Relishing Three Crucial Knocks from the Big Game Man, Gautam Gambhir

New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir, a player crucial to the 2007 and 2011 World Cup victories. He has always been there whenever the Indian team has been in crisis on the field. He has dealt with it with the utmost bravery and ensured he takes the team out of it. After retiring from cricket, he has been the mentor of the Lucknow SuperGiants and Kolkata Knight Riders. He has enjoyed success as a mentor, first making LSG qualify in all the seasons he was in charge of, and after joining KKR too, his track record continues.
Throughout his career, he’s been a player you would want on your side to handle the pressure and drop the anchor. His big-game temperament is simply remarkable, and his knocks are evidence of it. Let’s have a look at three of his best knocks in India’s colors.

1. 97, the catalyst to India’s 2011 World Cup glory

In the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, India were 31 for 2 after losing the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Gambhir took it into his own hands to take India out of the pressure situation. He, along with Kohli and then Dhoni, ensured India was in a stable position. He scored a crucial 97 off 122, which included nine boundaries. He kept the scoreboard ticking to keep the required run rate under control. Withstanding all the aggression from the Lankans, he stood there as a warrior and eventually bailed India out to clinch the World Cup after 28 years.

2. The crucial anchor

In the final of the 2007 T20 World Cup against Pakistan, Gautam Gambhir first showed his big-game temperament, which went on to become an asset. He opened the innings with Yusuf Pathan and gave a solid start, but the loss of wickets at regular intervals hurt India’s progress. He swiftly played the role of an anchor, staying at the crease till the 18th over. He scored 75 runs off 54 balls, which included 8 fours and 2 sixes, to ensure India reached a competitive total of 157. India defended the total as Irfan Pathan picked up three crucial wickets and a dramatic last over from Joginder Sharma.

3. Grit and resilience

In the second test against New Zealand at Napier Gautam, Gambhir stood strong for around 643 minutes and 436 balls to save the test. India came into the test after winning the previous one at Hamilton. Gambhir came to bat with 73 minutes remaining on the third day, and by the time he departed, it was already two and a-half days. New Zealand posted a humongous total of 619 in the first inning, and India only managed to score 309 as the Kiwis enforced a follow-on. Gambhir had crucial partnerships with Dravid, Tendulkar, and Laxman to lead India towards a draw. It was Gambhir’s finest innings to date to stand at the crease for close to 11 hours with grit and resilience.