Gambhir sustains India's hopes in Motera duel

Just as Motera rarely presents on a grand Test landscape scale as this, such a particular memorable kaleidoscope of batting records, neither are the duels under the Gujarat sun always so spectacular.

Two of India’s quietly influential batsmen, Rahul Dravid and Gautam Gambhir overshadowed as they so often are by the scions of media fawning, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, have come to the rescue of their captain, coach and country. This is on a day of impressive batting styles, technique and the sort of quality you do not often see on an afternoon of tension and drama and misplaced Thespian intrigue.

This is after the highly significant innings of 275 by Mahela Jayawardene, who surpassed the Younis Khan’s score of 267 in Bangalore, March 2005 to become the holder of the highest individual Test score by a visiting batsman in India. Not at all a bad day’s work to become the batsman now holding two commanding Test records: the first highest in Sri Lanka (374) and now India, which fell 99 runs short of that record innings against South Africa at SSC in 2006.

And when you consider that before this Ahmedabad Test only three Sri Lankans have managed in 27 years to score centuries against India in India, the three in their first innings of 769 for seven, declared, with the wicketkeeper Prasana Jayawardene fashioning an undefeated 154, is quite a mind-boggling achievement.

If anything is certain though, Gambhir's career as India’s opening batsman, all too often ignored because of his more flamboyant Delhi partner, Sehwag, didn’t deny him the honour of earning the Test Player of the Year award, presented this year in Johannesburg.

Gambhir’s consistency has enabled him to lift India’s hopes often after his partner, the man who loves to plunder, has departed after a hasty or brash stroke has caught the buccaneering efforts unawares and either top-edged or miscued a stroke he should have left alone.

Gambhir’s sword of willow is a more finely fashioned rapier, than the broadsword cutlass that Sehwag all too often uses to bludgeon his way to centuries, or in this case 51 off 67 balls as India went after the 334 target they had to wipe off before asking Sri Lanka to bat again. Just as well that Gambir understands the finesse against the twin spin threat of Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath.

On a slow turning surface, the soft hands and adroit footwork of the Delhi left-hander showed why he won that International Cricket Council award, even if there were those who would ague against this singular success.

There were times when he indulged in a little soliloquy when facing the Sri Lanka spinners and working out how to handle both in a way that he won’t sacrifice his wicket. Especially after the way Dravid was judged lbw by Australian umpire Daryl Harper with a ball clearly going down leg. The Lanka media are full of grumbles over how their latest pet, Angelo Mathews was given out caught before lunch on day three. They will not display a similar comment for Dravid. It is the second time that Harper has erred this Test.

The pity is that Dravid was looking comfortable and at ease and this particular bit of burgling might be considered marginal, similar to the dismissal in Galle August last year under the referral system.

It is why the Gambhir fortifications in working out the bowling threat became so important late in the day and Kumar Sangakkara slowed the overrate in the last hour by bringing back the seam of medium-paced Dammika Prasad in to support Chanaka Welegedara. He knew what he had to do and picked off the bowlers with cunning and soft hands while Dravid’s cut and drive left Sri Lanka realising that in such batting conditions as they have even a lead of 400 might not be enough.

So far the vaunted Murali threat has failed to materialise, despite the views expressed by Sri Lankan commentator Ranil Abeynakea who is fumbles his lines so badly at times you wonder if he is talking about the same game. Anyway, going into this Test, Muralitharan’s, his eight previous outings had secured 31 wickets at 39.58.

This is now translated into 34 wickets at 40.58 and the Murali factor is more myth and fiction than fact, as he looks as threatening as a toothless tiger.