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Having shouldered arms on 11, all Gautam Gambhir could do as Andy McKay's first delivery in international cricket swung in sharply and rammed into his pads was nervously glance towards umpire Simon Taufel, desperately hoping that he doesn't raise his finger. Still in the midst of his worst slump since reinventing himself in international cricket three years ago, another failure wouldn't have bode well in probably Gambhir's last innings before the South African tour. Thankfully for Gambhir though, McKay was denied a dream start to his Test career, while he was provided with another chance at redemption.
And though he did look scratchy and not very convincing for a better part of the 191 minutes he spent at the crease on Sunday, Gambhir did manage to notch up his second consecutive half-century in the series and only his third in 16 Test innings this year before being dismissed, edging a wide Tim Southee delivery, for 78.
By the time he opted to miss the final Test of the series against Sri Lanka at home late last year for his sister's wedding Gambhir had slotted himself among the top batsmen in Test cricket, having averaged 70.87 and 90.87 in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
In and out of XI
Since then, the Delhi opener has averaged 31.35 in nine Tests, with a single century against Bangladesh, where he has had intermittent appearances for India as a result of recurring injuries. "I haven't played cricket at one go this year so far. I played one Test and I got injured and then it occurred again. As a result, I didn't get regular match-practice or the runs. When you are out of form, surviving an over becomes difficult," Gambhir said, after the second day's play in Nagpur.
While Gambhir's innings at Jamtha was more a dogged effort than a graceful one, India can only hope that last year's ICC Cricketer of the Year has now finally rediscovered the batting form that elevated him to that pedestal in the first place.
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