Gautam Gambhir Profile

Gautam Gambhir Profile

Feisty and firm, capricious and correct, insatiable and insecure, Gautam Gambhir is one of the most complete batsmen of the current era. He is adept at opening in all three forms of the game. He can be more aggressive than Virender Sehwag, he can play the kind of back-to-the-wall innings that would do Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman proud, and he can accumulate without taking any risks, much like Sachin Tendulkar has been doing in the last quarter of his career.

He walks down the track to the fastest of bowlers, and an unfriendly word or three with the fielding side only help him concentrate harder, though it's not as if he needs external motivation to make the most of his time as a cricketer. He almost lost the fight to his own high standards and to the fickle selectors, which left him "not wanting to play anymore" when he was dropped for the 2007 World Cup, and insecure when he did make it back. For about eight first years of his career, he was the domestic cheque that would not be honoured at international level. While the bowlers on the Ranji circuit swore by this little left-hand batsman, he had just two international centuries to show after 13 Tests and 19 ODIs when he was left out of the World Cup party.

He came back with massive runs in domestic cricket, a few important technical adjustments, and with the reputation of being the best player of spin in India, outside the international side. A century in his second ODI back and a final-winning fifty in the inaugural World Twenty20 paved the way for his Test return. Test fifties against Murali and Mendis in the summer of Murali and Mendis in 2008 told him he belonged. In his next 13 Tests, he scored eight centuries: centuries to set up wins, centuries to bat opposition out, and centuries to hold on for draws, including the near 11-hour marathon in Napier. The Arjuna Award came his way, the ICC named him the Test player of 2009, but much more tellingly Sehwag called him the best Indian Test opener since Sunil Gavaskar. The only plausible flaw in Sehwag's claim is Sehwag himself.

Full name Gautam Gambhir

Born October 14, 1981, Delhi

Current age 29 years 38 days

Major teams India, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, India Red, Indian Board President's XI, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Legbreak

Batting and fielding averages

    Mat     Inns     NO     Runs     HS     Ave     BF     SR     100     50     4s     6s     Ct     St
Tests     35     63     5     2914     206     50.24     5390     54.06     9     12     354     7     27     0
ODIs     100     96     8     3351     150*     38.07     3955     84.72     7     21     367     16     30     0
T20Is     23     22     0     621     75     28.22     500     124.20     0     6     74     8     5     0
First-class     119     202     20     9919     233*     54.50             32     41             76     0
List A     202     196     14     6690     150*     36.75             15     39             60     0
Twenty20     72     70     5     1844     86     28.36     1514     121.79     0     15     222     20     12     0

Bowling averages

    Mat     Inns     Balls     Runs     Wkts     BBI     BBM     Ave     Econ     SR     4w     5w     10
Tests     35     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
ODIs     100     1     6     13     0     -     -     -     13.00     -     0     0     0
T20Is     23     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -
First-class     119         385     277     7     3/12         39.57     4.31     55.0         0     0
List A     202         37     36     1     1/7     1/7     36.00     5.83     37.0     0     0     0
Twenty20     72     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -

Career statistics

Test debut     India v Australia at Mumbai, Nov 3-5, 2004
Last Test     India v New Zealand at Hyderabad (Deccan), Nov 12-16, 2010

ODI debut     Bangladesh v India at Dhaka, Apr 11, 2003
Last ODI     Sri Lanka v India at Dambulla, Jun 24, 2010

T20I debut     India v Scotland at Durban, Sep 13, 2007
Last T20I     India v Sri Lanka at Gros Islet, May 11, 2010

First-class debut     1999/00
Last First-class     India v New Zealand at Hyderabad (Deccan), Nov 12-16, 2010
List A debut     2000/01
Last List A     Sri Lanka v India at Dambulla, Jun 24, 2010
Twenty20 debut     Delhi v Himachal Pradesh at Delhi, Apr 3, 2007
Last Twenty20     India v Sri Lanka at Gros Islet, May 11, 2010