Gandhi gets another chance after LA disaster

At the end of the tour, the Bhavnagar-born 28-year-old right-hander from Bengal hadn8217;t given up hopes of representing the country at the highest level. 8220;One cannot go by the team8217;s performances at the Los Angeles tournament where the pitch was unplayable. As you would have watched on television, stroke-making was a difficult proposition and both teams struggled to reach 200 runs,8221; he said after his return.

Last summer, the National selectors had named the soft-spoken opener for the final of the inaugural Asian Test Championships in Dhaka. But unfortunately, India failed to qualify for the final as Pakistan and Sri Lanka clashed in the summit meet.

8220;I was expecting a call from the selectors as I had also figured among probables for the World Cup in England early this year,8221; Gandhi said. He was confident that his domestic performances over the last couple of seasons would get better rewards. Gandhi, who made his Ranji Trophy debut in 1994-95, scored 740 runs in the last season and had amassed 567 runs in three league innings. Scores of 323 against Assam at Guwahati and 216 against Bihar at Calcutta in zonal matches put him on top of the averages at the end of the league phase.

He shared a 354-run stand for the third wicket with Rohan Gavaskar in the game against Bihar and was in a fruitful stand of 246 for the sixth wicket with Ajay Das against Assam. In six matches last season, Gandhi totalled 683 runs for an average of 75.88.

He is confident of translating his domestic form at the international level. 8220;Domestic tournaments are the only place for us to show our talent and temperament. Agreed, every player who does wonderfully well at domestic level will not be able to repeat his performance at international level. I know there have been instances of players failing when they get an opportunity at big matches. But I am confident of doing well if and when I get a chance,8221; Gandhi said after his return from Los Angeles.

Now that he has been selected in the 14 for the first Test against New Zealand, he gets an opportunity to show that he has the big-match temperament and the mental strength to face the opposition at the highest level.