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Journalism of Courage
Gautam Gambhir couldn’t make the cut; Murali Kartik made it but still can’t be a part of the Indian Test squad. Together they remain the ‘unlucky couple’ outside the Indian team as the South Africa series draws near.
Gambhir lost out on the opener’s slot once coach gary Kirsten insisted on a 14-member squad, which ruled out a third option after the selectors had reposed faith in Wasim Jaffer despite his poor series in Australia.
Gambhir admits he’s disappointed but says, “I have learnt to handle these situations better now. Obviously it stays in my mind for some time but I don’t want to think further about this and would rather focus on my game. I want to keep scoring runs and frankly that is the only way I have made all my comebacks,” he says.
The left-handed Delhi batsman was left out of the Australia Test series due to injury and was a revelation in the one-day tri-series. “I don’t want to think which format of the game I’m playing. I just want to enjoy each moment of it,” he says.
Meanwhile, MRI scans showed a ligament tear in Kartik’s left ankle after he had a freak accident in a Deodhar Trohpy match on Monday. The left-arm spinner said he would consult physio Paul Close at the NCA before reaching a conclusion, but the Central Zone team doctor confirmed he will be out for at least four weeks.
Kartik’s story is ironical. He wasn’t picked for a while after a match-winning performance in a Test in Mumbai against Australia in 2004, he was suddenly recalled for the one-day series against the same opponents in 2007, then he joined the Test squad against Pakistan but didn’t play a match, and he was omitted from the Australia tri-series squad. Now, a new ‘twist’ in his cricket career has come this evening.
