Should Gautam Gambhir be selected for India-New Zealand Test series?

The competiton for a place in the Indian Cricket Team is always cut-throat. Perform or perish. That is exactly how, the motto goes. Consistency therefore, holds key. India, are approaching a home Test campaign, which will kick-off with a three-match Test series against New Zealand. But while, the Duleep Trophy, being played with the Pink ball gathers limelight, the attention has skipped away from the selection conundrum that selectors go through everytime they sit to pick India’s team for a series. But it is not only the Pink ball and the Day-Night Tests in Greater Noida that has grabbed the limelight, Gautam Gambhir‘s bat has made echoing vibrations that may reach the doors of the room in Mumbai where the senior selection committee will choose India’s squad. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs New Zealand 2016, 1st Test at Kanpur

Gambhir is 34, nearing 35. His age is certainly an obstacle in between his desire to play for India again. If he makes a comeback it will be an exceptional one. And right from the IPL this year, Gambhir has begun with the task of reviving himself for place in the Indian team. Yes, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could not go all the way in IPL 2016, but that doesn’t take anything away from Gambhir, who scored 501 runs in 15 games. Keeping aside his captaincy, Gambhir scored the majority of runs for his team then. READ: Gautam Gambhir: Lone warrior fighting hard against time to stage comeback

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Now, in the Duleep Trophy, he has led the India Blue team. The ever-so-courageous Gambhir has tallied 320 runs in three games. His scores read 90, 59, 77 and 94. But it is not just his scores that are worth mentioning its his unquenchable thirst for runs that has been there to witness for everybody. Gambhir has made adjustments to his stance, and that was clearly visible in his innings in all these innings. His open-chested stance that he has adopted has worked him until now, but it remains to be seen whether it proves beneficial for him in the long run or not. But that he is still willing to improve, and reduce flaws in his technical approach, is really commendable. READ: Duleep Trophy 2016-17: Greater Noida’s shot at history as pink ball cricket arrives

These consistent performances have put the spotlight back on him. Now the selectors know that the fire in Gambhir hasn’t died. He might, or he might not be picked in the Test squad for the New Zealand series but if he keeps scoring big runs – a habit in the next few outings – he can surely become a contender for a place in India’s Test squad. If he continues to impress in the first few Ranji Trophy games, who knows, he might become a part of the squad in the Test series that are to follow.

What also needs to be talked about here is the idea that BCCI chief Anurag Thakur also mentioned about, in an interview which he gave on Day One of the Duleep Trophy final at the SVSP Stadium in Greater Noida. Thakur while stressing upon the need to raise the stakes for every position in the Indian team, said, “If a player is playing in the Indian team, he should have the challenge ahead of him that ‘If I perform a little badly, there are 10 others waiting to take my place’. I want to create that bench strength.”

The Duleep Trophy and the younger India teams, India A and the Under-19 team, have all had promising future talents that make it look like Indian cricket is progressing in the right direction. There is a very large pool of players that selectors now have the privilege to choose from. Take Duleep Trophy for example. How many players have made the most of an historic occasion — A tournament being played with the Pink ball for the first time in India.

The young chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, seamer Nathu Singh, leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, opener Mayank Agarwal, Abhinav Mukund, middle-order batsman Sheldon Jackson, Cheteshwar Pujara and Gambhir, have all shown their calibre at some stage of the tournament. Whether it was about adjusting to the Day-Night format of Test cricket or getting accustomed to the fuss around the Pink ball, players have responded really well. Gambhir is one of them too.

And while Gambhir makes a case for himself, one thing is certain. He won’t have a Virender Sehwag with him this time when he goes out to bat. Sehwag has retired. Switched to Twitter, where he still owns the field. Gambhir will have a different partner if he does make it there.

Also, Gambhir is an excellent player of spin bowling. Considering that India have a lined-up Test schedule at home, on subcontinent conditions, he can really be fine pick. He cuts well, uses his wrist extremely well and uses his feet even more brilliantly. Although he has a knack of getting chopped-on, he plays spin better than any other left-hander India has had, since Sourav Ganguly.

Well, as for now the top-three opener slots are that of Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul. Rahul has made a name for himself and has been in Carpe Diem mode every time he has been given an opportunity. Vijay did struggle with an injury in the Caribbean, but will be back to keep his spot secured. Dhawan is the one who has been a bit inconsistent. Dhawan has been given ample of opportunities, and failed to make most of them. The selectors though, might still pick him, but and there has to be a but. If Dhawan fails in the New Zealand series, then he might well be axed from the Test squad for the next series, and that will leave the door open for a third-opener-in-contention spot. If not tomorrow, only then, will Gambhir’s chance to wear the India jersey again arrive.

(Karan Dewan, a reporter with CricketCountry, loves following and playing sports. He is a Team India fan and loves winning. Follow him on his twitter handle @karan13dewan)