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Nirvana on the pitch

PHOTO: PTI

On song Star opener Gautam Gambhir

Uday Gupte, the coach of Modern School, wanted to give the journalists a glimpse of one of his talented wards. He chose a 12-year-old to open the innings. With the ease and elegance usually associated with any left-handed batsman, this lad sent the ball scurrying in all directions. He raced away to his half-century and was hungry for more.

That was Gautam Gambhir’s first encounter with the journalists. He was frail and diminutive but focussed and determined. Over the years, his focus and determination have only become more intense.

As a school kid, he could be spotted at the ground, honing his cricket, or at the nearby Bengali Market that offered some mind-blowing snacks. He has always been a kind man at heart, moved by the plight of the poor and always keen to “help”, particularly strangers. But on the field he had steely resolve, unwavering and unsparing. As former Test cricketer and Delhi selector Vivek Razdan remembers: “Gautam is fiercely committed. On the eve of the Ranji final against Uttar Pradesh last year, he hurt his palm badly. When I asked him whether he could play, he said: ‘Bhaiyya, we are going to win the final.’ And he went on to score a century (130 not out) in the second innings to see Delhi through.”

Though many may have already forgotten his Test double century against Australia, Gambhir’s recent exploits in New Zealand have truly made him look the part of a formidable batting line-up. Known for his aggressive play, Gambhir turned a new leaf in his budding career by playing a knock contrary to expectations in the second Test at Napier. With India asked to follow-on, Gambhir displayed monumental patience by batting for 436 deliveries spread over 643 minutes for only 137 runs.

“I had always looked forward to making runs in challenging conditions and the playing conditions in NZ were quite close to that. That I was in good form helped me immensely. I think I made some progress as a cricketer. Having said that, let us not forget that it was a collective gain more than individual ones, ” reflects Gambhir.

Gambhir, assertive and articulate, somehow has this image of being shy and an introvert. But he confesses to being very talkative when in the midst of his team-mates and asks: “You know what Sehwag tells me? Tu bahut bolta hai (you talk too much).”

He speaks almost without a pause and is far from being a recluse. “A lot of people say a lot of things about me. I am shy, introvert, arrogant. I am aghast at how someone, who does not know me, can describe me in such a manner. I have my private life. I like to be what I am only with people who are close to me.”

At present, the going is great. Form, adulation and endorsement, everything seems to be coming together. Gambhir has his feet firmly grounded. He holds the promise of being the reason behind many more celebrations.

RAKESH RAO

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