Top Five Knocks By Gautam Gambhir Under Pressure

Aug 7, 2017 at 3:41 PM

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Top Five Knocks By Gautam Gambhir Under Pressure

Maybe he wasn’t the most stylish batsman of all time. Maybe he wasn’t the most well-mannered cricketers around but one can’t deny the fact that the man in question played two of the most extraordinary innings when his nation needed him the most. It was two most important days in the history of Indian cricket and it was none other than Gautam Gambhir who helped India overcome some tough barrier and win the 2007 World T20 and then the 2011 World Cup.

He has never got the credit which he deserves despite playing two stellar knocks on two special days. He was a lucky mascot for the Indian team and was the No.1 Test batsman who India escalated to the numero uno status in Test cricket for the first time in their history. The southpaw has played some special knocks all throughout his career especially when his team needed the most

Now let us recall 5 special innings by Gambhir under pressure

97 VS Sri Lanka in Mumbai, 2011 ICC World Cup Final

This will stand as one of the very best innings hit by an Indian batsman under pressure. The stage could not have been bigger than a World Cup final. India was chasing a competitive target of 275 in 50 overs and had lost two of their premier batsman Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in quick succession. The Indian supporters were had given up hope but the southpaw from Delhi along with another Delhi lad Virat Kohli started resurrecting the innings.

He played some attacking shots and stepped down the track on a consistent basis. He played the spinners outstandingly and kept on rotating the strike to keep the scoreboard ticking. After Kohli’s dismissal, the southpaw started building yet another partnership with captain Dhoni and the duo looked to take them over the line. The southpaw fell 3 runs short of a well deserved century when he came dancing down the track to Thisara Perera and ended up getting castled. Though Dhoni got the Man of the Match Award for an unbeaten innings Gambhir’s contribution cannot be forgotten.

75 VS Pakistan in Johannesburg 2007 ICC World Twenty20 Final

It was the inaugural edition of the 2007 World T20 and we witnessed one of the greatest humdingers in the final when arch rivals India and Pakistan locked horns with Each other at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. India batted first and Gambhir came out to the middle with his new opening partner Yusuf Pathan.

Gambhir began in a sedate fashion and took a bit of time to get going. But as the southpaw got set he started piercing the gaps on regular intervals. It was an excellent display of batsmanship as the southpaw kept on milking the Pakistan bowlers for runs. Umar Gul was smashed for a gigantic six which hit the electronic scoreboard. He was eventually dismissed on 75 by Umar Gul but by then he had helped India get to a decent total.

150 VS Sri Lanka in Kolkata, Bilateral Series 2009

It was the 4th match of the series and the hosts India was leading the 5 match affair by a 2-1 margin. The Sri Lankans batted brilliantly and posted a mammoth 315 on the board. The hosts needed a strong start to get close to that total but it wasn’t to be. They lost two back to back wickets of big guns Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and the target seemed an unrealistic prospect when Gautam Gambhir was joined by a young Virat Kohli who was yet to announce his arrival in the international circuit.

The southpaw kept piercing the gaps on regular occasions and rotated the strike on a consistent which didn’t allow the pressure to mount on the hosts. Tre duo shared a mammoth 224 runs partnership which ensured India reached the target with relative comfort in the end. Gambhir remained unbeaten on 150 of 134 deliveries, an innings which was laced with 14 hits to the fence.

64 vs South Africa at Cape Town, Test Series 2011

Though it wasn’t a century nonetheless it was a special knock by the southpaw which ensured India saved the Cape Town Test against South Africa during their 2010/11 tour. What made the innings more special was that the southpaw was battling with an injured hand and then got struck while batting but still continued to bat in order to help India salvage a draw.

Chasing an unrealistic victory target of 340 on Day 5, India lost Sehwag early. With victory not within sights, Gambhir decided to drop anchor and battled through pain and batted for around 4 hours to score 64 of 184 deliveries. Though he was dismissed in the end, by then he had made sure India was in a comfortable position to save the Test match.

137 vs New Zealand at Napier, Test Series 2009

Undoubtedly the innings at Napier will remain one of the most special innings by Gambhir just due to the remarkable patience shown by the southpaw in order to ensure that India still maintained their 1-0 lead in the series.

New Zealand scored a mammoth 619 in the 1st innings and India responded with a below par 305. Kiwis skipper Daniel Vettori enforced the follow on. Gambhir lost his opening partner Sehwag quickly but stitched together vital partnerships with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar to take India towards safety.

In the process, Gambhir also struck some delightful shots but what stood out was his perseverance. He was eventually dismissed on 137 of 436 deliveries. His innings lasted an incredible 643 minutes and ensured India eventually on the series 2-1.

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