‘Traditionalist’ Gambhir bats for red balls in Tests
NEW DELHI: Out-of-favour India opener Gautam Gambhir on Thursday threw his weight behind the red ball in Test cricket, adding that the ‘traditionalist’ in him wants to play the five-day game in its purest form.
“I have always maintained that I am a traditionalist, and personally, I’d prefer playing Tests with a red ball. A 9am start presents an entirely different set of challenges to cricketers. They (batsmen) need to learn to counter seam, swing and early movement. Later, spin and reverse swing also come into the picture. The conditions are entirely different with a 2pm start,” Gambhir said. “I think at least one form of the game should be left alone. You can experiment with one-day internationals (ODIs) and T20s, but Tests should be played the way they are supposed to be.”
The Delhi Ranji captain last played Test cricket in 2014, and that appearance came after a hiatus of two years. Gambhir marked his return to form by scoring 356 runs in five innings in the recently- concluded Duleep Trophy, besides leading India Blue to the title. His name, though discussed by the Sandeep Patil-led selection committee, didn’t make the cut in the 15-member squad for the Test series against New Zealand.
“I don’t play for selection, honestly. Ultimately, my goal is to score runs and that’s what I focus on. My job is to help my team win,” Gambhir said.