In an interview with Hindustan Times before ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir didn’t hesitate in disclosing his worst Test half-century. One of Gambhir’s 12 half-centuries, and 22 overall, at home, it had come in a drawn Test against New Zealand in 2010.
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Having already scored 16, including five in the last three months, at the time of the interview, Gambhir didn’t appear to have liked one of his latest 50+ scores in the format. Opening the batting with India’s greatest opener Virender Sehwag, Gambhir had scored a labored 54 (129) in a stroke-filled 160-run opening stand made possible only because of his batting partner.
Gambhir, who had scored the last of his nine Test centuries during India’s tour of Bangladesh earlier that year, had failed miserably in South Africa Tests, tour of Sri Lanka and Australia Tests that followed before finally coming out of a rut, even though unconvincingly, in Hyderabad.
“My own expectations from my batting are too high. Recently, when I was struggling in the Test matches against New Zealand, I was so dejected I told [head coach] Gary Kirsten to release me from the team and let me play Ranji Trophy. Gary and my [childhood] coach Sanjay Bharadwaj were of the same opinion that I’d never be satisfied till I got runs in international cricket and they were right. Aesthetically, I scored my worst half century in the Hyderabad Test,” Gambhir told Hindustan Times.
The left-handed batter, who got off the mark against Chris Martin and hit his first boundary off Tim Southee in the second over, registered a hard-fought innings with the help of seven fours. After surviving a few close LBW calls, Gambhir also took a few blows to his body. New Zealand fast bowler Brent Arnel gave him a tough time with a delivery hitting his back leg via an inside edge, whereas another one hitting him on the chest. A slow recovery, however, was followed by an even slower 120-ball fifty.
Readers must note that Gambhir’s lean patch that year had seen him score only 86 runs at a paltry average of 9.55 across nine innings. Having said that, post his self-professed worst half-century, what followed was him scoring four half-centuries across five innings in Nagpur, Centurion and Cape Town.
Did Gautam Gambhir And Sachin Tendulkar Score 8 Runs In An Hour In Cape Town?
Cape Town, only the second city after Galle where Gautam Gambhir scored two half-centuries in the same Test, witnessed arguably one of his best knocks in Test cricket.
While masses might not remember the same as Gambhir failed to fulfill an unfair criteria of touching the three-figure mark, his 93 (222) against a bowling attack consisting of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Paul Harris played a pivotal role in allowing India to draw the match and a three-match series 1-1. Thus, letting then-captain MS Dhoni earn a distinction of becoming the first Indian captain to draw a Test series in South Africa.
Joined by Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar when India were restricted to 28-2 in pursuit of South Africa’s first innings total of 362, the duo put together a memorable 176-run partnership for the third wicket.
“I remember that one spell which I faced off Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn, which Sachin goes on record saying that was the best spell he faced in his Test career, in Cape Town. We scored eight runs in one hour and we didn’t even rotate, we didn’t even change ends,” Gambhir told Star Sports Network as quoted by NDTV last year.
As for Gambhir and Tendulkar scoring eight runs in an hour against Morkel and Steyn is concerned, it wasn’t exactly the case. Readers must note that the former is referring to the first hour of Day 3. Having bowled five overs each before Steyn was replaced by Tsotsobe, South African new-ball bowlers had put serious curbs around the two Indian batters.
While they scored three fours, another one as leg byes and ran a couple of runs twice, 24 runs across 10 overs, including six maidens, were indeed bereft of rotating the strike even once. Keenly impressed by Morkel, in particular, Gambhir was later hell-bent on bringing him to Kolkata Knight Riders.
If truth be told, Gambhir’s monumental contribution with the bat in hand played a key role in a remarkable India’s tour of South Africa 2010/11. He might not have scored a hundred but his three half-centuries made him the second highest run-scorer among the visitors in spite of missing the second Test in Durban due to a hand injury.
