India’s batting sensation of 2008 tells G.S. Vivek why success hasn’t changed his mindset

It was his first Man of the Match award in Test cricket, and Gautam Gambhir’s big smile bounced off the gleaming trophy clutched tightly in his hands on Tuesday evening. It’s been a great year for the left-handed opening batsman, and it might’ve been even better if Gambhir had got three more runs to bring up his century. He missed getting into that elite club of Indian batsmen — players who have scored hundreds in both innings of a Test match — that has Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid as its only members.

With 2,245 runs this calendar year in international cricket, with six hundreds at a Test average of 70.87 and a one-day average of 46.62, Gambhir has left all his compatriots in the Indian dressing room behind. In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, Gambhir talks about his break-out year, the turning point of his career, and his hunger to do better. Excerpts:

•This year has been very special for you. It has put you on the centre-stage.

• It’s been a truly fabulous 2008, and I’ll miss it very much. I feel like clinging on to 2008 and not letting it pass by, stopping the clock and saying, ‘I want to hang on to you’. I have enjoyed playing cricket every day of this year and it’s been really special how my career has shaped up.

... contd.