One among the Magnificent Seven who form the mighty Indian batting line-up had to stand out there on Saturday night. He would have to toil hard, soak in the pressure, breathe the moment and deliver something special. There emerged one and it was Gautam Gambhir.
The out and out Delhiite made Mumbai fall in love with him by giving a stand out performance when India needed one to stand there and deliver. He scored an inspiring 97.,
Between the two cities of Delhi and Mumbai, where social, financial, intellectual statuses are widely compared, Gambhir made cricket the ultimate catalyst.
He walked in at No. 3 after his good friend, opening partner and Delhi mate Virender Sehwag returned to the hut on the third ball. At the other end was Tendulkar, Mumbai's darling, the batsman in form, the one in focus, and on whose shoulders a burden incredibly rested heavy. Gambhir may have had a clue but he certainly wore different shoes.
Gautam Gambhir is a big-stage performer. Going by his form in the World Cup, few had expected him to come up with a match-wining knock in the final at Mumbai Saturday, but the dimunitive player showed he has the skills and temperament to succeed by rising to the occasion when it matters. His played a prime role in India winning the Cup after a 28-year wait.
Not considered for the 2007 World Cup squad, the Delhi batsman had almost decided to quit cricket before he gathered his scattered pride with a resolve to regain his place in Team India. He worked to perfect his technique. His effort paid dividends and it was just a matter of time that the 29-year old saw himself among the top batsmen of the country.
Ahead of making his World Cup debut, Gambhir had hoped to do something special in the tournament for his passionate supporters. Little could he have expected that his wish, after a lukewarm tournament, would come true in the final. Though he unfortunately missed a well-deserved century by three runs, he had by then taken the team to threshold of victory alongwith his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni .
"I am excited to play in front of the home crowd. If there is one innings I would like to play in the World Cup it would be something like my unbeaten 150 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in 2009. It was special as I carried my bat through during the 315-run chase," Gambhir had told IANS before the World Cup.
Though he could not carry his bat Saturday, he was at the crease till the 42nd over and made sure that the Cup would be India's before gifting his wicket to Thisara Perera.
The magnitude of the occasion lessened the pain of missing the century and Gambhir, soaked in champaigne, expressed relief in finally coming out good.
"Had I got the century, it would have been the icing on the cake. There has been lot of criticism of my not converting the starts. In the big game, holding the nerve as long as possible is very important. How you go out there and handle the pressure is crucial. I am happy that I was able to do that for my country today," Gambhir said after the final.
It has sure been a long journey for Gambhir, who at one time, had
alltogether given up hope of playing for India, let alone the World Cup. In fact, the 2009 ICC Test Player of the Year battled doubts of even playing Test cricket for India.
The inaugural 2007 Twenty20 World Cup, where India emerged champions and Gambhir was one of the leading the run-getters, turned things around for him. He didn't look back since then.
Spotted by controversial former coach Greg Chappell , he further flowered under present coach Gary Kirsten , whom he credits with not only understanding him as a professional but also as a person.
Today, Gambhir not only commands the respect of his fans but also his peers, with fellow opener Virender Sehwag and Delhi players calling him the best Indian opener after Sunil Gavaskar.
He proved them true by putting his hand up for India on a historic night.
The out and out Delhiite made Mumbai fall in love with him by giving a stand out performance when India needed one to stand there and deliver. He scored an inspiring 97.,
Between the two cities of Delhi and Mumbai, where social, financial, intellectual statuses are widely compared, Gambhir made cricket the ultimate catalyst.
He walked in at No. 3 after his good friend, opening partner and Delhi mate Virender Sehwag returned to the hut on the third ball. At the other end was Tendulkar, Mumbai's darling, the batsman in form, the one in focus, and on whose shoulders a burden incredibly rested heavy. Gambhir may have had a clue but he certainly wore different shoes.
Gautam Gambhir is a big-stage performer. Going by his form in the World Cup, few had expected him to come up with a match-wining knock in the final at Mumbai Saturday, but the dimunitive player showed he has the skills and temperament to succeed by rising to the occasion when it matters. His played a prime role in India winning the Cup after a 28-year wait.
Not considered for the 2007 World Cup squad, the Delhi batsman had almost decided to quit cricket before he gathered his scattered pride with a resolve to regain his place in Team India. He worked to perfect his technique. His effort paid dividends and it was just a matter of time that the 29-year old saw himself among the top batsmen of the country.
Ahead of making his World Cup debut, Gambhir had hoped to do something special in the tournament for his passionate supporters. Little could he have expected that his wish, after a lukewarm tournament, would come true in the final. Though he unfortunately missed a well-deserved century by three runs, he had by then taken the team to threshold of victory alongwith his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni .
"I am excited to play in front of the home crowd. If there is one innings I would like to play in the World Cup it would be something like my unbeaten 150 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in 2009. It was special as I carried my bat through during the 315-run chase," Gambhir had told IANS before the World Cup.
Though he could not carry his bat Saturday, he was at the crease till the 42nd over and made sure that the Cup would be India's before gifting his wicket to Thisara Perera.
The magnitude of the occasion lessened the pain of missing the century and Gambhir, soaked in champaigne, expressed relief in finally coming out good.
"Had I got the century, it would have been the icing on the cake. There has been lot of criticism of my not converting the starts. In the big game, holding the nerve as long as possible is very important. How you go out there and handle the pressure is crucial. I am happy that I was able to do that for my country today," Gambhir said after the final.
It has sure been a long journey for Gambhir, who at one time, had
alltogether given up hope of playing for India, let alone the World Cup. In fact, the 2009 ICC Test Player of the Year battled doubts of even playing Test cricket for India.
The inaugural 2007 Twenty20 World Cup, where India emerged champions and Gambhir was one of the leading the run-getters, turned things around for him. He didn't look back since then.
Spotted by controversial former coach Greg Chappell , he further flowered under present coach Gary Kirsten , whom he credits with not only understanding him as a professional but also as a person.
Today, Gambhir not only commands the respect of his fans but also his peers, with fellow opener Virender Sehwag and Delhi players calling him the best Indian opener after Sunil Gavaskar.
He proved them true by putting his hand up for India on a historic night.
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