Veteran Indian player Gautam Gambhir will look to roll back years following his shock recall for the second Test against New Zealand starting on Friday, after more than two years in the wilderness.
After taking a 1-0 lead earlier this week in the opening match of the three-Test series in Kanpur, India can both clinch the series and seal their return to the top of the world rankings at Kolkata’s Eden.
In picking Gambhir, who turns 35 in a fortnight, the selectors have gone for a man who has vast experience of India’s largest venue as skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL)
“Nothing beats playing again for the country. Test cricket, whites, red ball, and India cap again,” Gambhir said on Twitter after his surprise recall was announced on Tuesday night.
“Excitement of a debutant, certainty of experienced, nervousness of a novice…am feeling it all. Eden here I come loaded with ambitions.”
Gambhir, who is 13th on the list of all-time Indian run scorers in Test, may get a place in the playing XI after being called up in place of the injured Lokesh Rahul for the remainder of the series.
The aggressive left-hander, who made his name as half of an explosive opening partnership with the now retired Virender Sehwag, played the last of his 56 Tests on India’s tour of England in 2014.
But following his good performances in Duleep Trophy he has been given a surprise opportunity to revive his international career.
Apart from Gambhir’s call up, India could also be tempted to pick an extra bowler following their thumping victory in the Kanpur Test which ended on Monday with a 197 run victory over Black Caps.