Inconsistency has been Gautam Gambhir’s bane in the past, and that also denied the Delhi opening batsman a ticket to the West Indies for the World Cup. But the setback only fuelled his ambition to make a strong return. He got that opportunity against Bangladesh last month.
The left-hander’s 21 and 101 against the neighbours sealed his berth for the Ireland trip and he backed the faith the team management placed on him with an unbeaten 80 against Ireland on Saturday. The effort left Gambhir a pleased and confident man ahead of a potentially mouth-watering clash against South Africa on Tuesday.
“At this level, it’s all about being consistent and that’s what I was lacking in the past and in that perspective, these outings are very important for me. I had toured England with India ‘A’ so I know something about batting on these types of tracks and that helped me.
“You want to start off a season on a high note and I'm happy about the way it’s begun and such games can really boost your confidence ahead of tougher matches,” Gambhir, who bagged his second man of the match in as many one-dayers, said.

Fine partnership
Gambhir, who forged a match-winning alliance of 164 for the second-wicket with Sourav Ganguly, divulged the strategy he adopted. “It will be a long tour, so it’s important to start off well and it is like that for any cricketer, not just me. It’s not like in India where you can just go out and play through the line of the ball. Sometimes, you have to be a bit more patient and work the ball into the gaps in these conditions.
“That was the strategy I adopted and it worked for me and I am happy that I got some runs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Indian cricketers relaxed after their nine-wicket win against Ireland on Saturday with a visit to the Giant Causeway, a much sought-after tourist destination in Belfast.