Is the yardstick different for Gautam Gambhir?

[koksmayu]

Despite his heroics with the bat on the recent tour of Australia and emerging as the highest run-getter in the Tri-Series, Gautam Gambhir has not been named in the Indian squad for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa. The left-handed Gambhir, who emerged as the highest run-getter in the Tri-Series in Australia with an aggregate of 440 runs from 10 matches, was not picked as the selectors preferred to retain Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer despite his indifferent form in recent times. Interestingly, it was against South Africa that Jaffer entered Test cricket for the first time - in a home series in 2000. An experienced bowling duo of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald however proved too difficult for Jaffer to cope with, and he managed just 46 runs from his four innings. Now neither Pollock nor Donald will be there to trouble him, as both have retired from the game. But coming back to Gambhir, it must have been a very difficult decision to swallow that despite being in an excellent nick, he was not selected. Being unable to sustain a permanent spot in the Indian team has been a bane for the diminutive aggressive opener ever since he started his international career. Gambhir had been a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket with an average of over 50 but his two successive double-hundreds in 2002 (one of them against the visiting Zimbabweans) made him a strong contender for India's opening slot. Gambhir became only the fourth Indian batsman to score a double century in a tour game at home, the previous three being Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar. Making his Test debut in 2004 against Australia in the fourth and last Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, Gambhir did himself no favours by getting out for 3 and 1. He made amends in his second Test, however, scoring 96 against the South Africans and bettered it by scoring his maiden Test century came against Bangladesh in December 2004. continued..

[DomainK]

Despite his heroics with the bat on the recent tour of Australia and emerging as the highest run-getter in the Tri-Series' date=' [b']Gautam Gambhir has not been named in the Indian squad for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa. The left-handed Gambhir, who emerged as the highest run-getter in the Tri-Series in Australia with an aggregate of 440 runs from 10 matches, was not picked as the selectors preferred to retain Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer despite his indifferent form in recent times. Interestingly, it was against South Africa that Jaffer entered Test cricket for the first time - in a home series in 2000. An experienced bowling duo of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald however proved too difficult for Jaffer to cope with, and he managed just 46 runs from his four innings. Now neither Pollock nor Donald will be there to trouble him, as both have retired from the game. But coming back to Gambhir, it must have been a very difficult decision to swallow that despite being in an excellent nick, he was not selected. Being unable to sustain a permanent spot in the Indian team has been a bane for the diminutive aggressive opener ever since he started his international career. Gambhir had been a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket with an average of over 50 but his two successive double-hundreds in 2002 (one of them against the visiting Zimbabweans) made him a strong contender for India's opening slot. Gambhir became only the fourth Indian batsman to score a double century in a tour game at home, the previous three being Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar. Making his Test debut in 2004 against Australia in the fourth and last Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, Gambhir did himself no favours by getting out for 3 and 1. He made amends in his second Test, however, scoring 96 against the South Africans and bettered it by scoring his maiden Test century came against Bangladesh in December 2004. continued..

Forth coming test series against SA? Which one?

[f.b.m]

I think it might just be a 0.3 test match series. An imporvement on the 2 match series against Eng. It'll be more "exciting".

[Cricketics]

i don't know why ppl are so obsessed with calling Gambhir "AN OPENER" i mean this guy can bat in middle order too.. his game says that.. he could have been a good choice for middle order if not in Opening slot

[diegovegaz]

it is very unlucky for him he should hv bn in the squad atleast as backup if jaffer fails he is much better than akash chopra, as the situation demands young players he should b included in d squad for india-sl test series

[msb1991]

We look at him as an opener because we currently need a Test opener and currently need one (soon two) permanent ODI openers.

[Ram]

Gambhir has nothing really to complain about. If he thinks he deserves a spot in the test line-up coz of some decent 20/20 performances and one good one-day series, then he his seriously deluding himself. Yuvraj has been doing for 30 months, what Gambhir has been doing for the last 3-4 months and yet, he has played only a smattering of test matches in the last couple of years. Besides, Gambhir is the future, along with Yuvraj, Kaif and guys like Rohit Sharma and Badrinath. There is a valid reason why these guys havent been able to find a place in the Indian test team and thats coz the present batting line-up has been doing quite well. Their time will come, they should keep persevering till then.

[Cricketics]

well Marrirs, u got it wrong.. 2020 is out of question ppl have been wanting to have Gambhir because he did score plenty in Ranji.. and specially that twin ton in Ranji Final in both 2nd and 4th inngs while chasing in the final.. then to that he added and showed maturity batting int he middle order in Australia against the likes of Lee, Murali, Vass, Clark and also that too on bowler firneldy tracks where we saw some great batsmans struggling to score runs.. 2020 is out of the question.. 2020 ppl don't even remember now.. it's all ranji and aus tour which makes Gambhir the right choice for the test team

[Ram]

well Marrirs' date=' u got it wrong.. 2020 is out of question[/quote'] Sighhhhhhh.... How many times am I supposed to tell you ? Its m-a-r-i-r-s !!!!! :banghead:

ppl have been wanting to have Gambhir because he did score plenty in Ranji.. and specially that twin ton in Ranji Final in both 2nd and 4th inngs while chasing in the final.. then to that he added and showed maturity batting int he middle order in Australia against the likes of Lee, Murali, Vass, Clark and also that too on bowler firneldy tracks where we saw some great batsmans struggling to score runs.. 2020 is out of the question.. 2020 ppl don't even remember now.. it's all ranji and aus tour which makes Gambhir the right choice for the test team

With regards to Ranji, yes I get your point and its a very valid one. But there have been other consistent performers in Ranji too, apart from GG. But as I said, GG must bide his time and keep scoring runs whenever he gets the chance.

[Rohip]

Jaffer over Gambhir because of same reason that Pathan who isn't a test class player is playing for India and the same reason that Kaif the failure is back in the team and the same reason that Dadaji Munaf 120kph Patel is back in the team