At 35 years of age, Gautam Gambhir is surely in the twilight of his career. The southpaw has the tendency to be a genuine fighter, and his recent comeback, in the third test against New Zealand at Indore signified his dedication and commitment to the game. Despite getting injured in the second innings, Gambhir came out to bat and scored a rapid half century to propel India.
The left-hander has always been quite aggressive against spin and that has been a typical batting trait of Gambhir. In an interview with TOI, the Delhi batsman opened up about his aggression against spin and a few more aspects. Below, are the excerpts from his interview.
Success against spin through aggression:
It has to do with the mental set-up. It depends how much you are at peace with yourself and having a blank mind. When you are not in control of your game then a lot of thoughts go through your mind. Once you are confident, it is about expanding your game.
On his mental toughness:
I tried not to think about the platform. Had I done so, it would have been very difficult to keep myself motivated. That helped me stay hungry.
On matching up with the young bunch of players:
These days international sport has become very physical as well. The current generation is far fitter than what we used to be. Fitness mantras are going to evolve. It’s up to the individual to push himself. Diet is something that you get aware of. It’s important to eat healthy and eat varied things.
Details about his new open stance:
I tried to simplify my game.It is important when you are under pressure against quality attacks. It doesn’t matter how you stand. It’s about what kind of position you are in while you receive the ball.
On Delhi’s next Ranji Trophy game against Karnataka:
It is not a practice game. It is a First Class game against a strong side like Karnataka.We haven’t won a Ranji Trophy for a long time. I want to contribute in whatever way to make that happen. It is a good experience for that young team to be on the field for 200 overs. They will value scoring big runs.
