Here’s why Gautam Gambhir, and not Shikhar Dhawan, should make the India team for the second Test

Is it time that Gautam Gambhir is officially crowned the “King of Comebacks”?

The left-hander is one feisty customer. Two years after his first comeback to the Indian team on their tour of England in 2014, which ended in nightmarish fashion, he is back for a third round. Not much has changed in the last two years – he still exudes the same “take no prisoners” attitude that got him so much success.

KL Rahul may consider himself unlucky after sustaining a hamstring injury just after breaking his way into the Indian team, but that is unfortunately the way the cookie crumbles. The Indian selectors wanted an able replacement for the next two Tests in the ongoing series against New Zealand and they decided to go back to the experience and dependability that Gambhir provides.

It may not be a short-term move, as well. Insiders from the Board of Control for Cricket in India told ESPNcricinfo that with a long home season coming up, there needed to be some experience at the top. And when it comes to experience, there are few who can match Gambhir’s credentials. More than 50 Tests, nine centuries, one of them a double against Australia in Delhi, and more than 4,000 runs. There is also his record in the Indian Premier League to contend with, where he has captained the Kolkata Knight Riders to two titles.

Who will partner Vijay?

Of course, the question that arises is, despite this call-up, will Gambhir be actually walking out to open the innings at Eden Gardens? That would be a tough call for Virat Kohli to make, considering that he already has two first-team openers in the squad. Murali Vijay hit two gritty half-centuries in Kanpur and will definitely not miss out in Kolkata, barring a freak injury.

It will likely be a toss-up between Shikhar Dhawan and Gambhir for the other opener’s spot. And though Dhawan was dropped for the fourth Test against the West Indies and then the Kanpur Test against New Zealand, there is a high chance that he will be back in the team again. After all, Kohli has showed that he likes backing his players and that might make him give Dhawan another go in Kolkata.

The other school of argument is that if Gambhir has done enough to earn a call-up to the Indian team, he has done enough to be named to the final squad as well. Since his nightmarish last two Tests in England in 2014, where he scored a combined 25 runs in four innings, he has gone back to domestic cricket with a vengeance and proved his worth with the bat.

While his form in the Duleep Trophy in September, where he scored 356 runs in five innings at an average of 71.20, has already been talked about, his record in the Ranji Trophy provides a greater benchmark of his consistency. With 569 runs in 14 innings, Gambhir was Delhi’s highest run-scorer in the 2014-’15 season. The following season, he was the second-highest run scorer for Delhi with 488 runs in 14 innings.

Feasting on the Kiwis

There is also his record against New Zealand to contend with. He has struck two centuries against the Kiwis in the eight matches he has played against them. In fact, two of Gambhir’s best Test knocks came against New Zealand – in Napier on India’s tour of the country in 2009, Gambhir hit a gritty 137 in the second innings to ensure a fighting draw for the visitors. In the next Test at Wellington, he went one better and hit 167, again in the second innings as India drew the match and won a series in New Zealand after 41 years.

These are great numbers and numbers that prove Gambhir has a very strong case to play the Kolkata Test. The team management will take a final call, but even if it is Dhawan who comes out to bat with Vijay, there will be tremendous pressure on him. One more failure and it might be Dhawan’s turn to find a way to make a comeback.