with the Kiwis managing to bat out the final day - largely due to rain intervention - with two wickets to spare. India, though, grabbed their first ever series win in the country, a feat that would have been impossible without the telling contributions from Gambhir. The unsung hero who remained shrouded in the shadows of MS Dhoni in 2011 The match that Gambhir would most likely be remembered for the most remains one where he was overshadowed by the hero of the masses, Dhoni. The 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, perhaps the most sempiternal and undying chapter of India’s cricket history, is remembered for that Dhoni promotion, that Dhoni knock and that Dhoni six. Yet, the architect who lifted India from hopelessness after Tendulkar’s outside edge off Lasith Malinga, remains obscured and forgotten. “We were chasing 275 and I was not even ready when Viru (Virender Sehwag) got out LBW in the second delivery. I was still padding up. Because the decision was a referral, I got the time to get ready,” the Delhi batsman said in an interview later. That, though, barely mattered as Gambhir played the innings of his career. He made 97 precious runs after the hosts found themselves 31/2 - with Tendulkar and Sehwag back in the hut - chasing 275 for victory. The Delhi opener stood tall amidst the early ruins and gave Dhoni and Yuvraj the platform that would eventually see India through to their second ODI World Cup triumph. Three runs perhaps separated Gambhir from the demi-god status that Indian fans bestow upon their cricket stars, but for one who plays for the team rather than individual accomplishments, it was merely another day in the office, a pretty good one at that.