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He spent most of his career as Sehwag’s sidekick: Paddy Upton lauds Gautam Gambhir's contribution during 2011 World Cup
India lost the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early in their run-chase and it transferred the pressure on the remaining batsmen. But Gambhir stuck around to deliver a career-defining knock of 97 to take India close to the target.
The Indian cricket team last lifted a Cricket World Cup in 2011. There were euphoric scenes at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai as MS Dhoni-led Team India lifted the World Cup after 28 years of wait. India chased down Sri Lanka’s target of 274 runs in the 49th over to be crowned world champions. India stuttered at the start but managed to get to the target due to the brilliance of Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni.
India lost the wickets of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early in their run-chase and it transferred the pressure on the remaining batsmen. But Gambhir stuck around to deliver a career-defining knock of 97 to take India close to the target.
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India’s Mental Conditioning and Strategic Leadership Coach in 2011, Paddy Upton remembered the contribution of Gambhir in the final as he called him ‘the glue that kept the great batting line-up of that era together.’
“There was that additional pressure and disappointment of having Sehwag and Tendulkar back in the change room. But the reality was, you had two of the best high-pressure players in the team – one of them at the crease – Gautam Gambhir. Gary Kirsten used to call him the rock. He spent most of his career as Sehwag’s sidekick,” Upton told cricket.com.
“Sehwag would be the guy who used to be on the highlights package and play the flamboyant cricket and get the crowd cheering. Gambhir would just squirt the ball with that square drive behind backward point. He wouldn’t get the crowd going and he wouldn’t make it to the highlights package, but Gambhir was the glue that kept the great batting line-up of that era together.”
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“Although he had not delivered with the bat for seven games until then, MS Dhoni was at that time, probably still is, the best in the world when it comes to second innings chase in white-ball cricket. So, we really did have, in truth, our two biggest guns or two biggest bullets still in the chamber.”
Gambhir has made match-winning contributions in two finals he has played in. Gambhir top-scored for India in the 2007 World T20 final against Pakistan and also most the most runs in the 2011 World Cup final.
