Real challenge is in winning abroad, believes Gautam Gambhir

Team India batsman Gautam Gambhir recently commended the efforts of the team on finishing the year as the number one ranked side. India is currently the top-ranked team in the ICC Test rankings. Under the leadership of Virat Kohli, the team remained unbeaten in 2016. They recently thrashed England 4-0 in the home series.

Prior to that, they had comprehensive Test series wins against West Indies and New Zealand. As per the quotes in India Today, the southpaw believes that the bigger challenge is in maintaining the top spot. Gambhir said that the team rightly deserves the number one ranking. However, he cited that they have been in the position before. But have failed to consolidate the top spot. This has largely been due to poor overseas records. He hopes that this team will exceed in the overseas conditions too.

“Yes at the moment we deserve to be No.1 the way we are playing but obviously to keep that spot for a very long time we have to start playing well overseas. We were the No.1 side under Gary Kirsten as well but we couldn’t maintain it because obviously we were playing well at home but could not do that going abroad, so hopefully this team can do it once they go abroad,” quoted the Delhi batsman.

Talking specifically about the England series, Gauti believes that India were the favorites anyway. He pointed out that the home conditions often help a great deal. The real challenge lies in performing outside the home conditions.

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“When you are playing at home then you are favourites no matter which team you play against. Every Indian captain and every team has done well while playing at home and our biggest challenge remains how we do overseas and hopefully this team can do well overseas,” he added.

Gambhir himself was a part of the squad that played England for the first two Tests. He featured in the first Test but failed to impress. In the second match, he was benched as KL Rahul replaced him. The stylish left-handed batsman believes that the upcoming season of the IPL will be for him to make a statement.

“I have always believed that platforms do not matter, my job is to go and give my best for whatever team I play for and try and win a game of cricket for them and that is all that matters and that is what I have always played for. I think IPL this year is going to be a great opportunity for us and hopefully we can try and win it one more time and become the most successful side,” mentioned the opener.

Speaking on different lines, he had a word of praise for the armed forces. He has time and again spoken in favour of the Indian Army. He rightly quoted the army men as the real heroes of the country.

“I have always been inspired by army men because I feel in our country the most selfless people work for the Army or the defence forces. Everyone gets good pay or contracts but ultimately look at the people in defence forces who guard our borders selflessly, they are the real heroes. Cricketers, Bollywood actors or even politicians should not be made heroes, instead we should treat those who guard our county selflessly as heroes,” he said.

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Recalling one of his fond memories from the past, the Delhi opener mentioned that he loved it when he was called in his school as the chief guest on sports day. He added that every individual must have that as a motivational factor.

“I thought that was the best feeling after representing my country because once you are invited to your school as chief guest there is no better feeling than that. I think it should be a great motivation for all boys here that they should come back to their school as chief guest one day and there is no better motivation than that,” he added.