Gautam Gambhir's attacking strokeplay at the top of the order for Delhi set tongues wagging as long back as 2000, but it took him almost seven years to polish his technique and cement his place in the Indian team in all forms of the game. His short stature and diminutive build belie the power he packs in his off-side shots. Domestic bowlers were at the receiving end of his strokeplay early, as Gambhir creamed six hundreds and averaged 66.78 in his first four Ranji Trophy seasons.

A place in the Indian one-day team followed, but that was to be the start of a four-year period where Gambhir was only intermittently a part of the Indian side. Along with his shot-making ability came a tendency to drive loosely at deliveries outside off, and a habit of falling over to the off side when playing to leg. Both these flaws were ruthlessly exploited by Australia's bowlers in Gambhir's Test debut in Mumbai in 2004, and runs against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe failed to convince critics as Gambhir spent most of 2005 and 2006 in the outer.

That, though, gave Gambhir the opportunity to work on his flaws and hone his technique. When changes were called for in the wake of a disastrous 2007 World Cup, Gambhir found himself back in favour in the shorter versions. The World Twenty20 greatly enhanced his reputation on the global stage, as Gambhir notched up runs consistently, scoring three half-centuries, including a composed 75 in a high-pressure final against Pakistan. His ability to soak up pressure, run hard between the wickets, and mould his approach according to the team needs were further in evidence during the triangular CB Series in Australia in 2007-08, where he scored two high-quality centuries, showing along the way that he had worked on his flaws: the technique was noticeably tighter around off, and he was no longer such an obvious lbw candidate. He was also instrumental in guiding Delhi to their first Ranji Trophy title in 16 years, scoring a hundred in the final as captain, and was among the leading run-scorers in the IPL.

An opportunity in Tests duly came when Wasim Jaffer flopped repeatedly, and this time Gambhir grabbed it greedily. He was consistently among the runs in Sri Lanka, while the home series against Australia brought him even bigger rewards: back-to-back hundreds, including a double at Feroz Shah Kotla, his home ground, which answered questions about his ability to concentrate and bat for long periods. His obvious camaraderie with Delhi mate Virender Sehwag was a huge plus too, as the two established a successful pairing at the top with 15 fifty-plus stands in their first 30 partnerships, making them the second-most prolific opening pair for India. Gambhir crossed 1,000 runs in 2008 to cap off what was a phenomenal year.

Amid all the positives, the only black mark was a tendency to lose his cool and get into skirmishes with opposition players: his elbowing of Shane Watson in Delhi - his second such misdemeanour after a similar incident with Shahid Afridi - earned him a one-Test ban.
S Rajesh December 2008

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