5 reasons why Gautam Gambhir can become an Indian Test team regular once again

Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir made his way back to the Indian Test squad due to KL Rahul’s injury during the 1st Test of the New Zealand series. While he was not included in the playing XI for the 2nd Test, destiny played it's part as Shikhar Dhawan got injured, too, and Gambhir was included as an opener in the final Test.

The 34-year-old may not have set the stage on fire in his comeback Test against New Zealand at Indore but he certainly made a noteworthy contribution with scores of 29 and 50 in what turned out to be another huge win for India.

What stood out about both of Gambhir’s innings in the match was the aggressive intent which he displayed during his stay at the crease. While he struck 2 sixes and 3 fours in the first essay, his half-century in the 2^nd innings came off just 56 deliveries and included 6 boundaries.

Considering the decent success that Gautam Gambhir had during his first Test outing in more than 2 years, here are 5 reasons why the southpaw can become a regular in the Indian Test team once again:

#1 Shikhar Dhawan's poor form and injuries

Dhawan was hit while fending off a rising delivery from Trent Boult in the 2^nd Test (Image Credit: ESPNCricinfo)

While declaring to the media that Gautam Gambhir would be playing the 3^rd Test of the New Zealand series, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said that he was a like-for-like replacement for Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan, who was not in the team for the 1^st Test at Kanpur, suffered a thumb injury during the 2^nd Test while playing in place of an injured KL Rahul.

Of late, the southpaw from Gambhir's city has been woefully out of form as he has managed just a solitary half-century in his last 14 innings. Moreover, Shikhar Dhawan has also had the tendency of picking up injuries every now and then, the previous occasion being the Test series against Sri Lanka last year where he missed 2 out of 3 matches.

Taking into account the troubled times Dhawan has faced in the past year or so, it may be a good idea to give him a break for some time and provide Gautam Gambhir an opportunity to prove himself in the Test arena.

#2 Murali Vijay’s inconsistency with the bat

Murali Vijay has blown hot and cold in terms of his batting form (Image Credit: BCCI)

Murali Vijay has enjoyed a decent amount of success as a Test opener since Gautam Gambhir and his partner, Virender Sehwag went off the selectors’ radar a few years back. However, in the past 12 months or so, the Tamil Nadu batsman has been a figure of inconsistency.

While he did score a couple of half-centuries in the 1^st Test of the recent series against New Zealand, Vijay could manage just 45 runs in the next 4 innings. The right-hander also struggled in the 2015 series against South Africa and could not even get a fifty under his belt.

Although Murali Vijay’s inability to perform consistently may not warrant an exclusion from the Indian squad, the team management can surely shuffle around between him and Gautam Gambhir to partner an in-form KL Rahul at the top of the order.

#3 Confidence of the coaching staff in his ability

Sanjay Bangar and Anil Kumble have both shown their support for Gambhir

The current Indian coaching staff headed by Anil Kumble have thrown their weight behind Gautam Gambhir’s inclusion in the Test squad following KL Rahul’s injury in the 1^st Test of the series against New Zealand. Addressing the media prior to the 2^nd Test, Kumble had expressed his pleasure about the left-hander’s return to the team.

Batting coach Sanjay Bangar, too, had showered praise on Gambhir when he confirmed that the latter would open the innings in the 3^rd Test. Bangar had stated that the Delhi batsman is a quality player and will have a crucial role to play during the remainder of India’s long home season.

The confidence being shown by the national team’s coaches in Gautam Gambhir’s batting ability augurs well for him and may ensure a regular spot for him in the Indian Test side in the days to come.

#4 Rich vein of form in recent times

Gambhir has shown a lot of consistency in domestic cricket of late

The primary reason why Gautam Gambhir was included in the Indian Test squad in place of the injured KL Rahul is his recent rich vein of form in domestic cricket. In the first ever day-night Duleep Trophy tournament, Gambhir was the skipper of the eventual champions, India Blue.

The southpaw registered scores of 77, 90, 59, 94 and 36 in the five innings that he played, thereby contributing to his team’s success. While many batsmen struggled to pick the pink ball which was used during the tournament, Gambhir was completely at ease with it and scored his runs freely.

Gautam Gambhir also shone with the bat during the 2016 IPL and was the highest run-getter for his team, Kolkata Knight Riders. The Delhi cricketer seems to have rediscovered the touch that made him one of India’s finest Test openers at one point and it may help him become a permanent face in the current team.

#5 Prior experience of performing at the highest level

Gautam Gambhir has played many great knocks for India in Test cricket

The present Indian Test team is a relatively young unit as most of them have been around for just about 4 to 5 years. Gautam Gambhir, in contrast, is on the verge of completing 12 years in the Test arena and has a number of great achievements under his belt in the format.

In 57 Tests, the left-hander has scored more than 4000 runs at an average of over 42 with 9 centuries and 22 fifties. He has also played numerous brilliant knocks for India and successfully tackled the trickiest of conditions in both home and away Tests.

The wealth of experience that Gautam Gambhir possesses can prove to be quite beneficial to the team’s cause as the younger batsmen can pick up a thing or two from the senior statesman. This is why it may be worth a try for the Indian team management to persist with the services of Gambhir and see how things pan out.