Fresher joins the Jam session

One of the reasons Gambhir scores over the many opening options India have tried in the recent past is that he can stand next to Sehwag and score at a fair clip. In fact, that is one of the reasons the selectors looked his way to start with. Today, the Delhi lad played a strokeful innings, hitting 19 boundaries during his stay at the crease.

Of course, it is too early to think of Gambhir as a long-term solution to the Indian opening problem. To start with, he has so far only played at home, and now at Bangladesh. The near future is almost entirely going to be spent at home. Therefore, if Gambhir continues in the current vein, he might well do a lot for the Indian cause.

But his real test — like everyone’s before him — will come when the overseas tours start. Where, if he pulls it off, we can actually start looking at the Sehwag-Gambhir jugalbandi as one for keeps.

Dravid — who shared a 259-run second-wicket stand with Gambhir today — complimented his partner for making life simple for him. ‘‘He is a very positive player and likes to play his shots. That helped me to play my innings the way I like: Set my stall and play throughout the day,’’ Dravid said.

For his part, Gambhir said, ‘‘Honestly, I am very, very happy. Obviously it is a dream to get the first hundred. The whole team motivated me actually. Rahul helped me a lot. They gave me a lot of confidence and I am thankful to them.’’

On the way to the landmark, Gambhir slayed the 90s demon that stopped him on 96 against South Africa in Kanpur earlier this year. ‘‘I was still nervous because it was my first Test hundred. Thank God that I got it,’’ said a visibly relieved Gambhir.

And then there was Dravid, who has now scored a century against and in every Test-playing nation. Typically modest, Dravid said of his achievement: ‘‘There have been many greats who have not had a chance to play against the newer Test nations like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, or got a chance to tour South Africa. So it is really unfair to compare these efforts.’’

But comparisons and the usual oh-it’s-just-Bangladesh sentiments aside, one can’t point a finger at anything Dravid did today, except the outside edge off Mohammad Rafique that flew past Habibul Bashar at first slip. Fluent to a fault, the copybook straight drive and the cover drive with which he reached his hundred clearly underlined his ability.

And with Sachin Tendulkar young at the crease, there appears to be more misery in store for the Bangladesh team — who really did all they could on the flat surface — on Day Two.